Tru-Juice gearing toward strong JPL debut season

Tru-Juice FC’s head coach, Damion Gordon, is confident they will be a force to be reckoned with when they debut in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) football competition.

The team based in Ewarton, St Catherine, will make their first appearance in the nation’s top flight against Mount Pleasant Football Academy, when the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) kicks off on August 23.

Gordon, an experienced coach in the league with stints at several clubs, including Tivoli Gardens and Waterhouse, says they are still in the market seeking quality pieces to add to their squad, but remains convinced that, with proper preparation, they will be able to hold their own.

“The league comes with different challenges, and I have been in the league for so long, so I am aware of what comes and what is needed,” he said.

“The preparation is key, and it has been going okay. We are looking for good results, good games, good performances, and to play an attractive brand of football.

“We want to play a possession-based game with quick transition. We are looking to do things in the league,” he commented.

The club has already brought in former Portmore United attacker Jaheim McGregor, who last played for relegated Spanish Town Police, Tyrone Mullings from Racing United, and striker Marlon Martin from Arnett Gardens.

Gordon is looking to infuse those experienced players with the younger ones at the club, and he believes it will start with building a strong spine in the team.

“While focusing on my philosophy as a coach. I am also keen on players’ development, and the club would already have players who can make the transition.

“So, I am looking to have a blended approach with experience and youth,” he pointed out.

“Presently, we are in the market, and so far we have been doing some business that has proven good for us.

“We are trying to, irrespective of the approach, get the spine of the team settled, and we have other players who are going to make Tru-Juice a force to be reckoned with.

“So we are trying to have an approach that can make us a good contender in the league,” he stated.

The newcomers will have the most daunting task of making their debut against big-spending Mount Pleasant. Given this challenge, Gordon is asking supporters to come out and get behind the team for this novel experience.

“We are hoping for a good start but, for us to have a good start, we have to have a good preparation.

“If we prepare well for what we have been doing so far, we should be alright,” he surmised.