New Mexico’s Brianna Martinez On USA Roster For 2020 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship in Dominican Republic

Brianna Martinez was once a member of the United States Under-18 Women’s National Team. She continues to represent New Mexico through international play.

By Chris Walker | Photo: Notre Dame

Updated at 7:18 am.

On February 13, U.S. Women’s National Team U-20 Head Coach Laura Harvey named her roster for the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship that begins this Saturday, February 22nd at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, Santo Domingo. Brianna Martinez based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is one of the 20 players named to the U-20 WNT Roster.

Martinez is a graduate of Volcano Vista High School. She played soccer all four seasons at Volcano Vista, where she averaged 2.8 points per game as a senior. Martinez recorded 92 points in her high school career. During high school, Martinez was a member of the United States Under-18 Women’s National Team and traveled to China, Australia, and Europe for international competition with the team. She kept a good balance between athletics and academics also as she was named to the Honor Roll and was ranked in the top 10 in her class at Volcano Vista.

Martinez has just completed her sophomore season at the University of Notre Dame. In two seasons with the Fighting Irish, Martinez has started 32 of 34 matches. She had 1 assist this season with 12 shots and 2 shots on goal. She played all 90 minutes in 5 matches this 2019-20 season and 12 matches over both seasons.

Martinez played for Albuquerque FC during her collegiate offseason this past summer of 2019. A semi-professional team, still in an amateur class, that had its inaugural run in the Women’s Premier Soccer League as an expansion team. This team featured collegiate and youth club players from the state of New Mexico.

Harvey held a training camp in Lakewood Ranch, Florida January 9-20. She named 25 players to attend this camp. Five roster spots were trimmed down from today’s roster. Martinez was added as a defender along with Sierra Enge (Defender), Naomi Girma (Defender), and Sophia Smith (Forward) of Stanford Cardinal.

Smith is the only professional on the 2020 roster. She had a brief college career at Stanford University starting in 2018 and concluding in 2019. During that time, Smith scored 24 goals in 33 appearances and helped her team defeat UCLA by netting a hat-trick. Stanford went on to win the national title via a penalty shootout in the final. Smith took part in the 2020 NWSL soccer draft on January 16, 2020 and was drafted with the #1 pick by Portland Thorns.

The Group Stage Is Set

The US WNT U-20 team is featured in Group C along with Honduras (8th ranked entrant), Cuba (14th ranked entrant), and the Host Dominican Republic (12th ranked entrant).

The Schedule for Each Group

U.S. Soccer Names Women’s National Team U-20 Head Coach

It was announced via US Soccer that Laura Harvey, based out of Coventry England, had joined as the Head Coach for U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team in January 2020. Harvey spent seven seasons as a head coach in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Her latest stint was during the 2018 and 2019 season with the Utah Royals. Her longest span was 2013-2017 with Seattle Reign FC, where she was also the General Manager. She had championship game appearances in 2014 and 2015.

Her coaching career started in 2002 as Birmingham City’s assistant coach for four years and then as head coach from 2006-2008. Harvey also played for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City in the FA Women’s Premier League prior to her knee injury that ended her playing career. She coached with Arsenal from 2008 to 2012 and won three consecutive FA WSL titles, two Continental Cup wins and one FA Women’s Cup victory. She had an additional role at Arsenal also serving as the Academy Coach, Academy Director, and Reserve Team Manager.

Her Academy experience will serve her best in this new role with U.S. Soccer as she also will manage the integration and programming of the U-18 and U-19, as well as, working closely with U-17 head coach Tracey Kevins, who was her assistant for two seasons in the NWSL with the Seattle Reign.

The USA has won a record five CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championships. In the Dominican Republic, the U-20 USWNT will look to add its sixth overall and fifth in six tries after falling to Mexico in penalty kicks during the 2018 tournament final.