AS SOCCER FANS around the world immerse themselves in the North America-hosted 2026 World Cup, the United States’ U-20 (under age 20) Women’s National Team recently won tuneup contests against France 5–0 and 2–1. Greenfield native and Indy Eleven W player Emma Johnson competed alongside her U-20 teammates as she continues to fight for a roster spot in the U-20 World Cup this September in Poland.
“Any of the spots are open, so it’s about proving yourself here,” Johnson said on a call from southern Spain, where she participated with the Americans in their international training camp.
At a height of 5’3″, Johnson has played outside back for her country, though she acted as more of an attacking midfielder role for the W and for Penn State University at the collegiate level.
“She’s always been kind of scrappy, which we love,” Indy Eleven W head coach Brandon Kim says of the position change and Johnson’s ability to play more than one position. “She’s willing to do the work physically and defend. She’s incredibly clever on the ball and a super high-IQ player that sees a lot of things that some kids don’t.”
Johnson played the 2025 summer for Lexington’s United Soccer League W team with former Indy coach Paul Dolinsky, but this summer is a return to the Eleven.
Johnson scored her first goal in a W uniform when she was just 14 years old. “I’ve always said if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” Kim says. “You don’t want to put a kid on the field with 20 grown women and put them at a risk of getting hurt, but something that Emma’s done really well is use her body. She’s got really great balance.”
The road to Johnson’s ambitious dreams hasn’t always been easy, as she’s had to lean into support from both her parents and coaches. That resilience and coachability, though, are paying off. Her willingness to change positions may have been one of the key factors in her making the U-18 team after not making it as a U-15.
“When I didn’t get that call-up, I was bummed,” Johnson says, “but I knew I would just continue to get better and that I was going to get another chance at some point.”
Johnson, who has an older brother and father who both played college sports, started playing soccer when she was 4 years old and played for FC Pride before switching over to the Indy Eleven Academy as a U-12. She did not play high school soccer in Indiana after attending the Mount Vernon High School system from kindergarten into her freshman year before transferring to an online school to put more emphasis on her soccer development.
”It’s hard to have friendships off the field,” Johnson admits. “I still keep in contact with girls at Mount Vernon, but I haven’t talked to them in a while. We catch up occasionally.”
