Concacaf League clash: Waterhouse look to capitalise on home advantage
Published:Tuesday | July 26, 2022 | 12:09 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Waterhouse coach Marcel Gayle is hoping they can capitalise on home advantage when the football club faces Canadian Premier League (CPL) champions, Pacific, in a preliminary round Concacaf League tie at Sabina Park today at 7 p.m.
In their two previous appearances in the tournament in 2019 and 2020, the Drewsland-based club faced off against Central American opponents and Gayle anticipates a different type of challenge from the North Americans.
“It is a good feeling to be playing the Concacaf League, to showcase what we have here in Jamaica.
ASSESSMENT
“Every game is different and so too are the opponents. We have watched a few of their games and we have done some assessment of them. Hopefully, we can go out and execute,” he said.
“We are at home and we have to make the home advantage count for us. We expect a tough game. So we are going to go out for the 90-plus minutes and play our best football.”
In the 2019 season, Waterhouse ended 1-1 with Costa Rican club Herediano, home and away, in their round of 16 tie, and advanced thanks to goalkeeper Akeem Chambers’ Man-of-the-Match performance in the penalty shoot-out. They were stopped in the quarter-finals by Motagua of Honduras.
In 2020, they were ousted at the round of 16 by Archaie of Haiti but the team was only afforded a few weeks’ preparation and lacked match fitness after COVID-19 forced the suspension of local football.
The Jamaica Premier League (JPL) semi-finalists will have their work cut out against the CPL champions. Pacific are currently second in the CPL table but only on goal difference. The Pacific players should also be very fit as they are now in the middle of their season while Waterhouse played their last match on July 3. Pacific are coming off a 3-0 win over Cavalry last Friday in the CPL.
The teams will play over two legs, with the second leg schedule for August 2 at the Starlight Stadium in Langford, British Columbia, Canada.
The winners of the tie will advance to the round of 16, set to begin on August 16.