Davis... to lead offensive charge. - FileBy Audley Boyd,
Staff Reporter
TRAVEL WEARY Arnett Gardens will attempt the giant task of overturning a 3-0 deficit against three-time MLS champions DC United, when they meet in a CONCACAF Giants Cup return-leg contest at the RFK Stadium in
Washington DC this evening at 8:00 p.m.
The Jamaican team arrived at their hotel in the US capital at 3:00 p.m. yesterday, almost 24 hours after starting their trek for the quarter-final showdown. They were slated to arrive in Washington at 8:00 p.m. on Monday night, but a series of events took them along an uncharted and frustrating path.
Firstly, bad weather at their original destination, Baltimore airport, forced their Air Jamaica carrier to land at a nearby airport in Norfolk, West Virginia.
Running low on fuel, they joined the line but after being second in line, they were forced to take fuel after four other American aircraft.
When they eventually got fuel, because that airport is not used to dealing with airplanes the size of the A300, there was no tow bar to push it away from the fuel area which led to another two-hour delay.
When it was eventually forced back, the captain, who kept the unsettled passengers abreast of developments with frequent briefings, announced there were no customs and immigration officials in Baltimore, to process the passengers.
The same held for the same airport in West Virginia.
By then, it was close to 3:00 a.m. and the plane headed for the closest available airport with customs and immigration officials, New York's JFK International.
After arriving there near 4:00 a.m., the players, along with other passengers, had to hang around until near 8:30 a.m. before they were put on a Greyhound bus for the over six-hour long ride back to Washington DC.
"It will be a major factor," Arnett Gardens' coach, Jerome Waite, said of the effects the extra travelling could have on the contest.
"This is something this team has never experienced and it will definitely pose a problem. If we can clear this hurdle it will be great, based on all these ups and downs".
It is the last thing they would have wanted, following their loss in their home leg at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex a week ago when El Salvador international Raul Diaz Arce netted a double against them.
The Salvadorean repeated his scoring form again at the weekend, scoring once in DC United's 3-2 season-opening win against current MLS champions.
Besides Arce, Marco Etcheverry, the seasoned Bolivian campaigner, significantly contributed to Arnett's downfall in the first tie with his passing from midfield.
Asked if he had any plans to assign a marker to the deadly passer this time, Waite said: "Our game plan is going to be adjusted but it is needless to say what we're going to do at this time."
Another possible bother for the National Premier League's second End of Round champions, Arnett Gardens, is the cold weather.
"The weather is always going to be a problem because we're not accustomed to playing in temperatures falling to 50-40 degrees. But we're hoping the players will try to work along with it."
The team won their last Premier League contest in convincing fashion, beating Tivoli Gardens 3-1 at the weekend on goals from Denton Shedden, Byron Earle and Fabian Davis, who along with Kevin Wilson are expected to lead their offensive charge. Waite says Sunday's victory had helped to lift their spirit for this return match.
"They won the last game and the concentration level of the team is very high. They've also realised that once they apply themselves tactically things can be on the positive side," said Waite.
"They scored three goals in our backyard, we can score four but we have to make use of our opportunities. All is not lost, goals win matches so I still believe we have a chance," he said.
