Where are they now: Marcelo Palomino and Kristie Mewis
Have you ever wondered, “what ever happened with that player that used to be with Houston?” Well, we’ve got you covered. Here is an update on Houston Dynamo and Dash players who have left the club in recent years. We will highlight one from each team each week.
Marcelo Palomino
Palomino joined the Houston Dynamo academy when he was 11 years old. He was named the Dynamo Academy Player of the Year in 3 seasons. Marcelo spent part of the 2017 and 2018 seasons with Houston’s former PDL affiliate side, Brazos Valley Cavalry, under head coach Kenny Bundy. Being a highly regarded young talent weaving through the United States national soccer team youth levels, he decided to try his luck in Europe. It was reported that he went on trails with FC Porto in Portugal and TSV 1860 Munich in Germany but was unsuccessful to land a contract.
Marcelo signed a homegrown player contract with the Houston Dynamo in January 2019, but would have to wait until October 2020 to make his debut with the club. Palomino was a late substitute during a 2-1 loss against Sporting Kansas City. He finished the season with 3 appearances, all coming from the bench. In 2021, he was loaned to USL Championship’s Charlotte Independence where the young midfielder shined. He scored 6 goals in 31 appearances for Charlotte. At the age of 22, Palomino returned to Houston, but this time to be a fundamental piece for Bundy and Houston Dynamo 2. He occasionally made the first team match day roster but did not see any more minutes with the Dynamo.
The Houstonian midfielder saw his time with the hometown club end in 2022, as the Dynamo declined his contract for the upcoming season. Many fans were crushed, as yet another homegrown did not make an impact with the club. Palomino quickly found a new club, as he signed a four-year contract with AFC Eskilstuna in the second tier of Sweden in January 2023. Marcelo appeared in 24 games, scoring 5 goals and adding 3 assists in his first and only season with Eskilstuna. Another team in the same league, GIF Sundsvall, signed Palomino to start 2024. Marcelo has appeared in 10 matches for the club, mostly as a substitute, with one start.
Kristie Mewis
The American midfielder arrived at the Houston Dash in the oddest of ways. After starting 2017 with the Washington Spirit, she was traded late in the season to the Chicago Red Stars. Mewis was traded to Chicago on August 21, appeared in the August 26th match and scored a goal against her old team, the Spirit. Then on August 30, she was traded to the Houston Dash for USWNT player Morgan Brian and additional undisclosed assets.
Mewis quickly became a staple in Houston’s midfield. She featured in all of the Dash’s remaining games in 2017 but the club did not make the postseason. Kristie was once again a star for Houston in her second season but her campaign was cut short after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. However, the recovery process pushed her competitive mentality further. Mewis returned from the injury as a force to be reckoned with. She had a great 2019 and 2020, even with the pandemic throwing in a monkey wrench. Mewis helped the Dash win their first piece of silverware as they brought home the NWSL Challenge Cup in its inaugural season. Her performance with Houston got the attention of the USWNT, as she was called up for the years to come. At the end of the 2022 season, Mewis was selected in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft by San Diego Wave FC and subsequently traded to Gotham FC where she linked up with former Houston Dash interim coach Juan Carlos Amoros. Kristie started back up where she left off and helped Gotham FC sneak into the playoffs and win the NWSL Championship in 2023. In December 2023, Mewis and Gotham FC mutually agreed to part ways with Kristie joining Women’s Super League club West Ham United, where she finds herself currently.
