After three full seasons in the CPL, the FC Whitehorse Freezers have the look of an established team in the league. However, this season comes with a few big changes that will test the club's ability to remain a mid-table side. With the departure of their first captain Johan Nix, the team steps into the year with a young and untested midfield, and a leadership hole that someone else will need to fill.
There is another big change coming to the front office as well. Club President Jaheem Byam has announced that this will be his final season in charge of the club. The 71 year old Byam will retire at the end of the year, giving the job to current Director of Player Personnel Gerard Dumontet. In a recent interview, Byam said that the time was right to make a change in his life. "After spending most of my life in the game of football, I think the time has come for me to step away" said Byam. "I will be working with Gerard throughout the season to help ready him for the role, but he is a capable football mind with some good new ideas, and I know that the club will be in safe hands with him at the helm. We have an excellent support staff, and are trending upwards on the field as well. Hopefully, we can continue that positive momentum this year."
Manager Raley Treffle in a recent post-training press availability talked about the challenges of maintaining position in the CPL. "This league is like a downward escalator" said Treffle. "If you're standing still, you're going backwards, not forwards. Also, it's a lot more work to move up than it is to fall back down. With that said, we do feel like we have a young capable team with room to grow and develop into the contenders we want to be down the line. It's just going to come down to how quickly we can come together and start succeeding this season."
The Freezers will be returning to their reliable 4-3-3 formation, with these players starting the year as their starters:
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In net, Zako Schmit returns for his age 19 season with veteran goalkeeper Rubinho serving as his primary backup. The defensive group of De Melisco, Sabido, Nunez, and Letour all return to the starting lineup, with Daniel Fuertes and Gabiro Rezusta serving as the top substitutes. The midfield has seen the most changes as Nacho Valdez becomes the new primary centre midfielder and Bainbridge Mediate coming in to play on the left side. Virgilio Rivas completes the youthful trio with Ponce Palou serving in a depth role for some veteran presence. Angel Piña and Timothy Brett are back to play the striker and right wing positions respectively, with Virgilio Rentaria moving forward from the midfield to play as the left winger. Josemisco moves from a starting role to a backup role this season joining Marthaldo as the depth players up front.
The final change for the Freezers coming into this season was the role of captain on their team. With Johan Nix departing, there were a number of candidates that could serve the role, but it was American forward Timothy Brett who Treffle selected to be the club's second ever captain. In his introductory press conference as the man wearing the arm band this season, Brett talked about his surprise in getting picked as the captain, and how seriously he takes that role. "I will say it took me fully by surprise" said Brett. "I expected guys who have been here longer like Leo [Nunez] or Lakeith [Sabido] would be picked, but I am honoured to have coach's support as well as the team's. I know that these are big shoes to fill, especially for a team that wants to keep pushing to get better. All I can do is give it what I have and hope that it's enough to lead this great group of guys."
Whitehorse opens their season at home facing Vandelay FC before heading on the road to play FC Hamilton a week later.