SEASIDE, Calif. – Monterey Bay F.C. announced on Tuesday that the club had signed forward Luther Archimède to a two-year contract ahead of the 2024 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Archimède joins Monterey Bay after spending the previous two seasons in Northern California with fellow USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC. While in Sacramento, the Guadeloupe international was used primarily off the bench, playing 1,842 minutes across 61 matches while recording 12 goals and three assists across the regular season and playoffs.

“I'm very excited to be joining the club. I wanted to find a place where I can earn a consistent role as an impact player and a leader, and I know I can do that here," said Archimède. "The opportunity to work with Head Coach Frank Yallop is massive to me. He has helped a lot of big strikers find their best form and reach their potential, and that is what I intend to do here. It's also nice to stay in California. It's beautiful here and it is nice to be close to my wife's family.

“I will enjoy returning to Sacramento to play against my guys there, SRFC is a wonderful club with great fans, and I will honor my time there by bringing my A game whenever we make the trip. Overall, my goal for the season is to bring a Championship to Monterey Bay, full stop. Certainly, as a goalscorer, I want to get on the scoresheet, because that's my job. But our goal for the season is to win.”

Archimède has also played an important role for the Guadeloupe national team in recent years. Since 2018, the forward has earned 12 caps at the senior level since making his debut against Martinque in 2019 and has since represented Guadeloupe in two Gold Cups (2021, 2023). Most recently, Archimède took part in the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League, where he scored two goals and added one assist in four appearances to help Guadeloupe win promotion to CONCACAF Nations League A.

“Luther has always stood out in Sacramento, we’ve always liked him,” said Monterey Bay F.C. Sporting Director and Head Coach Frank Yallop. “He’s only 24 so he is young and hungry, and I expect him to do really well for us. He does all the things that a forward should do, but first and foremost, we’re bringing him here to score goals. He proved his ability to score in limited minutes at Sacramento, and given the opportunity here, we believe he can raise his level even more.”

Analysis

With the departure of Christian Volesky, Monterey Bay needed a new No. 9 to lead its attacking line. In Luther Archimède, they may have found their man. The Guadeloupe international’s current tally of 15 goals in 75 appearances in the USL Championship over the regular season and playoffs might not jump off the page, but he’s done almost exactly as his underlying numbers would indicate he should have.

The number to know, though, is his strike rate while in Sacramento. Archimède averaged a goal every 153.5 minutes for Republic FC, a rate that if replicated over a fuller campaign of 2,500 minutes would more than double his current career goals total. That’s what Monterey Bay is hoping to get out of its new arrival as he arrives to take his place alongside Sam Gleadle, Alex Dixon and the rest of the club’s attacking options. This could be a win-win for both parties as Archimède aims to level up in his career.