{{Short description|Venezuelan-American retired soccer forward and midfielder}} {{family name hatnote|Silva|León|lang=Spanish}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Frances Silva | image = | caption = | fullname = Frances Andrea Silva León<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://graduation.wvu.edu/files/d/08c5bf25-8d48-433e-bcdd-9ac32ca8a557/2013-program-final.pdf |title=Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism: Degree Candidates – Bachelor of Science: Journalism, May 2013 |magazine=Commencement 2013 |publisher=West Virginia University |page=25 |date=May 2013 |access-date=November 18, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118061719/https://graduation.wvu.edu/files/d/08c5bf25-8d48-433e-bcdd-9ac32ca8a557/2013-program-final.pdf |archive-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|11|2}} | birth_place = Caracas, Venezuela | height = {{height|m=1.63}} | position = Midfielder | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | collegeyears1 = 2010–2013 | college1 = West Virginia Mountaineers<ref name="WVU Women's Soccer Media Guide">{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/wvusportspub/docs/2015_wvu_women_s_soccer_guide|title=WVU Women's Soccer Media Guide|accessdate=July 22, 2016|author=WVU Athletics|date=August 21, 2015 }}</ref> | collegecaps1 = 89 | collegegoals1 = 38 | years1 = 2014–2016 | clubs1 = FC Kansas City | caps1 = 52 | goals1 = 4 | nationalyears1 = 2014 | nationalteam1 = United States U23 | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = }} '''Frances Andrea Silva León''' (born November 2, 1992) is a Venezuelan-American retired soccer forward and midfielder who played for FC Kansas City.<ref name="Silva Announces Her Retirement">{{cite web|url=http://www.fckansascity.com/2016/11/16/frances-silva-announces-retirement|title=FRANCES SILVA ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT|accessdate=November 16, 2016|author=FC Kansas City|date=November 16, 2016 }}</ref>
==Early life==
===High school=== Frances attended Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, KS.
===West Virginia University=== In her college years, she played for West Virginia Mountaineers women's soccer team.<ref name=college>{{cite web|title=FRANCES SILVA|url=http://sojnewscast.wvu.edu/about_us/spring-13/frances-silva|publisher=sojnewscast.wvu.edu|accessdate=May 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523225947/http://sojnewscast.wvu.edu/about_us/spring-13/frances-silva|archive-date=May 23, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In her four years with the Mountaineers, Silva helped WVU claim four conference championships. During her senior season, Silva finished with 15 goals, 13 assists and 43 points.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://wvustats.com/wsoccer/player/3808 |title=Frances Silva |access-date=June 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808044641/http://wvustats.com/wsoccer/player/3808 |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Silva was Second Team NSCAA All-America in 2013 and First Team NSCAA Scholar All-America in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nscaa.com/awards/2013-awards-central|title=2013–14 Awards Central|work=nscaa.com|access-date=June 8, 2015|archive-date=June 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609070145/http://www.nscaa.com/awards/2013-awards-central|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Club career== She was drafted by FC Kansas City in the 2014 NWSL College Draft. She was the 19th overall pick.<ref>{{cite web|title=Frances Silva Drafted by FC Kansas City|url=http://www.wvillustrated.com/story/24483811/silva-drafted-by-fc-kansas-city|publisher=wvillustrated.com|accessdate=May 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040655/http://www.wvillustrated.com/story/24483811/silva-drafted-by-fc-kansas-city|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> She scored her first goal for FC Kansas City on May 3, 2014, in a 4–0 win against Houston Dash.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kansas City pounds Dash for second straight win|date=May 3, 2014 |url=http://equalizersoccer.com/2014/05/03/houston-dash-fc-kansas-city-live-result-nwsl/|publisher=equalizersoccer.com|accessdate=May 23, 2014}}</ref> On June 14, 2014, Silva scored her second-career goal, a game-winner in the third minute of stoppage time, also against the Dash.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mls/fc-kansas-city/article554583/Jenna-Richmond-Frances-Silva-help-FC-Kansas-City-win-its-fourth-straight-match.html|title=Jenna Richmond, Frances Silva help FC Kansas City win its fourth straight match|work=kansascity}}</ref>
Silva had an impressive sophomore campaign with the Blues, appearing in 15 of the squad's 20 matches. She led the entire NWSL in assists per minute played (minimum three assists recorded), averaging an assist every 145.6 minutes of action. Megan Rapinoe's mark of an assist every 164.8 minutes played was good for second in the league.<ref>{{cite web|title=2015 NWSL Player Standard Stats by Assists|url=http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/stats?competition=20&season=2015&category=STANDARD&team=0&sort=6|publisher=FoxSports.com.com|accessdate=April 2, 2016}}</ref> In the end, Silva and the Blues recorded their second straight NWSL Title, defeating the Seattle Reign, 2–1, at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, on October 1, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=FCKC Crowned 2015 NWSL Champions |url=http://nwslsoccer.com/home/896018.html |publisher=NWSLSoccer.com.com |accessdate=April 2, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003033229/http://nwslsoccer.com/home/896018.html |archivedate=October 3, 2015 }}</ref>
Silva announced her retirement from professional soccer on November 16, 2016, ending her time with FC Kansas City.<ref name="Silva Announces Her Retirement"/>
==International career== Silva played for the United States U-23 National Team at the Six Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain, in the winter of 2014. She started and scored her first international goal in a 2–0 win over Sweden on March 4, 2014. She ultimately helped guide the USA squad to three wins and a Six Nations Tournament title<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wvusports.com/page.cfm?story=25280&cat=wsoccer|title=Silva Scores, U.S. Moves to 2–0 – WVU Athletics|work=WVUsports.com}}</ref>
==Personal life== She was born in Venezuela and is fluent in both English and Spanish. She studied in West Virginia University, television journalism with a minor in sports communication.<ref name=college /> Silva received her master's degree in sport management from West Virginia University in the summer of 2014.
== Honours == '''West Virginia Mountaineers''' * Big 12 Conference women's soccer tournament: 2013
'''FC Kansas City''' * NWSL championship: 2014,<ref>{{cite web|title=FC Kansas City Earns 2014 NWSL Championship|url=http://www.fckansascity.com/2014/08/31/fc-kansas-city-earns-2014-nwsl-championship/|publisher=FC Kansas City|accessdate=November 12, 2014|date=August 31, 2014}}</ref> 2015<ref>{{cite web|title=FCKC Crowned 2015 NWSL Champions |url=http://nwslsoccer.com/home/896018.html |publisher=FC Kansas City |accessdate=April 2, 2016 |date=October 1, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003033229/http://nwslsoccer.com/home/896018.html |archivedate=October 3, 2015 }}</ref>
'''Individual''' * Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year: 2013 * Big 12 Conference women's soccer tournament Offensive MVP: 2013
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.fckansascity.com/2014/01/17/frances-silva/ FC Kansas City player profile] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20131205041240/http://www.wvusports.com/profile.cfm?id=102077&sport=wsoccer West Virginia player profile] * {{Soccerway|frances-silva/336151}}
{{Big 12 Conference Women's Soccer Player of the Year navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silva, Frances}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:FC Kansas City players Category:National Women's Soccer League players Category:Soccer players from Kansas Category:Women's association football forwards Category:American women's soccer players Category:Women's association football midfielders Category:West Virginia Mountaineers women's soccer players Category:Venezuelan women's footballers Category:21st-century Venezuelan sportswomen Category:Venezuelan emigrants to the United States Category:American people of Venezuelan descent Category:Sportspeople of Venezuelan descent Category:FC Kansas City draft picks Category:Footballers from Caracas Category:21st-century American sportswomen
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