Daraine Luton, Freelance Writer
MAXWELL
WITH TWO days to go before their Wray and Nephew National Premier League first-leg semi-final tie against 2003 champions Portmore United at the National Stadium, Waterhouse have given their Drewsland field and community a break for a while.
The 1998 champs have taken up residence at the island's premier sporting institution, G.C. Foster College in St. Catherine, a move their coach Geoffrey Maxwell said was designed to help the players focus on lifting their first trophy this season.
"What we are trying to do is keep the players secluded, get them very focused on the job at hand," Maxwell said of the rationale for moving the team into camp.
"The players are enjoying it. The field is well grassed and the atmosphere is good. The players have responded to a time frame in training and from what I understand, they are pretty comfortable as it is cool at nights," added Maxwell, who guided Waterhouse to their only title.
Waterhouse have been staying at G.C. Foster since Saturday night and they will remain there until their game Thursday.
According to Maxwell, the players have been given everything to ensure they are comfortable - meals twice daily, fruits, a doctor that is always on call and a physiotherapist. They are not allowed one thing though: visits from wives or girlfriends.
"That is out of the question. We have to make sacrifices and the players have been asked to put some sacrifice in over the next two weeks."
They train twice daily, except on Wednesday when they will have only one (morning) session before being given the chance to recuperate to get ready for their big assignment.
It has not been training only though.
On Sunday, they spent the afternoon at Carib 5 after earlier watching their Under-20 clubmates beat Tivoli Gardens 4-2 in the KSAFA league semi-final.
They also got some good news on the weekend as the team's physio passed the St. Thomas pair of Desmond Breakenridge and Demar Phillips fit for Thursday's game.
Breakenridge, a national representative, was sidelined with an ankle injury while Phillips, a national under-23 midfileder, was kept out by a knee injury.
"Both of them will be playing on Thursday, barring any last- minute injury," Maxwell said.
