Mount Pleasant book another continental date as Whitmore targets continued growth

Mount Pleasant Football Academy have taken another significant step in their regional ambitions, but head coach Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore knows their continental achievement must now be matched by improvement at home.

The St. Ann-based club secured qualification for the Concacaf Champions Cup for a second consecutive season after eliminating Trinidad and Tobago’s Club Sando 3-1 on aggregate to advance to the final of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup.

A 2-0 victory in Thursday’s second leg at Sabina Park sealed the deal, following a 1-1 draw in the opening encounter at Trinidad’s Hasely Crawford Stadium last week.

For Whitmore, the achievement represents more than another successful campaign in the Caribbean. It is an important marker of the club’s progress and its determination to establish itself among the region’s leading teams.

“It’s a very important milestone for the club and for the players,” Whitmore said after the second leg. “We just have to keep building and make Mount Pleasant great.”

Building on continental progress

Qualification for the Champions Cup offers Mount Pleasant another opportunity to measure themselves against the strongest clubs in the Concacaf region.

Their first appearance in the competition last year ended in disappointment, as they suffered a 6-0 aggregate defeat to Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy in the Round of 16.

With the next Champions Cup scheduled to begin in 2027, Whitmore and his players will have time to prepare for another demanding continental assignment.

In the meantime, the coach is determined to ensure that the club continues to develop rather than allowing its latest accomplishment to interrupt the work still required.

The immediate priority is the Jamaica Premier League (JPL), where Mount Pleasant have struggled to find consistent form during the opening weeks of the season.

Familiarity remains the challenge

Whitmore believes the team’s next stage of development will depend heavily on improving its understanding on the field, particularly with several important players still adjusting to life at the club.

While he does not consider fitness a major concern, the coach acknowledged that greater familiarity, especially in the attacking unit, is needed to bring the team together.

“I wouldn’t say fitness is a problem, I think it’s more familiarity,” he explained.

“I think from defence to midfield, we’re okay. With the offensive unit that we have, I think we still can get more, but as the season progresses, I think it will get better.”

Whitmore is optimistic that the team's cohesion will improve as the campaign unfolds, giving the squad a stronger foundation on which to build.

However, with the domestic competition already underway, Mount Pleasant cannot afford to wait too long for that progress to translate into results.

Domestic points now the priority

Despite the confidence gained from their Caribbean Cup run, Mount Pleasant must quickly redirect their attention to the JPL, where they currently occupy 11th place with four points.

Their next assignment presents a formidable test, with the St. Ann club set to face league leaders Montego Bay United.

Whitmore stressed that the team's focus must now shift entirely to the domestic campaign after balancing two competitions.

“We have to look at the Premier League now and start to get some points on the board,” he said.

“We were doing two competitions, the Caribbean Cup and now we have to focus on the Premier League. So again, it’s just to get the guys up and ready for the next game.”

For Mount Pleasant, reaching another Caribbean Cup final and securing a second consecutive Champions Cup appearance are significant achievements. The next challenge is to turn that continental momentum into a more consistent run of results in the Jamaica Premier League.