Olympic soccer hero Julia Grosso a rising star after whirlwind 12 months

You can hardly blame Canadian women's team midfielder Julia Grosso if her head is still spinning after a whirlwind 12 months. 

It was Grosso who scored the winning goal in Canada's dramatic penalty shootout win over Sweden that sealed a historic gold medal for the Canadians at last summer's Olympics. 

The Vancouver native was still playing NCAA soccer at the University of Texas at the time, but her exemplary performances in Tokyo caught the attention of Juventus. She made the jump from the collegiate to the pro ranks last December when the famous Italian outfit signed her to a short-term deal. 

The Canadian midfielder played a role in helping the Turin-based club win an Italian league championship, while also making her debut in the UEFA Champions League as Juventus reached the quarter-finals. Juventus was so impressed with Grosso that they signed her to a contract extension through to the end of the 2024 season. 

Now the 21-year-old is set to play a key role for Canada in the upcoming CONCACAF Women's Championship, which serves as the qualifying competition for the 2023 FIFA World Cup. The top four teams will clinch a World Cup berth, while the winner of the tournament, which runs from July 5-18 in Mexico, will also qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The second- and third-place teams will meet at a later date in a playoff to determine the other CONCACAF qualifier for the Olympics.

Grosso's star has been on the rise ever since he made her national team debut as a 17-year-old in 2017 under former coach John Herdman. Since then, the industrious central midfielder has been a mainstay in the Canadian team, including making an appearance off the bench in a 0-0 draw against South Korea last Sunday in Toronto. 

Scott's