Competitive football returns to the island today as Jamaican Premier League team Waterhouse Football Club battle Haitian club Arcahaie FC in the round of 16 of the Scotiabank Concacaf League at the Stadium East Field starting at 6:00 pm.

With local football put on hold since March due to the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, football lovers and sports fans will welcome the return of competitive football.

Waterhouse Head Coach Marcel Gayle did not mince words when asked what his team needs to do today.

“We need to win,” he said. “We haven’t played in a while, but we must play from minute one to minute 90, and hopefully we get a positive result. [Wednesday] morning session was successful, the players were upbeat and motivated and they are eager to perform for the club, for the community and for Jamaica as well. There hasn’t been any football in the country for a while now, so we know that the football fans will tune in to watch us play.”

A win for Waterhouse will see them match their 2019 performance in the competition, which Gayle says is the minimum requirement for the club.

“We want to put in a good performance that everyone can be proud of, but most importantly we want to win. Last year we made it to the quarter-finals and that is the minimum standard that we have set for ourselves this year, so we need to win to achieve that first objective.”

While his players will fall short of being 100 per cent fit, the Waterhouse leader says they should have enough in the tank to give it their best shot.

“We are not 100 per cent fit, but we are fit enough to give it a good effort and at least match last year’s performance, which is vital at this moment.”

Waterhouse will go into the contest without last season’s captain and inspirational leader Keithy Simpson and dead ball specialist Tremaine Stewart, both of whom provided grit and experience at the heart of their midfield.

But having brought in the likes of Fabion McCarthy and Ryan Wellington from UWI FC, and Roshane Sharpe from Portmore United, Coach Gayle believes that his team has ample reinforcements to take on the challenge ahead.

“I think we have enough players. We lost two valuable players, two of our valuable assets, but we acquired two players in Fabion McCarthy and Roshane Sharpe, along with Ryan Wellington from UWI. We are optimistic and we hope that everything can come together on the day. We are positive and we expect a positive result.”

Veteran defender Shawn Lawes said that he and his teammates were looking forward to getting back on the pitch after being away from the game so long.

“We are excited to be out there on the pitch again. We haven’t played football for approximately seven months. We are excited to get together as a group, as a family and to go out there and pull it off.”

Lawes expects he and his teammates to play an exciting brand of football and is hoping to entertain those who tune in to watch the game.

“I would consider my team a ball-playing team; we like to put the ball down and play it around, so for those who are watching us for the first time, I hope they enjoy our style of football.

“The coaches set their instructions and we have to follow and adjust to each game. Each game we have to approach it differently so on the day we can play a different style, so its up to the coach’s instructions.”

Unlike last year, there won’t be a return leg and so the winner of tonight’s contest will advance to the quarter-finals.

The game will be aired live on cable television and streamed on the Concacaf mobile app. Spectators will not be allowed inside the venue.