Felipe Palacios of Palm Beach, FL made an official visit and signed his National Letter of Intent to join the Marshalltown Community College men's soccer team on Tuesday afternoon. Palacios was joined by his parents and MCC head coach Rafael Martinez at his signing.
Palacios, a native of Medellin, Colombia, spent the last year and a half in Palm Beach, FL playing for the Palm Beach Soccer Academy Nomads. The team reached the Florida State Cup round of 16 this year. The team is currently ranked 22nd in the state of Florida.
Martinez sees Palacios as a central figure in the upcoming season for the Tigers. "I think Felipe will make an immediate impact up front for us. He is physical, talented, and very driven, so I expect him to fit in right away."
"Getting to the university level is something I've always wanted," Palacios expressed. "I've always had support from all of my coaches, and my family to get to this level."
Palacios was introduced to MCC through a former player of Martinez's, Javier Lopez who coached Palacios at the Palm Beach Soccer Academy. Lopez played for MCC in 2011 and 2012 and was an All-American during his final season as a Tiger.
Palacios also has local ties to Iowa, having played for the Des Moines Menace head coach Laurence Calloway in Florida. "Coach Calloway," stated Martinez, "gave us great feedback bout Felipe as a player and as an individual. He is another motivated member of a very strong recruiting class, which gives us high hopes for another successful season. Felipe's year in Florida has helped him adapt to the more physical game that is played in the United States."
"This is a good experience for me," Palacios added. "Playing for someone like coach Martinez is something every soccer player wants. He takes care of his players."
Palacios intends to study business while at MCC.
