Kiara Fontanilla

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Reyes and the surname or paternal family name is Fontanilla.

Kiara Fontanilla
Fontanilla in 2022
Personal information
Full name Kiara Fabiola Reyes Fontanilla[1][2]
Date of birth (2000-07-01) July 1, 2000 (age 24)[3]
Place of birth Fullerton, California, United States
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[4]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Manila Digger
Youth career
2013–2018 Arsenal FC EGSL
–2017 Norco Cougars
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 NWOSU Rangers 9 (0)
2019 Cal State Fullerton Titans 0 (0)
2020–2021 Eastern Oregon Mountaineers 11 (0)
2022 Westcliff Warriors 11 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024- Manila Digger 0 (0)
International career‡
2022– Philippines 9 (0)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing the  Philippines
ASEAN Women's Championship
Winner 2022 Philippines Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 30, 2021.[4]
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 July 2023.[3]

Kiara Fabiola Reyes Fontanilla (born July 1, 2000) is a footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for PFF Women's League club Manila Digger. Born in the United States, she represents the Philippines at international level.

Early life

Fontanilla was born in Fullerton, California to a Mexican mother, Fabiola (née Reyes), and a Filipino father, Francisco Fontanilla but was raised in Jurupa Valley and Eastvale.[2][5][4] Her father has roots in Baguio having moved to the United States at age seven.[6] She attended Norco High School where she graduated in 2018. She attended the Northwestern Oklahoma State University for her freshman year before moving to the California State University, Fullerton the following year.[7] She then moved to the Eastern Oregon University in 2020.[4]

Early career

Fontanilla played for the varsity women's football (soccer) team of Norco High School under head coach Daniel Graffa. She was a two-year varsity letterwinner. In her senior season in 2017, she led her team to the California Interscholastic Federation. She also played for local soccer club Arsenal FC where she helped make it to six consecutive editions of the Surf Cup from 2013 to 2018.[4]

College career

As a freshman, Fontanilla played for the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers. She became part of the Cal State Fullerton Titans women's soccer team for the 2019 season. She redshirted for her sophomore season. She was part of the Titans squad which won the Big West regular season Conference Championship and Tournament Championship. In the 2020 season, she joined the Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers.[4] In 2022, she transferred to a school in Southern California so she could focus on her club soccer career.[8]

Club career

In 2023, Fontanilla began playing for the Central Coast Mariners.[9] She is a top-ranked goalkeeper in the FNSW Women's League One.[9]

Fontanilla entered the 2024 draft for the National Women's Soccer League.[10]

Manila Digger

In July 2024, after weeks of training with the team, the club officially announced the signing of the Philippines international goalkeeper, along with compatriot Rhea Chan.

International career

Fontanilla is eligible to represent the Philippines through her Filipino father.[11] However, she had to secure Filipino citizenship for herself and her father who has not been in the Philippines for the past 40 years.[12] She is part of the Philippines squad which participated in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup in India. A third-choice keeper for the tournament,[13] she made her senior national team debut in the Philippines' 0–4 loss to Australia.[14]

Fontanilla was named a member of the Philippines women's national team for the 2023 FIFA World Cup.[15]

Honours

International

Philippines

References

  1. ^ "Philippines - Australia Match Summary" (PDF). ASEAN Football Federation. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Kiara Fontanilla". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Kiara Fontanilla at Soccerway. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Kiara Fontanilla - Women's Soccer". Eastern Oregon University Athletics. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  5. ^ "Kiara Fontanilla - 2018 - Women's Soccer". Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  6. ^ del Carmen, Lorenzo (February 9, 2022). "After fine display vs Matildas, Kiara Fontanilla wants to pursue pro dream". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  7. ^ "Kiara Fontanilla". Cal State Fullerton Athletics. Cal State Fullerton Department Of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  8. ^ "An Oregon Connection at the Women's World Cup 2023". Portland Monthly. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Academy Spotlight: Kiara Fontanilla". Central Coast Mariners. June 27, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  10. ^ Morales, Luisa (January 11, 2024). "Kiara Fontanilla eyes pro football, joins NWSL draft". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  11. ^ Carbaugh, Davis. "Former EOU soccer player set to compete for Philippine Women's National Team". The Observer. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  12. ^ Makepeace, William (January 27, 2022). "'Just started crying' - Fontanilla's incredible path to Matildas showdown". The Football Sack. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  13. ^ Vasavda, Mihir (January 25, 2022). "How virus dashed hopes, broke hearts of Indian women footballers". The Indian Express. Retrieved January 25, 2022. Stajcic said the Philippines were forced to play without one of their 'key players' and fielded their 'number three goalkeeper' (Fontanilla) for their Group B match against Australia
  14. ^ Naredo, Camille (January 24, 2022). "Football: Gallant Pinays fall to dominant Australia in Women's Asian Cup". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  15. ^ Carmen, Lorenzo del (February 9, 2022). "After fine display vs Matildas, Kiara Fontanilla wants to pursue pro dream". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved July 17, 2023.