{{Short description|American soccer player (born 1997)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Amanda Visco | image = | caption = | full_name = | birth_name = Amanda Paige Visco<ref name="CFA">{{cite web |title=Οι τελευταίες μεταγραφές |url=https://www.cfa.com.cy/Gr/news/42122 |website=CFA |access-date=14 May 2026 |language=el |date=30 July 2021}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|10|20}} | birth_place = | height = 5 ft 7 in | position = Defender | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = PDA Arsenal | collegeyears1 = 2016–2019 | college1 = Rutgers Scarlet Knights | collegecaps1 = 60 | collegegoals1 = 4 | years1 = 2020–2021 | clubs1 = CD Badajoz | caps1 = 27 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2021 | clubs2 = Apollon | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 2021 | clubs3 = Valadares Gaia | caps3 = | goals3 = | years4 = 2022 | clubs4 = NJ/NY Gotham FC | caps4 = 0 | goals4 = 0 | club-update = 02:59, May 14, 2026 (UTC) }}
'''Amanda Paige Jelinsky '''({{nee|'''Visco'''}}; born October 20, 1997) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender. She played college soccer for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights before playing professionally for Spanish club CD Badajoz, Cypriot club Apollon, Portuguese club Valadares Gaia, and NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
== Early life == Visco grew up in Manalapan Township, New Jersey, as one of three siblings.<ref name=":0" /> She attended Colts Neck High School,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deakyne |first=Brian |date=17 November 2015 |title=VIDEO: Amanda Visco scores in the second half to lead Colts Neck over Toms River South |url=https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/article/video-amanda-visco-scores-in-the-second-half-to-lead-colts-neck-over-toms-river-south/ |access-date=13 May 2026 |website=NJ.com}}</ref> joining the soccer team initially as a midfielder before developing into a four-year starter on the backline.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christie |first=Sherlon |title=Rutgers-bound Amanda Visco leads impressive Colts Neck defense |url=https://www.app.com/story/sports/high-school/soccer/2015/09/02/rutgers-bound-amanda-visco-leads-impressive-colts-neck-defense/71563344/ |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=Asbury Park Press |language=en-US}}</ref> Visco was a three-time Player of the Year for her school, earned first-team all-state and all-metro honors, and was named MVP of the 2015 High School All-American game in Raleigh, North Carolina.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Deakyne |first=Brian |date=6 December 2015 |title=Girls Soccer: Amanda Visco named East MVP as H.S. All-American game ends in a scoreless tie |url=https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/article/girls-soccer-amanda-visco-named-east-mvp-as-all-american-game-ends-in-a-scoreless-tie/ |access-date=13 May 2026 |website=NJ.com}}</ref> She helped Colts Neck win one state championship,<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-06-23 |title=Tagliaferri named national player of the year |url=https://jerseysportszone.com/tagliaferri-named-national-player-year/ |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=Jersey Sports Zone |language=en-US}}</ref> one conference championship, and two sectional titles. Visco played club soccer for PDA Arsenal, earning one U17 National Finals Best XI accolade in her youth career.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Amanda Visco |url=https://scarletknights.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/amanda-visco/7792 |publisher=Rutgers Scarlet Knights |access-date=14 May 2026}}</ref>
== College career == In her first season playing collegiately for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Visco started all 23 of her team's matches, setting a figure that would later prove to be a career-high. She also scored two goals and was named to the 2016 Big Ten all-freshman team. As a sophomore in 2017, Visco combined with the Scarlet Knights' defensive unit to record nine straight clean sheets at the start of the season and set a program record in minutes without conceding a goal. The following year, she continued to earn playing time, starting in 17 of Rutgers' 20 games.<ref name=":0" />
As a senior, Visco entered the year as a team captain, with the goal of leading the Scarlet Knights to a Big Ten championship title.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carino |first=Jerry |title=Amanda Visco anchoring Rutgers soccer team with big expectations |url=https://www.app.com/story/sports/college/2019/09/10/amanda-visco-anchoring-rutgers-soccer-team-big-expectations/2229363001/ |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=Asbury Park Press |language=en-US}}</ref> Although Rutgers did not manage to secure the Big Ten title, Visco found success, earning All-Region First Team and All-Big Ten second team honors for the first time. In October 2019, she was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Week after her performances across two games.<ref name=":0" /> She scored one goal on the season, the lone tally in a 1–0 victory over Iowa.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garrido |first=M.G. |date=2020-07-08 |title=Amanda Visco cruza el charco para apuntalar la zaga del Santa |url=http://www.hoy.es/deportes/futbol/amanda-visco-cruza-20200708002855-ntvo.html |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=Hoy |language=es}}</ref> Following the conclusion of her collegiate career, Visco was named Rutgers' 2020 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kratch |first1=James |title=Rutgers’ Jordan Pagano, Amanda Visco win Big Ten Medal of Honor awards |url=https://www.nj.com/rutgers/2020/05/rutgers-jordan-pagano-amanda-visco-win-big-ten-medal-of-honor-awards.html |website=NJ.com |access-date=14 May 2026 |date=1 July 2020}}</ref>
== Club career == On July 7, 2020, Spanish club CD Badajoz announced that they had signed Visco to her first professional contract ahead of the team's first season back in the top-flight Primera Iberdrola.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-07 |title=El Santa Teresa ficha a la central estadounidense Amanda Visco |url=http://www.canalextremadura.es/deportes/futbol/el-santa-teresa-ficha-la-central-estadounidense-amanda-visco |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=Canal Extremadura |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-07-11 |title=Amanda Visco y Sini Laaksonen se incorporan a la disciplina del Liberbank Santa Teresa Badajoz |url=https://www.grada.es/amanda-visco-y-sini-laaksonen-se-incorporan-al-liberbank-santa-teresa-badajoz/deporte/futbol/ |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=Revista Grada |language=es}}</ref> In her first season playing soccer professionally, Visco made 27 appearances, starting in all but 4 matches.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Amanda Paige Visco |url=https://www.scorebar.com/us/players/amanda-visco/660504/ |access-date=13 May 2026 |website=Scorebar}}</ref>
In July 2021, Visco joined Cypriot First Division champions Apollon.<ref name="CFA"/> She spent half a season in Cyprus, gaining experience in the UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying rounds.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2026-03-08 |title=Amanda (Visco) Jelinsky: Rutgers Through and Through |url=https://scarletknights.com/news/2026/5/11/womens-soccer-amanda-visco-following-her-passion |access-date=2026-05-14 |website= |publisher=Rutgers Scarlet Knights |language=en}}</ref> Later that year, Visco played for Portuguese Campeonato Nacional Feminino club Valadares Gaia.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=27 June 2022 |title=Jenna Bike & Amanda Visco Join Gotham FC as National Team Replacements |url=https://www.gothamfc.com/news/jenna-bike-amanda-visco-join-gotham-fc-as-national-team-replacements |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=Gotham FC |language=en}}</ref>
National Women's Soccer League team NJ/NY Gotham FC signed Visco to a short-term national team replacement player contract in June 2022, as the club worked to find replacements for four squad members summoned to help their countries qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.<ref name=":3" /> Visco did not make a competitive appearance for Gotham FC before her contract expired.<ref name=":1" />
== International career == Visco has received call-ups to training camps with the United States under-19 national team.<ref name=":0" />
== Personal life == On April 18, 2025, Visco married Michael Jelinsky.<ref>{{Cite Instagram |postid=DI9r1v9ySKX |user=amandajelinsky |title=a good Friday indeed..THE JELINSKYS 04•18•2025 |first=Amanda |last=Visco |date=27 April 2025 |access-date=13 May 2026}}</ref> Following the conclusion of her playing career, Visco has worked as the assistant director of ticket services for Rutgers Athletics.<ref name=":2" />
== Honors and awards == '''Individual''' * Second-team All-Big Ten: 2019 * Big Ten all-freshman team: 2016
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{sports links}} * [https://scarletknights.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/amanda-visco/7792 Amanda Visco] at the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
{{DEFAULTSORT:Visco, Amanda}} Category:Living people Category:1997 births Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:Colts Neck High School alumni Category:Sportspeople from Manalapan Township, New Jersey Category:Soccer players from Monmouth County, New Jersey Category:American women's soccer players Category:Women's association football defenders Category:Rutgers Scarlet Knights women's soccer players Category:CD Badajoz Femenino players Category:Liga F players Category:Apollon Ladies F.C. players Category:Valadares Gaia F.C. (women) players Category:Campeonato Nacional Feminino players Category:Gotham FC players Category:American expatriate women's soccer players Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Spain Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Cyprus Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Portugal Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Portugal