Boise native taken third overall in NWSL Draft. ‘She’s a difference maker,’ analyst says
Add Emily Madril to the growing list of Idahoans playing at the top level of women’s soccer.
The Orlando Pride took the center-back and former Centennial High standout with the third overall pick Thursday in the 2023 NWSL Draft. She soon will be the fourth Idahoan to play in the top women’s soccer league in North America.
“She’s a difference maker as a center-back,” analyst Jordan Angeli said on CBS Sports’ broadcast. “She has good timing. Her organization skills in the back line allowed players beside her to have a little bit of freedom, and Orlando needs that. They need a center-back who takes charge.
“… And the way she gets forward is something beyond what we’ve seen from some center-backs in this league.”
Centennial High graduate Sofia Huerta plays for OL Reign in Seattle, while Post Falls grad Kelcie Hodge and American Falls grad Maria Sanchez both play for the Houston Dash.
Madril, who played her youth soccer for what is now the Boise Timbers-Thorn club, helped Centennial to a state runner-up finish as a freshman in 2013 before moving to Florida. She later was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year while leading Florida State to the national title in 2021.
The 23-year-old opted to not play her senior season with the Seminoles, instead signing a contract with the NWSL in August to preserve her rights for Thursday’s draft.
She made her first appearance with the U.S. U-23 women’s national team in June before spending the rest of 2022 on a short-term loan with BK Häcken in Sweden.
Madril became the highest NWSL draft pick out of Idaho in history. Hodge went ninth overall in 2020, while Huerta was picked 11th overall in 2015 and Sanchez 15th in 2019.
Orlando finished 10th out of 12 teams in the NWSL last season. Marta, one of the top women’s soccer players of all time, plays for the Pride.
Los Angeles’ Angel City took Alyssa Thompson with the first overall pick Thursday, the first high school player selected in league history.
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 5:36 PM.
