Francielle Manoel Alberto Joins Boston Breakers Roster
The Boston Breakers announced the club has signed Brazilian midfielder Francielle Manoel Alberto. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Francielle is a fantastic addition to the roster. She’s a very talented and known player who has gained a tremendous amount of experience for such a young player,” Boston Breakers general manager Lee Billiard said. “Her ability on the field is tremendous, and she will add a lot of creativity and attacking threat to this new-look roster. I am very excited to see her play in the NWSL in a Boston Breakers jersey.”
The 25-year-old from Sao Paulo has made her mark on both the international and club level. Francielle made her professional debut in the U.S. with Sky Blue FC in Women’s Professional Soccer. The highlight of her WPS career came in the first round of the 2009 WPS playoffs when she came off the bench to score the game-winner against the Washington Freedom. Sky Blue FC went on to win the 2009 WPS Championship.
Most recently, Francielle has played for Sao Jose in Brazil’s top-flight professional league. With Sao Jose, Francielle won the 2014 Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Feminino, 2014 Copa do Brasil Feminino, and the 2013 Copa Libertadores Femenina.
On the international stage, Francielle played in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, leading Brazil to the quarterfinals. That same year, Francielle and Brazil finished as runners-up at the Pan-American Games.
Francielle won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in China and reached the quarterfinals of the 2012 Olympics in London. There, she scored the game-winning goal in a group stage match against Cameroon at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
At the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Moscow, Francielle helped lead Brazil to a win over the U.S. in the third-place match. In the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, she and Brazil reached the quarterfinals where they lost to Germany. Francielle scored three goals in 10 matches between the two tournaments.
Francielle debuted with Brazil’s senior national team on Nov. 13, 2006 in a 2-0 win over Peru at the 2007 at World Cup qualifiers.
