GOLDEN VALLEY — Canadian forward Marcus Caldeira, who scored 42 goals for West Virginia University during a stellar college soccer career, has signed with Minnesota United.

Minnesota took Caldeira in the first round (20th overall) of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. But the 21-year-old from Mississauga opted to return to school, unwilling to forgo his college eligibility unless offered a contract by Minnesota. Caldeira did train with the team briefly the year he was drafted, but paid his own way.

Caldeira is now on the Minnesota payroll.

“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to join this ambitious club and take the next step in fulfilling my lifelong dream of playing professionally,” Caldeira said.

Caldeira’s 42 career goals and 99 career points rank third in Mountaineer history, while his 17 game-winning goals set a program record. In all, he made 84 career appearances, including 77 starts.

The 6-foot-2, 193-pound player left college on a high note, scoring a hat trick in the Mountaineers’ 4-3 win over St. John’s in the first round of the NCAA tournament and adding another goal in West Virginia’s 3-2 loss to High Point in the second round.

The Canadian finished his senior year with 14 goals and seven assists, adding first-team all-America honours to the second-team status he achieved in 2023. His 35 points on the season were the most by a Mountaineer since Jack Cardosa’s 59 in 1973.

He was also named the Sun Belt Player and Offensive Player of the Year, and named to the All-Southeast Region First Team, and a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist.

“We’re excited to welcome Marcus to our club and look forward to seeing him continue his development while adding depth and competition to our team this season,” Khaled El-Ahmad, Minnesota’s chief soccer officer and sporting director, said in a statement.

Caldeira, who attended Port Credit Secondary School, played for Toronto-area academy Sigma FC until he was 16, when he got a development contract with Forge FC. He made his debut with the Canadian Premier League club at 17 and did his last year of high school online while training with Hamilton-based Forge.

He recorded one assist in four appearances for Forge and played for Sigma’s League1 Ontario team while not at West Virginia.

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The Canadian Press

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