'Rebuild' Not a Dirty Word in Whitehorse

As S115 approaches for FC Whitehorse Freezers, the mood among fans is a lot more muted than it has been for a number of years past. After a return to the CPL top 4 a couple of years ago, 2 consecutive league seasons with 10+ losses and mid-table finishes have led the club to conclude that their contention window had come to an end. Starters from a season ago like Aiden Edmund, De Melisco, and Honorato Suaze were all sold to new clubs. Even defenders Leonard Nunez and Lakeith Sabido who had been a part of the Freezers since the club's inaugural season, will now ply their trade for a different team.

During a recent press availability after an exhibition match, Manager Johan Nix was clear about the need for a change in direction. "We have a more long-term vision for the club now" Nix said discussing his team's performance after a loss to fellow JR Wellington club Uxbridge Town AFC. "We obviously have a lot of young players that are coming in to try to grow into top flight players. That is going to take time and dedication, but we believe that we have identified talents that will be able to compete for championships later in their careers. And the best thing that we can do to nurture that talent is to give those players match time and let them work to get better on the pitch week in and week out."

Club President Kayden Cassar was asked during an interview last week whether or not this change would constitute a rebuild, a dreaded word in sport if there ever was one. Cassar doubled down. "We are not afraid to use the word rebuild here. That is without a doubt what we are doing. We accept that this isn't an easy thing to swallow, as our fan base is hungry for us to challenge for a title and has been waiting very patiently for the club to reward them. It isn't easy for us to ask them to wait longer, but we believe that this was the clearest path for us towards winning a CPL title. We know that these kinds of plans are fraught with risk, but I believe in Johan and in the coaching staff here, and I think that in a few years time, we are going to be a team that people talk about as an exciting group to watch."