Taylor Calheira

Taylor Calheira

Personal information
Date of birth	(2002-04-26) April 26, 2002 (age 23)
Place of birth	Towson, Maryland, United States
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	FC Tulsa
Number	9
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2020–2023	UMBC Retrievers	61	(32)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2022–2023	Christos FC
2024	New York City FC II	24	(14)
2025–	FC Tulsa	14	(8)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 21, 2025

Taylor Calheira (born April 26, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for FC Tulsa of the USL Championship.

Career

Early life and college

Calheira, whose father was former Brazilian footballer Adauto Neto, attended Concordia Preparatory School where he was a four-year varsity soccer player. With Concordia, Calheira earned All-America, All-State and The Baltimore Sun All-Metro honors in 2019, and led the metro area with 33 goals. ^{[1] [2]}

In 2020, Calheira attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County to play college soccer, where he went on to score 32 goals and tally 16 assists in 61 appearances. He became the first player since 2013 to be awarded American East First Team honors in three consecutive years. ^[1]

While at college, Calheira also competed in the National Premier Soccer League and USL League Two with Christos FC in both 2022 ^[3] and 2023. ^{[4] [5]} In 2023, he earned player of the year and golden boot honors in the Chesapeake Region. ^[5]

Professional

On December 19, 2023, Calheira was selected 66th overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft by New York City FC. ^{[6] [7] [8]} In March 2024, he was announced as a new signing for New York City FC's MLS Next Pro side, ^{[9] [10]} where he went on to score 14 goals in 24 regular season games and earned a spot in the MLS NEXT Pro Best XI for 2024. ^{[11] [12] [13]} He also netted 3 goals in 5 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup fixtures in the 2024 season as the team got to the quarter finals. ^[14]

On January 30, 2025, USL Championship side FC Tulsa signed Calheira from New York City FC II for an undisclosed transfer fee. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

References

1. "Taylor Calheira - 2023 - Men's Soccer". University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
2. DuBose, Brooks (October 19, 2021). "Taylor Calheira, Overtime Hero And Son Of Blast Legend, Shining For UMBC Men's Soccer".
3. "Christos FC - 2022 Regular Season - Roster - # - Taylor Calheira - F". www.uslleaguetwo.com.
4. "13 NPSL Alums Selected in MLS SuperDraft 2024". December 21, 2023.
5. "Taylor Calheira: A Forward To Watch". University of Maryland, Baltimore County. August 15, 2023.
6. FC, New York City. "New York City Football Club Drafts Two Players in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft". New York City FC.
7. "Analyzing NYCFC's 2024 MLS SuperDraft selections". Hudson River Blue. December 20, 2023.
8. "Taylor Calheira Drafted by NYCFC in MLS SuperDraft". University of Maryland, Baltimore County. December 19, 2023.
9. FC, New York City. "New York City FC II 2024 Roster Announcement". New York City FC.
10. "Taylor Calheira Signs Professional Contract with NYCFC II; Named All-American". University of Maryland, Baltimore County. April 25, 2024.
11. "Taylor Calheira | MLSsoccer.com". mlsnextpro.
12. "Tyrone Marshall Headlines List of 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season Award Winners | MLSNEXTPro.com". mlsnextpro.
13. "Former Retriever Taylor Calheira Named to MLS NEXT Pro Best XI Team". University of Maryland, Baltimore County. October 17, 2024.
14. "Attacking Connections & Family Matters Spark NYCFC II's Cup Run". www.ussoccer.com.
15. "FC Tulsa Inks MLS NEXT Pro Best XI Forward Taylor Calheira".
16. Lewis, Michael (January 30, 2025). "A TAYLOR-MADE TRANSFER: NYCFC II sends Calheira to FC Tulsa". Front Row Soccer.
17. USLChampionship com Staff (January 30, 2025). "FC Tulsa brings aboard forward Taylor Calheira". USL Championship.

External links

• Taylor Calheira - Men's Soccer UMBC bio
• Taylor Calheira at Major League Soccer