FC Whitehorse enter their second Canadian Soccer League season as a very different club from when they entered their first. The Freezers now have a 30,000 seat stadium, a number of young players with a year of experience under their belt, and a roster filled with players with professional experience from around the globe.
Club President Jaheem Byam talked about the differences in expectations between Whitehorse's inaugural season and this one. "We are entering this year with our fans wanting to see progress from last year" said Byam. "Last season, we were minnows in a very competitive league. This season, we want to start to compete withe some of these bigger clubs. Our payroll has increased, and we went out and added the talent that we need to move up the table. Now, it comes down to execution. Fans seem excited about the new names as well as the returning ones. I for one cannot wait for kick off."
Manager Oros Bala returns for his second year at the helm, and is expected to stick with a 5-3-2 this season. With a number of veteran additions to the roster, Bala will have a lot of options for the lineup card each week."One of the things that hurt us last year was lack of rest" said Bala during a preseason press availability. "So the goal this year will be to rotate the team more. Give more rest to players that need it. Hopefully, we can find a winning balance for playing time this year. There is a lot of talent here, and I am looking forward to seeing these player work together on the pitch."
With this rotation in mind, Bala's starting XI for the first league matches is expected to look like this:
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In goal, Zavala returns after a difficult first season. The young Brazilian showed flashes of potential, but struggled to keep the ball out of the net throughout the season, particularly during set pieces. With a new goalkeeping coach in Pardo and a veteran backup in Rubinho to mentor and spell the young keeper, the Freezers are hoping for improvement between the posts.
Leonard Nunez and Patrick Letour return to anchor the central defence, with Dejon Walker coming in as a new face to round out the trio of teenagers. Lakeith Sabido and Virgilio Rivas will play on the wings as the team hopes to do a better job of making their attacks from the wide positions. With this very young defensive corps (Sabido is the veteran of this group at age 22), expect Gabrio Rezusta and Winefield Morales to step in when needed to provide a veteran presence and support.
Team captain Johan Nix remains the anchor in the middle of the midfield and will likely take the bulk of the free kick opportunities. 19 year old Kaidan Lemoine returns to play on the left side. In place of the departing John Bryan, the talented and passionate Serginho will join the starters in the midfield, with the club hoping his scoring touch remains in tact in Whitehorse. Dylon Lemaitre and Hudson Delabere figure to be the key substitutes at this position.
Finally, the returning youthful duo of Josemisco and Rókus Bencsik will be asked to get the majority of the scoring in for the Freezers this season. The club also brought in Marthaldo and Tauro Serrato to provide additional firepower up front, and this group may collectively be the strongest position on the team.
Continuing on the trend of giving match time to more of the younger talent, the majority of the FC Whitehorse starters are teenagers for a second straight season. Despite being one of the few veterans in the XI, captain Johan Nix was emphatic that the youth need to be on the pitch to get better. "The best way for the younger players on this team to improve is to play" said Nix. "And the team is going to continue to put them into matches so that they can grow into the quality players we know they can be. My role in this is to guide them as best I can, to leverage my experience, and to play at my top level to make their lives easier. I know that we are hungry for victories here, and we will see how the team looks against some of those top clubs this year."
Perhaps no story out of camp has been more entertaining than that of Serginho. The newly acquired veteran midfielder has had a lot to say since he arrived in Whitehorse, mostly about himself. "Serginho is impressed by this team" said Serginho, referring to himself in the third person as he often does. "Serginho knows what he adds on the field and off, and the young players have much they can learn from Serginho. Serginho is excited to get season started."
The regular season begins with FC Whitehorse on the road to face the Swamp Dragons. The club's home opener comes a week later as Vandelay FC makes their way north to play in the Ice Box.