Marcelo Palomino (born May 21, 2001) is an American professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player who plays as an

attacking midfielder A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...

for

Superettan Superettan (; meaning the super first (division)) is an association football league and the second highest league in the league system of Swedish men's football. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Al ...

side

GIF Sundsvall Gymnastik- och Idrottsföreningen Sundsvall, more commonly known as GIF Sundsvall (), Giffarna or simply Sundsvall, is a Swedish professional football club based in Sundsvall. The club is affiliated with Medelpads Fotbollförbund and plays its h ...

Career

Youth

Palomino joined the

Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...

academy when he was 11 years old. Whilst with the Dynamo academy, Palomino was named Dynamo Academy Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons between 2016 and 2018. He spent parts of the 2017 and 2018 seasons with Houston's

Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental association football, soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United Stat ...

affiliate side Brazos Valley Cavalry, scoring 7 goals in 8 appearances for the club, helping them to the PDL Mid-South Division title in 2018. He also spent time training with the Dynamo first team regularly in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, after turning 18, Palomino turned down contract offers from the Dynamo to pursue an opportunity in Europe, going on trials with Portuguese club

FC Porto Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...

, German club

TSV 1860 Munich , commonly known as TSV 1860 München (; lettered as ) or 1860 Munich, is a sports club based in Munich. The club's football team currently plays in the 3. Liga, the third tier of German football. 1860 Munich was one of the founding members o ...

, and others.

Professional

Houston Dynamo

On January 6, 2019, Palomino signed with

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

side

as a homegrown player. He made his professional debut on October 3, 2020, appearing as a 77th-minute substitute during a 2–1 loss to

Sporting Kansas City Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...

. Palomino finished the 2020 season having made 3 appearances, all as a substitute, for the Dynamo. On March 3, 2021, Palomino joined

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

club

Charlotte Independence Charlotte Independence is an American soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina that plays in the USL League One, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid. The Independence currently play their home games at American Legion Memorial ...

on loan for the

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

season. He made his debut for Charlotte on May 1 in a 3–0 defeat against the

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Champions ...

. In the next game, on May 14, Palomino scored his first goal for the Independence against

Charleston Battery The Charleston Battery are an American professional association football, soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professiona ...

, his 12th-minute goal being the first in a 3–0 victory. He ended the regular season with 6 goals and 1 assist in 31 appearances, helping Charlotte finish 2nd in the Atlantic Division and qualify for the playoffs. After not appearing in Charlotte's first playoff game, he came on as a late substitute in their 2nd, a 1–0 loss to Louisville City in the conference semifinals. Palomino made 2 Open Cup appearances for the Dynamo in 2022, but primarily played for

Houston Dynamo 2 Houston Dynamo 2 is an American professional soccer team that is located in Houston, Texas. It is the reserve team of Houston Dynamo FC and participates in MLS Next Pro. History On December 6, 2021, Houston Dynamo FC were named as one of 21 c ...

MLS Next Pro MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and will expand to 28 in 2023. The league comprises 27 reserve sides for MLS club ...

, where he scored 7 goals and had 2 assists in 18 appearances.

AFC Eskilstuna

On January 9, 2023, Palomino joined Swedish club

AFC Eskilstuna Athletic Football Club Eskilstuna, also known as AFC Eskilstuna or simply AFC, is a Swedish football club located in Eskilstuna. The club has previously been known under the names FC Café Opera and Väsby United before switching ownership and th ...

on a permanent deal, signing a four-year contract.

GIF Sundsvall

On January 26, 2024, Palomino moved to another

club

on a three-year deal.

Career Statistics

References

External links

Marcelo Palomino
at Houston Dynamo {{DEFAULTSORT:Palomino, Marcelo 2001 births Soccer players from Houston Living people American men's soccer players Men's association football midfielders United States men's youth international soccer players United States men's under-20 international soccer players Twin City Toucans FC players Charlotte Independence players Houston Dynamo FC players Houston Dynamo 2 players AFC Eskilstuna players GIF Sundsvall players Major League Soccer players Homegrown Players (MLS) MLS Next Pro players USL League Two players Superettan players American expatriate men's soccer players Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden American expatriate sportspeople in Sweden