KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A central Kansas native and a Kansas City NWSL midfielder are headed to the Olympics.
Adrianna Franch, a goalkeeper for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns FC, was selected for the 18-player U.S. roster for the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. Women’s National Team announced Wednesday.
Franch grew up in Salina, Kansas, emerging as a star at Salina South High School, where she also starred on the basketball court.
She is a former Kansas Olympic Development Program Player of the Year, who went on to become a two-time MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist and two-time All-American at Oklahoma State University.
Franch was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NWSL College Draft, becoming the first goalkeeper drafted in league history.
She appeared in 22 games for the Western New York Flash that season, but she missed the 2014 campaign with a torn ACL.
Franch returned to action in 2015, playing in Norway for Avaldsnes IL, before returning to the NWSL and joining the Thorns ahead of the 2016 season.
She was the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in 2017 and 2018 and also won CONCACAF Goalkeeper of the Year in 2017. She made the roster but didn't play during the 2019 Women's World Cup.
The U.S. women, who are coached by former FC Kansas City coach Vlatko Andonovski, are in Group G, which includes Sweden (July 21), New Zealand (July 24) and Australia (July 27).
The U.S. women have won the gold medal in four of six Olympic Games (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012) and claimed silver in 2000, but the USWNT was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Sweden at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Kansas City NWSL’s Desiree Scott was selected for the 18-player Canadian Olympic team, the club announced Wednesday.
She has appeared in five games, including four starts, for KC NWSL in its inaugural season in Kansas City.
It is Scott’s third consecutive Olympic appearance, having collected back-to-back bronze medals with the Canadian team in 2012 and 2016.
Canada is in Group E with Japan (July 21), Chile (24) and Great Britain (July 27).