PROFILE
A promising young striker from Richmond, BC, Caleb Clarke joined Whitecaps FC’s Major League Soccer roster after signing as a Generation adidas Homegrown player on April. 24, 2012. Clarke first joined the club’s Residency program on Sept. 7, 2009, after an impressive youth career that included a British Columbia provincial championship title. On July 10, the club announced Clarke would join German Bundesliga club FC Augsburg on a year-long loan.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
2012: Clarke made his MLS debut when he replaced fellow striker Kenny Miller in the late stages of Whitecaps FC’s 2-0 home defeat to FC Dallas on Aug. 15.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER RESERVE LEAGUE
2012: Clarke made five appearances in the MLS Reserve League season. 2011: Clarke made five appearances for Whitecaps FC reserves that season. His MLS Reserve League debut came during a 2-0 away defeat to Seattle Sounders FC reserves on June 7. The striker replaced midfielder Jeb Brovsky in the late stages of the contest. He then came off the substitutes' bench and assisted on Omar Salgado's goal during a 3-2 away defeat to Portland Timbers reserves on Aug. 21. 2012-13: Two months after signing an MLS contract with Whitecaps FC, Clarke went on a two-week trial with FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt of Germany’s third-tier ‘3.Liga’.
UNITED SOCCER LEAGUES PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE
2012: Clarke scored the consolation goal in Whitecaps FC U-23’s 2-1 home defeat to Seattle Sounders FC U-23 on May 11. He then had a goal and an assist during Whitecaps FC U-23’s 4-0 home win over Fraser Valley Mariners FC on May 23 before getting on the scoresheet in a 3-3 draw at Seattle Sounders FC U-23 on May 30. Clarke then scored the winner in a 4-0 victory at home to Washington Crossfire on June 15.2011: The striker appeared in all 16 PDL matches for Whitecaps FC Residency that season, as they finished third in the Northwest Division of the PDL’s Western Conference. Clarke scored the second goal during a 2-2 draw at British Columbia rivals Victoria Highlanders FC on May 21. He then scored the match winner during Whitecaps FC Residency's 2-1 home win over Portland Timbers U-23's on June 12 and then assisted on Ben Fisk's consolation goal during the Residency's 3-1 home defeat to Washington Crossfire on June 19. He scored the third goal in a 3-1 home win over BC rivals Victoria Highlanders FC on Canada Day (July 1) before assisting on Yassin Essa's goal during a 2-1 away win over Tacoma Tide on July 8. Clarke also assisted on Long Tan's second goal during the final PDL match of the season on July 24, as the Residency team won 3-0 at Washington Crossfire. 2010: Clarke appeared in all but two of the Residency's PDL matches that season. He made his PDL debut when he came on as a second-half substitute during the Residency team's 3-2 defeat at Victoria Highlanders FC on May 8. The striker then scored in the 5-2 defeat at Washington Crossfire on June 25 before scoring the equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Kitsap Pumas on June 27. Clarke then assisted on Coulton Jackson's consolation goal during a 3-1 defeat at Portland Timbers U-23's on July 11. He then scored twice during a 5-1 victory at Spokane Spiders on July 17 before striking the match winner in the Residency's season finale, as they defeated local rivals Victoria Highlanders FC 1-0 at Swangard Stadium on July 25.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC RESIDENCY
2010-11: The striker appeared for the Residency team in all three Bracket C matches of the U-19 Super Group at Dallas Cup XXXII. This included starts in a 3-2 win over Brazil’s Sport Club Corinthians Paulista (Apr. 17, 2011), a 2-0 defeat to Mexico's Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Tigres UANL) (Apr. 18, 2011), and a 2-0 defeat to Real Salt Lake U-17/U-18 Academy (Apr. 20, 2011). Clarke also appeared as a substitute in the 2-1 friendly win over Costa Rica's Liga Deportiva Alajuelense at Dallas Cup XXXII on Apr. 21, 2011. 2009-10: Clarke made four starts as a lone striker during the Residency team's two-week trip to Spain in Nov. 2009. He scored in the 2-2 draw versus the U-18 side of Club Atlético de Madrid on Nov. 4, while his appearances included the 2-2 draw with the U-18 side of Getafe Club de Fútbol on Nov. 5 and the 2-0 victory over the U-18 side from Spanish and European giants Real Madrid Club de Fútbol on Nov. 11. In the spring of 2010, Clarke started all three matches in Bracket D of the U-19 Super Group at Dallas Cup XXXI. Those appearances came against Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt (Mar. 28), United States national team (91/92 - Mar. 29), and Mexico national team (91/92 - Mar. 31). The striker also started the 1-1 friendly draw with Germany's TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Apr. 3. In May 2010, Clarke appeared in every match and scored two goals during the Residency team's two-week trip to Germany. This included all four games in the Stemwede International U-19 Youth Tournament and two friendly wins over SuS Holzhausen on May 24 and JFV Jung-Elstern U-19's on May 26.
ITALIAN SERIE A
Clarke enjoyed training spells in Italy with Udinese Calcio in Aug. 2008, and from April to May 2009.
INTERNATIONAL
U-20: In Dec. 2011, Clarke earned his first call-up to the Canadian national team program when he was one of five Whitecaps FC Residency players to be selected by former Whitecaps FC player and assistant coach Nick Dasovic to a 10-day training camp with Canada’s U-20 national team in Sunrise, Florida. He then earned another call-up to Dasovic’s Canadian U-20 squad, where he scored twice in a 2-0 friendly win over Trinidad & Tobago U-20 in Sunrise, Florida, on Sept. 9, 2012. Clarke also found the scoresheet in Canada’s 2-1 friendly win over T&T’s U-20 squad on Sept. 11, 2012. On Oct. 10, 2012, Clarke scored the match winner during Canada's 2-1 victory over United States U-20’s at the four-nation Marbella Cup in Spain.
YOUTH/AMATEUR
Clarke played his youth soccer with Richmond Selects, where he won a BC U-12 provincial championship title, plus four Metro league championship and league cup titles from the U-13 to U-16 levels. He was Metro league Most Valuable Player in 2006 and Richmond Soccer Club Most Valuable Player during the 2007-08 season. The striker was also a member of the BC provincial team program at the U-13, U-14, and U-15 levels. With BC, Clarke won a Canadian All-Star Championship bronze medal. In 2009, Clarke helped Coastal WFC U-16 Boys to a United Soccer Leagues Super Y-League North American championship title. Led by former Whitecaps FC striker Jason Jordan, Coastal WFC overcame Alpharetta United in a penalty shootout to win the final. Clarke also trained with the Canadian Soccer Association’s National Training Centre (British Columbia region) program in 2008 and 2009.
PERSONAL
Clarke attended Ferris Elementary School in Richmond, BC, before transferring to Debeck Elementary School for grades six and seven. The striker began high school at Richmond's Robert Cecil Palmer Secondary School before attending Burnaby Central Secondary School in Sept. 2009 as part of the Residency program. His parents are Lisa and Clive Clarke, while he has four sisters named Aliya, Ebony, Jade, and Summer.
INTERESTING FACTS
When not concentrating on his soccer career, Clarke enjoys playing other sports, listening to music, watching movies, and hanging out with friends.