Eva Julianna Gaetino (born December 17, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for Première Ligue club Paris Saint-Germain and the United States national team. She played college soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where she was named first-team All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defensive Player of the Year twice.
Born in Chesapeake, Virginia, Gaetino grew up in Dexter, Michigan.[3] She began playing soccer at age two and was an attacking player in her youth before moving to defense in college.[4] She played club soccer for the Michigan Hawks, earning all-conference honors three times and winning the ECNL national title in 2017.[3][5] She committed to Notre Dame during her freshman year at Dexter High School.[5][6]
Gaetino started 75 of the 76 games she played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish between 2020 and 2023.[5] In her junior season, she anchored a defensive line with Leah Klenke and Waniya Hudson that led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in shutout percentage with 14 shutouts in 23 games. Notre Dame earned a one seed in the NCAA tournament and made the quarterfinals without conceding in its first three tournament games.[5][7] In her senior season, she had career scoring highs with 4 goals and 3 assists in 19 games, helping the Irish finish second in the ACC regular season.[5][8] In both her junior and senior years, she was named first-team All-American, first-team All-ACC, and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, joining Malia Berkely as the second player to win the latter in consecutive years.[5][9]
Gaetino was predicted to be an early selection in the 2024 NWSL Draft but instead opted to sign with Paris Saint-Germain on January 23, 2024.[10][11] The move reunited her with Notre Dame teammate and friend Korbin Albert.[12] Gaetino made her professional debut on February 11, assisting Tabitha Chawinga just five minutes after substituting into the game, a 1–1 league draw against rivals Lyon.[13][14] She subsequently became a regular starter for the team.[4] On March 20, she made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut in the quarterfinal first leg and scored her first professional goal in the 2–1 away win against BK Häcken.[15] She was the youngest American to score in the knockout rounds of the competition at 21 years old.[16] PSG went on to lose to Lyon in the Champions League semifinals and finished as runners-up in the league playoffs.[17] On May 4, Gaetino lifted her first professional trophy when the Parisiennes defeated Fleury in the Coupe de France Féminine final.[18]
On July 26, 2024, Gaetino signed a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain, agreeing to a two-year deal.[13] However, new manager Fabrice Abriel used Gaetino relatively sparsely during her second season with the capital club.[19] In the 2024–25 UEFA Women's Champions League, Juventus eliminated PSG in the second qualifying round; she did not start in the first leg and was used at defensive midfielder in the second leg.[20] She made only 10 starts in the league out of 17 appearances and was unused in the Coupe de France Féminine final and the league playoffs.[20]
Gaetino played friendlies for the United States national under-23 team in 2023.[5] The following year, she received her first senior team call-up for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup in April.[21] She made her senior debut for the United States on October 30, 2024, starting a friendly against Argentina, which finished as a 3–0 victory.[22]
Gaetino is one of four children born to Katherine and Brandon Gaetino. Both of her parents played college soccer, her mother at Virginia Tech and her father at Bucknell. Gaetino's younger sister, Bella, won the 2024 national championship at North Carolina.[23]
| National Team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Paris Saint-Germain
United States
Individual
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