Tweet
Harbour View warm to DC United showdown
GORDON WILLIAMS, Contributor
It's nowhere near their comfort zone, and far from ideal. But Harbour View will take it. After all, they've seen much worse.
The Jamaica and Caribbean football champions return to the United States, for a do-or-die CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final football second-leg showdown against American club DC United, has been much better than it was three years ago - especially in one area.
"It's warmer than the last time," said the club's General Manager Clyde Jureidini with a relieved chuckle from the team's Washington DC hotel yesterday.
"But it's still cold. It's cooler than we're used to, but not as bad as the last time."
Jureidini, a member of the club's contingent to Washington DC in 2005 when temperatures dipped to a frigid 15 degrees Fahrenheit, - believed to be that area's coldest day for the year - knows exactly what he is talking about. While friendly faces bearing warm clothing welcomed the Jamaica and Caribbean champions inside the Baltimore/Washington International Airport terminal on their arrival in the US last Thursday, a day after a 1-1 draw with DC United in Kingston, the team was more anxious to face the greeting outside BWI's doors, where temperatures hovered closer to 50 degrees.
So far, the weather has remained friendly, ahead of Harbour View's match at RFK Stadium tomorrow night. High temperatures have fluctuated between the 40s early on some days, and even teased towards the 70-degree mark on Saturday afternoon. And, despite consistent light-to-moderate rain over the last few days, the team has managed to stay on track with its preparations.
"It (training) has been going great," said coach Lenworth Hyde yesterday. "We have been training in (the cold). We have the proper gear."
Reports are that some players peeled off some layers of clothing during training. According to Hyde, who was not Harbour View's coach in 2005, the confidence of his squad has not been adversely affected by the cooler climes.
"Training sessions have been lively, nice," he said. "They (the players) can't wait for the game to come."
The combination of last Wednesday's favourable result, all the players being match-fit, plus the friendlier weather conditions in Washington, have boosted the morale in Harbour View's camp.
"The spirits are up and we've been bonding well," said Jureidini. The concentration is on the game (not the cold)."
Temperatures for Washington to-morrow night are expected to be close to 50 degrees with a possibility of rain. Not perfect for Jamaica's "Stars of the East", but it will do just fine, according to team bosses.
"I don't think it (the weather) will be a factor," said Hyde. "We're ready."
Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.
© Copyright 1997-2008 Gleaner Company Ltd.
GORDON WILLIAMS, Contributor
It's nowhere near their comfort zone, and far from ideal. But Harbour View will take it. After all, they've seen much worse.
The Jamaica and Caribbean football champions return to the United States, for a do-or-die CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final football second-leg showdown against American club DC United, has been much better than it was three years ago - especially in one area.
"It's warmer than the last time," said the club's General Manager Clyde Jureidini with a relieved chuckle from the team's Washington DC hotel yesterday.
"But it's still cold. It's cooler than we're used to, but not as bad as the last time."
Jureidini, a member of the club's contingent to Washington DC in 2005 when temperatures dipped to a frigid 15 degrees Fahrenheit, - believed to be that area's coldest day for the year - knows exactly what he is talking about. While friendly faces bearing warm clothing welcomed the Jamaica and Caribbean champions inside the Baltimore/Washington International Airport terminal on their arrival in the US last Thursday, a day after a 1-1 draw with DC United in Kingston, the team was more anxious to face the greeting outside BWI's doors, where temperatures hovered closer to 50 degrees.
So far, the weather has remained friendly, ahead of Harbour View's match at RFK Stadium tomorrow night. High temperatures have fluctuated between the 40s early on some days, and even teased towards the 70-degree mark on Saturday afternoon. And, despite consistent light-to-moderate rain over the last few days, the team has managed to stay on track with its preparations.
"It (training) has been going great," said coach Lenworth Hyde yesterday. "We have been training in (the cold). We have the proper gear."
Reports are that some players peeled off some layers of clothing during training. According to Hyde, who was not Harbour View's coach in 2005, the confidence of his squad has not been adversely affected by the cooler climes.
"Training sessions have been lively, nice," he said. "They (the players) can't wait for the game to come."
The combination of last Wednesday's favourable result, all the players being match-fit, plus the friendlier weather conditions in Washington, have boosted the morale in Harbour View's camp.
"The spirits are up and we've been bonding well," said Jureidini. The concentration is on the game (not the cold)."
Temperatures for Washington to-morrow night are expected to be close to 50 degrees with a possibility of rain. Not perfect for Jamaica's "Stars of the East", but it will do just fine, according to team bosses.
"I don't think it (the weather) will be a factor," said Hyde. "We're ready."
Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.
© Copyright 1997-2008 Gleaner Company Ltd.