D.C. United midfielder Brian Carroll started Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal win over Red Bull New York wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in his professional career.
In a sport with little in-game coaching, team captain can be a large responsibility. But the position is more about prestige than tactics.
“I think it’s a respect of the coaches and a little bit of your entire team,” said Carroll. “It just makes you take that much more responsibility in making sure that the team performs well.”
In the most recent high-profile change of captains, David Beckham relinquished the England armband in favor of John Terry, who is seen as the future of English soccer.
“I was captain for three years in college and even some reserved games I’ve captained,” said United midfielder Clyde Simms. “It’s a great feeling.”
Carroll enjoyed his opportunity but quickly deferred to Jaime Moreno and Ben Olsen, United’s two most respected players. For United, captain is not a permanent designation though Moreno wears the armband when he starts. He entered Wednesday’s match as a reserve.
“[With D.C. United] it’s pretty much laid out whether the actual captain’s band is physically on someone’s arm or not,” Carroll said. “You know which two guys to look for.”
