In the past couple of years, Carl Woszczynski has trained in England and Ecuador, taken a few laps in a racecar around ISM Raceway in Phoenix, gotten in a tank in a wetsuit to announce the name of a new manta ray at a Phoenix aquarium and gone on a radio show to talk about the World Cup.
The Columbus North graduate has played some soccer, as well, and he’s done it at a high level. The goalkeeper currently has a Phoenix Rising club-record five consecutive shutouts and 466 straight shutout minutes.
“It’s been a good year,” Woszczynski said. “We have a great team this year. We have a lot of attacking and firepower, but our defense has been overlooked. Our defense has been great this year, which obviously helps me out a lot. We have some younger defenders, so one of my big jobs has just been being vocal, being a leader back there to cut down the attacks.”
Woszczynski, who was drafted by the Chicago Fire and spent 2 1/2 years with Orlando City, is in his fourth year with Phoenix and his third as a starter. He was the Rising’s main keeper in 2015 and 2016 before backing up Josh Cohen last season.
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This year, Woszczynski has been back in goal to stay. He’s led Phoenix to second place in the United Soccer League’s Western Conference, just two points behind Real Monarchs.
At 30 years old, Woszczynski is the Rising’s second-oldest player behind star striker Didier Drogba.
“We have some really young ones, some 18- and 19-year old kids,” Woszczynski said. “We try to teach them what it takes to be a pro and succeed at the professional level.”
Woszczynski, who is the USL’s all-time leader for saves in a single season, has been one of Phoenix’s more recognizable faces in the community. A couple years ago, Sea Life Arizona Aquarium opened in Phoenix and asked Woszczynski to name its new manta ray.
Woszczynski donned a wetsuit and got in a tank for the unveiling. He named it Sammy the Stingray.
“My wife’s name is Samantha, so I figured that would give me some points,” Woszczynski said.
Last year, Mexican driver Ruben Garcia Jr. came to one of the Rising’s practices and watched how Woszczynski and the rest of the team trained. So Garcia invited Woszczynski to take a few laps with him around ISM Raceway.
“It was incredible,” Woszczynski said. “They fly around the track, so it was cool.”
Two winters ago, Woszczynski, whose wife is from England, lived in London for a couple months. While they were there, he trained for Millwall, a second-division EFL Championship League team.
This February, the Phoenix team went too Quito, Ecuador, to train. They stayed at the national team facility.
“That was good to have a first big team trip and get to know all the guys,” Woszczynski said.
The past month, Woszczynski has been a regular on Talk Sports 910 in Phoenix. He has been doing a daily five-minute recap on what happened that day and what is coming up the next day in the World Cup.
In the meantime, Woszczynski, like most other players in the USL, hold onto the hope that they may someday play in the MLS.
“We push to the the best we can,” Woszczynski said. “There’s a lot of rumors that Phoenix could be an MLS franchise in the next couple of years, so that could work out, as well.”
Woszczynski and his teammates train two evenings and two mornings a week, sometimes in temperatures that reach 110 to 115 degrees in the summer. But he is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I definitely have a few years left me,” Woszczynski said. “This year, being 30, I’ve felt the best body-wise that I have in the last few years.”
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Name: Carl Woszczynski
Age: 30
High school: Columbus North
College: UAB
Professional team: Phoenix Rising
Height: 6-foot-5
Position: Goalkeeper
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