Sydney Elizabeth Martinez (born September 12, 1999) is a professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting ...
for
USL Super League
The USL Super League (USLS) is a planned Division II professional women's soccer league in the United States, beginning play in 2023. The league will be owned and operated by the United Soccer League.
History
USL announced the formation of th ...
club
Brooklyn FC. Born in the mainland United States, she competes internationally for the
Puerto Rico women's national team.
Early life
Martinez grew up in
Rincon, Georgia
Rincon is a city in Effingham County, Georgia, United States. The 2020 population was 10,934, up from 8,836 at the 2010 census. Rincon is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Rincon, in the southeast area of Effingham Coun ...
, United States.
Education
Martinez attended
Effingham County High School
Effingham County High School is one of two public high schools located in Effingham County, Georgia, northwest of Savannah. The school was created in 1956 and serves approximately 2000 students in grades 9- 12 in the Effingham County School Dis ...
in the United States, where she was regarded as one of the soccer team's most important players.
After that, she attended the
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF i ...
, where she posted impressive numbers in her five year career at for the
South Florida Bulls
The South Florida Bulls (also known as the USF Bulls) are the sport, athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sai ...
.
Club career
Martinez joined
Women's Premier Soccer League
The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is an amateur women's soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is the top amateur league for women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, below only National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) ...
club Savannah Spirit in 2021.
In 2022, Martinez played for
USL W League
The USL W League (USLW) is a pre-professional women's soccer league in the United States which began play in May 2022. It was announced on June 8, 2021 by the United Soccer League with eight founding clubs. It follows the USL W-League, a simi ...
side
Tormenta FC
South Georgia Tormenta FC is an American soccer organization based in Statesboro, Georgia, United States. Founded in 2015, the club fields a professional team in USL League One, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, as well as a pre-pro ...
, where she captained the club. She helped the team win the inaugural league championship, and captured the Golden Glove and Finals MVP awards herself.
Martinez signed for Norwegian club
IK Grand Bodø
Idrettsklubben Grand Bodø is a Norwegian association football club from Bodø, Nordland. It was founded on 12 April 1917.
Football
Former Liverpool and England international full-back Chris Lawler was player-coach for the club in 1981.
Its ...
in March 2023.
On June 7, 2024, Martinez was announced as the first-ever signing for
Brooklyn FC ahead of the inaugural
USL Super League
The USL Super League (USLS) is a planned Division II professional women's soccer league in the United States, beginning play in 2023. The league will be owned and operated by the United Soccer League.
History
USL announced the formation of th ...
season.
International career
Martinez played for the
Olympic Development Program
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
. Martinez was called up to the
Puerto Rico women's national football team
The Puerto Rico women's national football team ( es, Selección femenina de fútbol de Puerto Rico) is governed by the Puerto Rican Football Federation (FPF).
History
On 30 August 2018, in a home friendly versus Argentina, players staged a pro ...
for the third time in June 2023.
Style of play
Martinez has been described as "difficult to shoot over, has good lateral movement, aggressively fights for balls in the box and often flips the field with booming punts".
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Sydney
1999 births
Living people
People from Effingham County, Georgia
Puerto Rican women's footballers
Puerto Rico women's international footballers
Puerto Rican expatriate women's footballers
American women's soccer players
American expatriate sportspeople in Norway
American expatriate women's soccer players
American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent
Expatriate women's footballers in Norway
South Florida Bulls women's soccer players
Women's association football goalkeepers
Soccer players from Georgia (U.S. state)
Brooklyn FC players
USL Super League players
21st-century American sportswomen