Martina Franko
Encyclopedia
Martina Franko is a Canadian
football defender
who played for Vancouver Whitecaps
.
women's premier division team playing in the British Columbia based Metro Women's Soccer League for the past two years. The MWSL plays in the winter so no major conflict with summer leagues such as W-League.
In her club career, Franko has won two W-League
titles with the Vancouver Whitecaps
, in 2004 and 2006. After one year for Los Angeles Sol in the Women's Professional Soccer
League turned on 1 April 2010 back to her former club Vancouver Whitecaps
.
, in a 4–3 loss. At the 2007 Pan American Games
, she helped the team achieve a bronze medal in the football competition
; later that year, she played in her first major, FIFA affiliated tournament with the Canada team, the 2007 World Cup, where she played all three group stage matches, scoring one goal, before the team was knocked out. She also competed for the team at the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
, home of her husband John, in 2003.
Her parents, Dana Holanova and Jaromir Hola, were the Czechoslavakian national figure-skating champions in pairs ice dancing in the 1960s.
as head coach of the varsity women's soccer team.
Franko, also a Canadian National B licensed coach, served as an assistant coach for the Tigers
during the 1998 season after receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
football defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who played for Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps Women
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC women are a Canadian women's soccer team founded in 2001 and a part of the greater Vancouver Whitecaps FC club. Originally called the Vancouver Breakers in 2001-02, the team is a member of the W-League, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada...
.
Career
Franko performs a versatile role, and can play as either a midfielder or forward. She has been a regular on Surrey UnitedSurrey United
Surrey United Firefighters is a Canadian soccer team based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. The club was founded as part of a merger in 2008 and have played in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League since 2010.-History:...
women's premier division team playing in the British Columbia based Metro Women's Soccer League for the past two years. The MWSL plays in the winter so no major conflict with summer leagues such as W-League.
In her club career, Franko has won two W-League
W-League
The USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer....
titles with the Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps Women
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC women are a Canadian women's soccer team founded in 2001 and a part of the greater Vancouver Whitecaps FC club. Originally called the Vancouver Breakers in 2001-02, the team is a member of the W-League, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada...
, in 2004 and 2006. After one year for Los Angeles Sol in the Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
League turned on 1 April 2010 back to her former club Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps Women
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC women are a Canadian women's soccer team founded in 2001 and a part of the greater Vancouver Whitecaps FC club. Originally called the Vancouver Breakers in 2001-02, the team is a member of the W-League, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada...
.
International career
Franko won her first cap for Canada in 2005, aged 29. She scored her first goal on her second cap, against GermanyGermany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
, in a 4–3 loss. At the 2007 Pan American Games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
, she helped the team achieve a bronze medal in the football competition
Football at the 2007 Pan American Games
The football tournaments at the 15th Pan American Games were held in Rio de Janeiro in July 2007. The fifteenth edition of the men's competition was played by 12 teams, while the third edition of the women's tournament was played by 10 countries....
; later that year, she played in her first major, FIFA affiliated tournament with the Canada team, the 2007 World Cup, where she played all three group stage matches, scoring one goal, before the team was knocked out. She also competed for the team at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
Personal life
She moved to Squamish, British ColumbiaSquamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
, home of her husband John, in 2003.
Her parents, Dana Holanova and Jaromir Hola, were the Czechoslavakian national figure-skating champions in pairs ice dancing in the 1960s.
Coaching career
In January 2008, Franko joined Quest University CanadaQuest University
Quest University Canada is a private non-profit liberal arts and sciences university in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. The university opened in September 2007 with an enrolment of 74 students; its current enrolment is 300. Quest University is located on a mountain-top campus on the edge of...
as head coach of the varsity women's soccer team.
Franko, also a Canadian National B licensed coach, served as an assistant coach for the Tigers
Colorado College
The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
during the 1998 season after receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology.