By Rawle Toney
Guyana’s ace striker Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson was impressive playing his first game for Toronto FC who claimed a 2-1 win over the USA U-20 side Sunday last in Bradenton, Florida.
The Pele and Joe Public striker, who is on a week-long try out with the Canadian Major League Soccer (MLS) side, came on as a substitute and, according to reports reaching Stabroek Sport, was “remarkable” with his performance on the pitch.
He made a few good runs at goal but was not successful in finding the back of the net, coming close on a few occasions.
Richardson is aiming to become the first Guyanese to play in the MLS. He got in the limelight after a sensational performance for his Trinidad and Tobago pro-league club Joe Public in the CONCACAF champions league last year.
He will be remembered for his dramatic performances against leading MLS club New England Revolution in the USA, where he netted four of his five goals in the competition.
Richardson has played on almost every national team for Guyana since first playing at the U-17 level. His first game at the international level was against the Netherlands Antilles where he netted a double in Curacao. The striker later became a regular feature on Guyana’s scorecard ever since and his performances only got better over the years.
Even though Guyana did not do too well on the international circuit, 2008 certainly was the year for “Jackie Chan” to shine.
According to the striker, prior to his departure it was through hard work and dedication that he found himself on the brink of becoming the first Guyanese to play in the US professional league. The diminutive forward earned a reputation for himself last year after a splendid run in the Trinidad and Tobago pro-league.
Meanwhile, local fans got a chance to see the striker in action in the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament which ended on New Year’s Day where he played for his local side Pele. Richardson had netted in every game except the final for his club and it was evident that he was unstoppable on the field.
In several interviews with various sections of the media, Richardson noted that he has nothing more to accomplish on the local scene and so his eyes are set on landing a professional contract beyond the Caribbean.
Since word got out that the player would be on a week-long try out with the Toronto Football Club, his name instantly became a buzz on the MLS and Toronto FC websites along with several soccer blogs.
But before his move to have a shot at MLS with Toronto FC, several news agencies abroad linked the striker to moves to New England Revolution and other top MLS clubs Columbus Crew and San Jose Earthquake after his excellent showing in the CONCACAF champions League and in the T&T pro-League.
Toronto FC will continue their pre-season training in Florida and will begin their MLS season in March.
