White Expects Electric Atmosphere in Ecuador

Mark Booth

Defender Ethan White is anticipating an experience he’ll remember for a lifetime when the team land in Ecuador later today.

The team arrive in Guayaquil on Monday night ahead of Wednesday night’s prestige friendly versus Emelec SC at a sold-out Estadio del Banco Pacifico.

White has never been down to Ecuador before but, like on the trip to Mexico last season, he expects a typically passionate South American atmosphere.

Ethan was on the scoresheet in the preseason opener against Jacksonville University in a 9-0 victory.

The defender told NYCFC.com: “People are happy to be back – we’re looking forward to Ecuador which is somewhere I’ve never been and hopefully it should be a great game and a great atmosphere.

“It was a good workout against Jacksonville for us – I know the guys have been dying for a runout for a two or three months now.

“It was good to get out there and work the ball around a bit. I surprised myself in a good situation – in the right place at the right time and I was happy to be on the scoresheet.”

White has been pleased with how the new players and trialists have acquitted themselves on the training field over the past two weeks and how well they’ve adapted to the NYCFC system of play.

The spirit in the camp is good and Ethan is optimistic that the work being put in now will benefit the team through the start of the 2017 season.

He added: “It’s been great building chemistry with the new guys and with the old guys too, so it’s been really good being around the club again and playing is always a pleasure. Getting a win was important but getting the work in was more so.

“The newcomers have done really well to come in and learn our system which obviously isn’t easy. Guys like Jalen, Jonathan and Kwame – they’ve come in and done really well and the trialists too, like Stertzer. They’ve picked up what we’re doing really quickly.”