W’house content with Champions League decision

Waterhouse Football Club’s hopes of competing in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League were dashed after Concacaf cancelled the 2020 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield and 2020 Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship, originally scheduled for April and May, respectively.

The Drewsland-based club, was to compete in the final round of the Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship in Dominica Republic, with the winner set to advance to the Champions League, while the other teams would settle for a place in the Concacaf League.

However, the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, forced the regional governing body to cancel the competitions and place the teams based on their performances from the group stage of the Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club.

As a result, Waterhouse, Aracahie of Haiti and Cibao from Dominica Republic, will compete in the 2020 Concacaf League. While Athletic Pantoja of Dominica Republic, the top team in the preliminary round, will compete in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League.

Waterhouse president Donovan White told The Gleaner that the decision was no surprise and that they have already accepted the position taken by the regional body.

DISRUPTED SCHEDULING

“We understand the decision as one Concacaf had to make. COVID has caused tremendous amount of destruction in the overall scheduling of Concacaf tournaments and it has created a very crammed football schedule for 2021, 2022,” White said.

“Where the tournament (Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship) was due to be concluded, in Dominica Republic, they also have challenges with COVID cases. So it was always going to be difficult for us and the team (Arachaie) from Haiti to travel to the Dominica Republic knowing that when we get their, we are going to be exposed and when we get back, we are going to be quarantined for 14 days, which would affect us preparing for any other tournament, which includes the local premier league and Concacaf League (both tentatively set to begin in September). So we understand the challenges they were faced with and we accept the position,” he said.

“We have been awarded a place in the Concacaf League on the basis that we were second overall on points after the preliminary round and we are prepared to accept the decision and move on,” he added.

Although the pandemic has been devastating on the club and its staff, White hopes they can to make another big impression in the Concacaf League.

“It (pandemic) has been devastating. There has been no football since March and our players and staff for most part have been at home. We have tried as best as we can to assist and we will continue to do that, but it’s extremely difficult when there is no revenue being earned and no football being played. So we are very hopeful the authorities will find a way for team sports to resume, so football can return somewhere in the very near future,” White said.

“This is a tournament we excelled in last year and we believe we still have a quality team that will be able to compete and represent us well,” he added.