Position: Defender
Birthdate: 1/8/1996
Hometown: Port of Spain, Trinidad
College: College of Charleston
Height: 6-4
Leland returns for his sixth season with the Black and Yellow, entering as the longest-tenured player for the club.
The 27-year-old defender has played a perfect 100 matches for the Battery across all competitions since debuting in 2018, hitting the century mark in the 2022 season finale.
In 2022, Leland anchored the back line, featuring in 28 matches and logging 2,366 minutes played (second-most on the team). Archer registered a team-high 77 clearances and 54 interceptions, along with 10 blocks, 11 tackles won and 104 duels won.
The defender enjoyed a successful 2021 campaign, often donning the captain’s armband throughout the year. He led the team with 121 clearances in just 22 matches (seventh-most in the league). Leland additionally tallied his first two career professional goals during the season.
Leland earned his first senior cap with the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Team on January 31, 2021, when he debuted in a friendly against the United States. He was called up again to the Soca Warriors for the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 2020 season was a breakout campaign for Archer as he was named All-League Second Team for his exceptional season. In 17 matches, he led the team in clearances (63) and blocks (16), and had the second-most duels won (77) and interceptions (23).
Prior to joining the Battery in 2018, Archer played four years at the College of Charleston where he collected several All-Conference accolades including CAA Defensive Player of the Year. In addition to his dominant defensive play, Archer finished as the team’s leading scorer during his senior year.
During high school, Archer attended Fatima College in Trinidad where he won the North Zone InterCol championship in 2013. Additionally, Archer has earned appearances with the Trinidad and Tobago U-17 National Team.
