By Jinseong Kim
AFC Ann Arbor are excited to announce the signing of New Jersey born midfielder Curt Calov ahead of the 2022 season. Calov will play his first senior club soccer at AFCAA.
The New Jersey-born midfielder has been one of the top prospects around New England area in recent memory. Back at Delbarton High School varsity squad, he scored 20 goals in 33 games over the course of three years. At his senior year, Calov took the captain’s armband and led the team to the state championship. The same year, he was also selected as a 2020 High School All-American team.
Calov admitted how valuable these experiences at Delbarton are to him, and how he would integrate it to future career, with AFCAA. “Every season you plan on making it to the final and winning it all, luckily with Delbarton, I was able to captain them to a victory and cement my name in the long name of legacy in the school. It helped me grow in a leadership position and take on responsibilities that prepared me for college soccer. The team culture helped me build a great work ethic, one that has led me to succeed in my first season at Syracuse and will help me prosper and grow at AFC Ann Arbor.”
Calov had a strong freshman season at Syracuse before joining AFCAA. He played all 18 matches, scored five, which puts him third on the team by number of goals scored. After the season, Calov was featured on Top Drawer Soccer Top 100 Freshmen List (ranked #76) and earned 2021 ACC All-Freshmen Team honors.
Calov was passionate about playing for a new team, and already aiming for the best possible results. “I am psyched and ready to get started in working toward the goal of winning a USL League Two championship with AFCAA. I believe it is the best place to be to challenge me and keep me in the best playing shape for the upcoming fall in college soccer.”
Calov would provide some other key examples for what has attracted him to Ann Arbor. He pointed out the culture of our city and community played a huge role in making final decision. “Firstly, I chose the club based on the renowned history and the great town of Ann Arbor. Secondly, my coaches at Syracuse directed me in the way of the club knowing it would suit me best and that it is the best place to be. Lastly, based on the numerous conversations with Coach Rudland I felt as if it would be a great honor and pride to play under the entire coaching staff at the club.”
“As a player, I would say I am quite calm on the ball and look to expose the space behind the defensive mid-right and right in front of the center back. I feel I am best with the ball at my feet facing the goal and am very comfortable in 1v1 situations. As a person, I am a quiet kid who is pretty kept to himself. In my free time, I like to fish and enjoy the quiet serenity of it.” Curt added, in discussing his attributes both on and off the field.
Club Sporting Director Eric Rudland reinforced his high expectations on Calov. “Curt is a fantastic addition to our side for 2022. He comes from great pedigree in his youth career, and burst onto the college scene this past fall as one of the top freshmen in the ACC. He will be a welcome addition to our midfield line, and we expect him to be an impactful player.”
Calov concluded a talk by restating his ambition for this summer: “My goal for this season is to help lead AFCAA to a USL League 2 championship and create good friendships with my teammates as well as a name for myself around the country.”
The Mighty Oak family, once again, give a warm welcome to Calov and we hope for a positive summer season with Calov and other squad members.