Sporting Kansas City has selected 23-year-old center back Franky Martinez with the No. 69 overall pick in the third round of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft.
Martinez, a product of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, joins 22-year-old midfielders Kamar Marriott and Camden Riley to round out Sporting’s 2019 SuperDraft class. Sporting passed on its fourth-round pick as the third and fourth rounds of the MLS SuperDraft were conducted today via conference call.
Martinez, Marriott and Riley will join Sporting KC for the start of the 2019 preseason, presented by Children’s Mercy. Manager Peter Vermes’ side will train in Scottsdale, Arizona, from Jan. 14-31 and Feb. 6-19 before hosting Deportivo Toluca FC in the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 on Feb. 21 at Children’s Mercy Park.
Martinez played 40 career matches at UMass Lowell from 2016-2018. In three seasons, he helped the River Hawks to a 33-14-5 overall record and a 14-6-1 mark in the America East Conference. Martinez attended Iona Collage as a freshman in 2014, where he was an All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie Team honoree with one goal in 18 appearances.
While at UMass Lowell, Martinez gained experience in the Premier Development League with stints at Lehigh Valley United in 2016 and the Boston Bolts in 2018. At the youth level, he won a U.S. Soccer Development Academy national championship in 2014 with the Players Development Academy (New Jersey) U-18s.
Marriott, the No. 21 overall pick in Friday’s first round, propelled Florida Gulf Coast to two NCAA Tournament appearances, three regular season titles and two conference tournament championships in the Atlantic Sun Conference from 2015-2018.
Riley, selected at No. 45 overall in Friday’s second round, led Pacific to three NCAA Tournament appearances and recorded 19 goals and 10 assists from 2015-2018 as the program’s all-time leading scorer.
VITALS
Franky Martinez
Position: Defender
Born: 8/9/1995 (23 years old)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 175 lbs.
College: UMass Lowell
Hometown: Englewood, New Jersey
