Carl Haworth has been named Atlético Ottawa club captain for the upcoming campaign with a four-player captain group that includes Maxim Tissot, Nathan Ingham and Miguel Acosta elected by the players.
The 33-year-old midfielder joined Atlético ahead of the 2022 Canadian Premier League (CPL) campaign and was a key figure as we went on to be crowned Regular Season Champions and, following a successful playoff run, host the CPL Final in front of a staggering local crowd 15,000 strong – where he donned the captain’s armband in Drew Beckie’s absence.
“To be voted by your peers is a big thing, it shows respect and understanding but I have always reiterated that being captain isn’t a title or an armband, it’s your approach to life, how you carry yourself day in and day out,” Haworth told atleticoottawa.club. “For me, I’m more someone who likes to lead by example, maybe not too much vocals but I’ll chirp in here and there. It’s a good feeling to be back in Ottawa, to be playing for a professional team here and to be able to lead that team out onto the pitch.”
Former club captain Beckie hung up his playing boots during the off-season, calling an end to an illustrious playing career. Beckie’s reputation in the local soccer sphere is only matched by Haworth’s, making Atlético’s new number 9 a fitting heir to the armband.
One slight difference this year is the formalizing of a “captain group”. Haworth is joined by Gatineau-born Maxim Tissot, 2022 Goalkeeper of the Year nominee Nathan Ingham and defender Miguel Acosta, a product of Atlético de Madrid’s youth academy.
“In our case is very important that the four captains have a team mentality, being a captain is a responsibility, looking for the good atmosphere of the locker room spreading experience and leading by being a positive example of how to do things,” said Head Coach Carlos González.
We kick off our title defence and the 2023 Canadian Premier League campaign at home to Halifax Wanderers tomorrow at 1 pm. The return of our popular ‘Pay What You Can’ Home Opener will see Atlético Ottawa donating funds to the CHEO Organization as well as shining a light on a local hero, Lily Millett. Due to high levels of demand, selected seats have been opened on the North side, click here to find out more.