Mervilus views NYC Haiti's Cup of Nations' playoff miss as the first step of the team's

NYC Haiti players in the Cup of Nations. Cup of Nations Images

NYC Haiti failed to qualify for the Cup of Nations' playoffs as the team finished third in their group with one loss and two ties. However the club's manager, Gregory Mervilus, sees his side's run in Cup of Nations as the beginning of the team's renovation he mentioned last week.

"It's not that I didn't take it too seriously, you know, when you start rebuilding something you're going to have new players who don't know each other. Actually when we went there, we didn't go there to win the cup, we just went there just to be part of it and be better for next year when we really organize the team."

It was Les Grenadiers' first run in the competition.

"You want to do something that you didn't know what you were going in," the manager said, "and you're not even organized properly and we ended up with two draws and one loss. But those two games, we could've won them but because of misunderstanding--those things happen in football-- we lost. It's not like we lost badly, like 7-1, like the game against Guinea."

Mervilus credited his opponent's level of play and noted that their experience outmatched his new young side.

"The other teams in the Cup of Nations they are very solid teams, they've been playing together for years. They have experience. So when you have five, six young kids and three, four veterans of course it's not that much experience. [But] I think we did well, we're coming harder next year and we'll be in the top teams."

The Haitian diasporas started the tournament with a 1-1 draw with Panama before losing to Chile 3-1 and tying with Peru 1-1. Gregory Clena led the team in scoring with two goals. Zac Clege netted Haiti's other goal.

Gregory Clena was NYC Haiti's topscorer in the Cup of Nations, netting two goals. Brooklyn Soccer Life Images

Mervilus was impressed with his new players, particularly with striker Zac Clege and 19-year-old right back Dief Gerald Romilson, whom he said is very aggressive.

The 42-year-old's next step in repairing his club is to keep the players together on the field during the winter.

"The next step in rebuilding the team is to get everybody involved in the winter," he said, "play indoor, participate in friendly games, try to get everybody to stay together."

When asked how long it will take before NYC Haiti goes back to their remarkable form of last year, Mervilus said: "Not that long, we're just missing little pieces."