_(cropped).jpg) Franch in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adrianna Nichole Franch[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1990-11-12)November 12, 1990 (age 35)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Salina, Kansas, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Birmingham City | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Oklahoma State Cowgirls | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Western New York Flash | 22 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Avaldsnes IL | 12 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Portland Thorns | 44 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Kansas City Current | 21 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Birmingham City | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | United States U-20 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | United States U-23 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | United States | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:24, 16 March 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of October 21, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Adrianna Nichole "AD"Franch (born November 12, 1990) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as a goalkeeper forBirmingham City. She previously played forKansas City Current, andPortland Thorns FC, winning theNWSL Championship in 2017 with the latter team and being namedNWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
Franch was first called up to theUnited States national team in 2012 and debuted for the team in 2019.
Franch grew up inSalina, Kansas. She attendedSalina South High School and was the starting goalkeeper for three seasons, but did not play her senior season due to an injury suffered playing basketball. She earned All-State, All-Southwest Region and All-League honors, as well as league MVP during her time at South. Franch was also a star basketball player earning first-team All-County and All-League honors as well as an honorable mention All-State performer.[2][3]
Franch was a three-year member of the Kansas Olympic Development Program (ODP) team. She played on the Region II ODP team and was an ODP National Pool player in 2006. She led her club team, the KC Comets Select, to a Kansas state championship in 2006 and to the Kansas state finals in 2007 and 2008.[3]
As a child, Franch's favorite goalkeeper was women's national team keeper,Briana Scurry, and people used to call her the "next Bri Scurry."[2]
Franch was the starting goalkeeper forOklahoma State University as a freshman in 2009, playing in 24 games and allowing just 14 goals for a 0.61 GAA. She went 15–6–2 with 11 shutouts and was named First-Team All-Big 12. Franch played a key role in the Cowgirls winning the Big 12 tournament for their second time ever.[2]
Franch is considered one of the most decorated players inBig 12 Conference and Oklahoma State University soccer history. She is a two-time All-American and a two-time MACHermann Trophy semifinalist. During each of her four seasons with Oklahoma State, she was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, the seventh player in Big 12 Conference history to achieve that distinction.[4]
Franch holds the OSU career record for shutouts with 38 and led the Big 12 in the same category in three of her four seasons. She finished her career with 325 saves ranking second the program's history. Franch's 38 shutouts rank sixth all time in NCAA history, and her 8,064:02 minutes in goal rank ninth on the NCAA list. As a junior, she ranked second in theNCAA in goals against average (0.348) and third in save percentage (0.92). She also set OSU's single-season record with 12 shutouts.[4]
In 2010, Franch became the first Oklahoma State soccer player to play for a United States national team when she was called up to theUnited States U-20 team.[5]
On January 18, 2013, Franch was the sixth pick during the first round of the2013 college draft ofNational Women's Soccer League; the first goalkeeper picked by any team and the first player picked byWestern New York Flash.[6][7][8][9][10][11] Franch said of the Flash, "They are a very strong team that plays together and knows how to win. It's an environment that I'm really excited to be around because they have a lot of drive and heart."[12]During the team's first regular season match againstSky Blue FC, Franch made six saves. Although the Flash lost 1–0 due to an own goal, Franch was heralded as a tremendous force in the goal and a future prospect at the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[13] She came second in voting forNWSL Rookie of the Year in 2013.[14]
Franch missed the2014 National Women's Soccer League season due to a tornanterior cruciate ligament.[15]
After rehabilitating her injury, Franch joinedAvaldsnes IL, aNorwegian club competing in theToppserien, in 2015.[15] She started 12 matches and played 1080 minutes for the team, recording 4 shutouts. The team finished the2015 Toppserien in second place.[16]
On December 10, 2015, Franch signed with the National Women's Soccer League club, Portland Thorns FC, after rights to her were traded from the expansionOrlando Pride.[17] As a back-up keeper toMichelle Betos she helped the Thorns win theNWSL Shield in the 2016 season, recording three shutouts in six appearances. As starting keeper in2017, she set a league record with 11 shutouts in the regular season,[18] helped the Thorns win the NWSL Championship in a 1–0 shutout over theNorth Carolina Courage, and was namedNWSL Goalkeeper of the Year.[19]
After starting the first 3 games of the 2018 season, Franch missed the next 9 games after undergoing surgery to repair a slight meniscus tear in her knee. She returned to the field on June 22 against theHouston Dash.[20] Franch was named Player of the Week, for week 14 after recording 11 saves during the Thorns two games that week.[21] Franch was named to the 2018 NWSL Best XI and was awarded NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year for the second straight year, becoming the first player to win the award twice.[22]
On August 17, 2021, it was announced Franch would be traded toKansas City in exchange for goalkeeper Abby Smith and $150,000 in allocation money.[23][24]
On 15 March 2025, it was announced that Franch would leave Kansas City and had signed a deal withBirmingham City until the end of the season.[25][26] On August 5, 2025, it was announced that she had signed a one-year contract, extending her time with the club.[27]
Franch has played for theUnited States U-20,U-23, and senior USWNT teams. Her first ever call-up to the U.S. youth national teams came at the end of 2009 when she was called to U-20 camp in Sunrise, Florida. Her first international caps came at the La Manga Tournament in Spain in March 2010, where she played against Norway and Germany, earning a win and a tie.[28]
In May 2012, Franch was called up to train with theUnited States women's national soccer team in preparation for the2012 Summer Olympics by coach,Pia Sundhage.[29][30] In March 2013, she was named to the senior team roster by USWNT coach,Tom Sermanni for upcoming exhibition matches againstGermany andthe Netherlands.[31][32]
Franch was called into theUnited States women's national soccer team January 2016 training camp by coachJill Ellis.[33] and again for the June 2016 friendlies againstJapan.[34] She was called to training camp in November 2016 but unable to attend the camp.[35]
In January 2018 Franch received a call-up to USWNT annual January training camp.[36] She was also named to the roster for the2018 Tournament of Nations, the United States won the tournament but Franch did not see any playing time as USWNT number one keeperAlyssa Naeher played all three games.[37] Franch was called into camp for a set of friendlies against Chile in August 2018, but once again she did not see any playing time. Franch was named to the preliminary 35 person roster for the2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship but wasn't named to the final 20 person roster, but it was announced that she would still join the team to assist in preparation.[38]
Franch was called up to the senior national team for friendlies in Portugal and Scotland in November 2018.[39] In January 2019, she participated in the USWNT's annual January training camp, held in theAlgarve region ofPortugal.[40] Franch remained with the national team for subsequent matches against France and Spain, but was not awarded any playing time.[41][42]
In February 2019, U.S. Soccer announced that Franch would be on the WNT roster for theSheBelieves Cup.[43] Franch played the entirety of the USWNT's second match of the tournament, a 2–2 draw against England. This marked her first-ever start and cap with the senior national team.[44]
Franch grew up inSalina, Kansas with her mom and two siblings. When she was ten, her family purchased a home throughHabitat for Humanity which she and her mom helped build.[45]
Franch married her wife Emily Boscacci on December 21, 2019.[46]
For the second match of the2019 SheBelieves Cup, Franch replaced her own name on her game jersey with that of former national team goalkeeperBriana Scurry, whom she had met as a child.[47]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2019 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 0 | |
Western New York Flash
Portland Thorns
Kansas City Current
International
Individual
United States squads | |||||||||||||
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