Celebrity Parents Soccer Star Julie Ertz Expecting First Baby with Husband Zach Ertz: 'Adding to Our Starting Lineup' The soccer star and NFL player tied the knot in March 2017 By Vanessa Etienne Vanessa Etienne Vanessa Etienne is an Emerging Content Writer-Reporter for PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 4, 2022 03:53PM EDT Photo: Luela Kaba Julie Ertz and Zach Ertz are going to be parents! On Monday, the U.S. women's national soccer team star announced that she and husband Zach Ertz are expecting their first child together. Julie, 29, shared maternity photos on Instagram, including snaps of the NFL player kissing and cradling her growing baby bump. "Adding to our starting lineup… Baby Ertz! Psalms 30:11-12," the couple captioned their announcement. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Luela Kaba Julie and Zach, 31, tied the knot at an outdoor ceremony in March 2017 at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California. At the time, Julie told PEOPLE that their wedding was a "dream come true." She met her future husband in 2012 through mutual friends while Zach was a player on Stanford University's football team and she was on the soccer team at nearby Santa Clara. After dating long-distance following his move to Philadelphia, Zach popped the question in February 2016. Soccer Champ Julie Ertz on Inspiring Young Kids & Getting to 'Relax' Now with NFL Star Husband Allen Berezovsky/FilmMagic Last year, the soccer star raved about how Zach, tight end for the Arizona Cardinals, has been extremely supportive of her career — especially because he can relate. "Being married to a professional athlete is a huge blessing because he understands the lifestyle completely," she told PEOPLE in May. "We both know what it takes to reach the top of our sports, so we are always on the same page with our daily routines, and we keep each other disciplined." Julie added, "We both had to find unique ways to stay in shape while everything was shut down [amid the COVID-19 pandemic], and having someone who has to keep that as a priority made it so much easier to stay on track even with all the obstacles the pandemic brought. We have both experienced a lot in our careers and those experiences help us both support each other when the other one needs it."