Kiana Palacios

Kiana Angélica Palacios Hernández (born 1 October 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as forward for Liga MX Femenil side Club América. Born and raised in the United States to Mexican parents, she caps for the Mexico women's national team.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Palacios and the second or maternal family name is Hernández.
Kiana Palacios
Personal information
Full name Kiana Angélica Palacios Hernández[1]
Date of birth (1996-10-01) 1 October 1996[1]
Place of birth Orange, California, United States[1]
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward[1][2]
Team information
Current team
 América
Number 7
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2017 UC Irvine Anteaters 67 (24)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 LA Galaxy OC 5 (3)
2018–2021 Real Sociedad 68 (13)
2021– América 62 (33)
International career‡
2015–2016 Mexico U-20 8 (5)
2017– Mexico 29 (5)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Mexico
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place2023 San Salvador
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 June 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 April 2018

College career

Palacios played college soccer for the UC Irvine Anteaters women's soccer team, converting from defensive midfielder to a forward, and essentially playing where the Anteaters needed her to be. She adjusted well and became the fourth leading scorer all time for UC Irvine with 24 goals. In her junior season, Palacios was at a point leading the NCAA in goals scored and total team points before leaving for international duty with the Mexico U-20 team in 2016, two weeks before the NCAA regular season ended.[3]

In her senior season, due to team injuries, Palacios was placed into the Central/Attacking Midfield position where she guided the Anteaters to the Big West regular season title; the Anteaters would eventually be defeated in the Big West semifinals.

Club career

in 2017, Palacios registered in the 2018 NWSL Draft and was selected in the fourth round by Sky Blue FC,[4] but she was not signed.

LA Galaxy OC (2018)

Palacios joined the LA Galaxy OC in May 2018, a now defunct women's soccer team that competed in the United Women's Soccer league, and that was created to help college players and recent graduates develop as professionals. Palacios scored three goals in five matches during her short stay with the team.[5]

Real Sociedad (2018–2021)
Kiana-Palacios-playing-with-Real-Sociedad
Palacios playing with Real Sociedad

On 13 July 2018, Spain's Primera División club Real Sociedad announced that Palacios had signed a one-year contract with the club.[6][7] Palacios made her debut with Real Sociedad on 16 September 2018 in a match against Málaga, coming into the game as a substitute. [8] Palacios made 25 league appearances and scored six goals during her first season with Real Sociedad.

Palacios was also key player for Real Sociedad to win the 2018–19 Copa de la Reina, the club first Copa de la Reina title in history, by scoring four goals including a goal and a assist in the final against Atlético Madrid which ended in 2–1 victory for Real Sociedad.[9]

In total, Palacios made 68 league appearances and scored 13 goals during her three year stint with Real Sociedad.

Club América (2021–present)

On 1 July 2021, Palacios was announced by Liga MX Femenil side Club América as their new player.[10] she made her debut with América in match against Santos for matchday 1 of the Apertura 2021 that ended in 2–1 victory in favor of América, with Palacios scoring one goal for América during the match.[11] However, during her first season with América, Palacios struggled with injuries and poor fitness which let her to only made 22 appearances (mainly as a sub) and to scored three goals.[12][13]

During the Apertura 2022 tournament, Palacios made a return to form and became a key player in the attack for América to return to a league final after four years, as she scored 15 goals in 22 matches.[13][14]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 4 April 2023[12]
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
LA Galaxy OC 2018 United Women's Soccer 53—53
Total 5353
Real Sociedad 2018-19 Primera Division 256442910
2019-20 Primera Division 16410174
2020-21 Primera Division 2731 0283
Total 6813647417
Club América 2021-22 Liga MX Femenil 223—223
2022-23 Liga MX Femenil 4030—4030
Total 6249646233
Career total 135496414153
  1. Includes Copa de la Reina


International career

Palacios represented Mexico at the 2015 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship and the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She made her senior debut on 4 February 2017 in a friendly match against Canada.[15]

Palacios made her first senior team start on July 8, 2017 against Sweden and scored her first senior team goal on April 8, 2018 against the United States in her fifth recorded cap.

International goals
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.8 April 2018BBVA Stadium, Houston, United States United States2–12–6Friendly
2.28 July 2019Estadio Universidad San Marcos, Lima, Peru Jamaica1–02–02019 Pan American Games
3.1 February 2020H-E-B Park, Edinburg, United States Saint Kitts and Nevis1–06–02020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
4.15 February 2023Estadio León, León, Mexico Nigeria1–01–02023 Women's Revelations Cup
5.18 February 2023 Costa Rica1–01–1
6.29 June 2023Estadio Las Delicias, Santa Tecla, El Salvador Puerto Rico4–04–02023 Central American and Caribbean Games
7.3 July 2023 Jamaica3–07–3
8.4–1
9.5 July 2023 Guatemala2–06–0

Honours

Real Sociedad

Club América

References
  1. "Delanteras de la Selección Nacional Femenil Sub20" (in Spanish). MiSeleccion.mx. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  2. "Kiana Palacios". UC Irvine Athletics. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  3. "Kiana Palacios - Women's Soccer". UCI Athletics. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  4. "Sky Blue FC makes five selections in 2018 NWSL College Draft". Sky Blue FC. Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  5. "Kiana Palacios". United Women's Soccer. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  6. "Refuerzo para la delantera" (in Spanish). Real Sociedad de Fútbol S.A.D. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  7. Tiempo, Editorial Medio. "Kiana Palacios, fichaje mexicano para la Real Sociedad Femenil". Mediotiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  8. "Real Sociedad vs. Málaga - 16 September 2018 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  9. "Real Sociedad women end Atletico double dreams with Cup win". 13 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  10. "América femenil anunció el fichaje de Kiana Palacios, procedente de la Real Sociedad". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  11. López, Ada Xanat. "Kiana Palacios, refuerzo del América, tiene debut soñado en triunfo ante Santos". TUDN (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  12. "Kiana Angélica Palacios Hernández". Liga MX Femenil. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  13. Demos, Editorial; Hernández, Erendira Palma. "La Jornada - Kiana Palacios, de la desmotivación a goleadora". www.jornada.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  14. "¡Semifinal de locura! Chivas se quedó en la línea con Kiana Palacios cerrando el pase de América". ESPNdeportes.com (in Spanish). 8 November 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  15. "La SNM Femenil cayó 3-2 con Canadá en duelo de preparación" (in Spanish). MiSeleccion.mx. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
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