External links
- Madelyn Desiano at Soccerway.com
- Madelyn Desiano at FBref.com
- Madelyn Desiano at kicker (in German)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Madelyn Marie Desiano | ||
| Date of birth | February 18, 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Mission Viejo, California | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Spokane Zephyr | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| So Cal Blues | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2022 | UCLA Bruins | 53 | (3) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023–2024 | Houston Dash | 4 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | Odense Boldklub Q | 21 | (0) |
| 2025– | Spokane Zephyr | 3 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2014 | United States U14 | ||
| 2018 | United States U18 | ||
| 2017 | United States U19 | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of September 4, 2025 | |||
Madelyn Marie Desiano (born February 18, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for USL Super League club Spokane Zephyr FC. She played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins before being selected in the 2023 NWSL Draft by the Houston Dash.
Desiano was born in Mission Viejo, California [1] and attended Aliso Niguel High School. [2] She was a member of both the soccer and dance teams at Aliso Niguel. [3] She played youth soccer for SoCal Blues, with which she won the 2015 ECNL U15 National Championship. [4]
Desiano attended University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins from 2018 to 2022. [1] In 2018, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and underwent knee surgery. [2] In 2019, she underwent a second knee surgery. [2]
Desiano then made her college debut in February 2021. [2] She scored her first collegiate goal on October 6, 2022, against Arizona State. [5] UCLA won the 2022 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament, as Desiano played all 110 minutes in championship match. [1]
In January 2023, Desiano was selected by the Houston Dash in the 2023 NWSL Draft. [6] She scored her first professional goal on July 22, 2023 in a 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup match against Kansas City Current. [7] [8] Houston waived Desiano on April 12, 2024. [9]
On August 9, 2024, Desiano signed with Danish club Odense Boldklub Q. [10] She made her first start and recorded her first assist for the club on August 31, 2024 against HB Køge, [11] [12] and was named to the Kvindeligaen Team of the Round. Her move to Denmark also reunited her with former UCLA teammate, My Hyland. [13] Desiano was named to the Kvindeligaen Team of the Month for September 2024. [14] She played 21 league matches in her lone season with OB Q. [15]
Desiano returned to the United States in July 2025, signing a contract with Spokane Zephyr FC ahead of the club's second season as a member of the USL Super League. [16] She made her Zephyr debut on August 23, 2025, coming on as a second-half substitute in Spokane's season-opening loss to Dallas Trinity FC. [17]
Desiano attended training camp with the United States under-14 team in 2014. [18]
In September 2017, Desiano competed with the United States under-19 team in the CFA International Women's Youth Football Tournament in China. [19] In April 2018, she competed with the United States under-18 team in Switzerland. [20]
Desiano was born to parents Tom, who played college basketball for San Jose State, and Ann-Marie, a competitive dancer who was a cheerleader for Long Beach State. [21] [1]
Desiano wrote a book about her experiences at UCLA; in June 2025, she self-published Bend Never Break, focusing on UCLA's 2022 National Championship. [22] [23]
| Club | Season | League | Cup [a] | Playoffs [b] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Houston Dash | 2023 | NWSL | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 8 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Odense Boldklub Q | 2024–25 | Kvindeligaen | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |
| Career total | 25 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
UCLA Bruins
Individual
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