Haworth, Gagnon-Lapare, Mannella Return to Fury FC for 2019
November 15, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release
OTTAWA - When Ottawa Fury FC begin their 2019 season in the USL Championship in March, they will do so with a renewed Canadian identity, true to General Manager Julian de Guzman's vision, as midfielders Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé and Chris Mannella, as well as longest-serving Fury FC player Carl Haworth are all set to return for the upcoming season, pending league and federation approval, the club announced Thursday.
"It was important to us to have players that had a positive impact in 2018 back with the club this season to continue building on the culture we have established," commented Ottawa Fury FC General Manager Julian de Guzman. "We're pleased that these Canadian players will sustain and grow our Fury FC identity and be proud representatives of our club throughout the city, the country and the league."
Haworth, a fan favourite and 2018 captain, has been with Fury FC since their PDL era, signing his first professional contract with the club in 2013, becoming Fury FC's first-ever Canadian signing. Having surpassed 115 games with Ottawa in league play, he was also the one to score the club's first-ever goal at TD Place in August of 2014. In 2018, the Barrie, ON, native continued to establish himself as a leader on and off the pitch, featuring in 30 of the 34 USL matches and creating numerous scoring chances for Fury FC. Experimenting with a different role towards the later stages of the season, 2019 could bring a new set of challenges and opportunities for the seasoned Haworth.
Gagnon-Laparé made a return to Ottawa mid-way through the 2018 season after spending the previous season in France's Championnat National 2 with AS Vitré. Gagnon-Laparé proved to be a versatile addition to the Fury FC formation, featuring in 12 matches across competitions for Ottawa, sliding into four different positions before establishing himself in a central midfield role where his speed and agility offered valuable support to the attacking core, maintaining a passing accuracy of over 78%. The 23-year old Sherbrooke, QC native will look to increase his presence and continue his development under the guidance of Head Coach Popovic as the 2019 season gets underway in the spring.
Added to the 2018 Fury FC roster following a pre-season camp trial, crafty midfielder Chris Mannella earned himself a spot on next season's team after a contract option was picked up. A product of the Toronto FC Academy, which he joined in 2009, Mannella had cumulated experience in League1 Ontario and the USL before joining Fury FC. In 2018, he featured in 32 matches all competitions, showcasing his control and distribution skills in the midfield, finishing in the club's top 5 passers with 815 completed with an accuracy of 77.1%.
The three Canadian internationals will join teammates Jamar Dixon, Nana Attakora, Maxim Tissot, Onua Obasi and Kevin Oliveira in red and black for 2019, with more signings expected in the months to come, ahead of the training camp opening in January.
Your Nation's Capital professional soccer club, Ottawa Fury FC, will take to field for the 2019 USL Championship season starting the weekend of March 8-10. Fans can join the Fury FC Family right away by purchasing a season membership, or with the new Fury+ which gets them access to all regular season home matches for only $30 per month per seat! For more information on Fury+ and other season membership options and perks, visit OttawaFuryFC.com/Fury-plus.
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