Waite-ing to exhale
... Arnett Gardens’ coach targets regional impact
Arnett Gardens coach Jerome Waite has underlined that his team would, this year, be looking to make a mark in the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship, following the competition’s draw in Miami last Thursday. Arnett Gardens will play W. Connections FC of Trinidad and Tobago, Atlético Pantoja, from the Dominican Republic, and Haitian club Real Hope FA in Group A, and Waite said that their intention is to challenge for the regional crown this season. “One of the things we talked about is making a mark this season. It is not to focus on a next season because we are doing very well in the local league now. “So the fact that we are doing well, and with the team to be strengthened in the January (transfer) market, we expect we will be a good challenge for the tournament (this season),” he stated. “But based on information, those teams are playing well at present in their local competitions, but one of the objectives, despite the draw, is to advance in this competition,” he added. Last season, Arnett Gardens qualified from the first round only to stumble against W. Connection in the semi-finals, but Waite believes that the experience they garnered will help them make progress this season. “We won the first round (last season), but we faltered in the second round, where the game was played in Haiti on Astro turf. “It was a learning process for the team and an experience for those players, who have never played on that surface. But we will be looking to build on it,” said Waite.
“The team has depth and the key is to stay injury-free leading up to the competition at the end of next month. Once we can continue to work hard and keep that focus, we have no doubts we will do well,” he added.
Arnett Gardens will play their opening game in the competition on January 31.