VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed today that striker Caleb Clarke is on a two-week trial, until July 7, with FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt of Germany’s third-tier ‘3.Liga’. If the trial is successful, Clarke will likely be loaned to FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt for one year. The native of Richmond, BC - who turned 19 last Saturday - became the club’s sixth Homegrown signing on April 24.
“Caleb has enjoyed tremendous success since joining the club,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie. “The timing of the trial is a little unfortunate with the start of the USSDA playoffs this week. However, this is a good development opportunity for him and Erfurt need to see him during this time frame, so he can play some friendly matches in their preseason.”
Clarke finished the United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) regular season second overall in scoring with 24 goals in 23 matches in the 78-club league. He currently leads Whitecaps FC’s United Soccer Leagues (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) U-23 side with five goals in seven matches.
Prior to joining the Whitecaps FC Residency program in September 2009, the BC Soccer product helped the Coastal WFC U-16 Boys side to a USL Super Y-League North American championship title that year. The striker played his youth soccer with Richmond Selects and was a member of the British Columbia provincial team program at the U-13, U-14, and U-15 levels, as well as the Canadian Soccer Association’s National Training Centre program at the U-15 and U-16 levels. Last December, Clarke was one of five Residency players to take part in a 10-day training camp with Canada’s U-20 national team in Sunrise, Florida.
