“I think it was just their time to shine.” So said a disappointed Gregory `Jackie Chan’ Richardson after defending champions Pele were sent packing from the 20th anniversary Kashif and Shanghai football extravaganza following a penalty shoot-out with Western Tigers on Monday evening at the Providence National Stadium.
After regulation and extra time failed to break the goalless deadlock, Pele’s woes continued in the penalty shoot-out with only Richardson scoring from the spot as his side surrendered the title 1-3.
Throughout this tournament the Pele players have depended a lot on the first Guyanese footballer to play in the United States of America major League Soccer competition but the striker was unable to break loose from the suffocating Western Tigers defence.
Richardson and the ever-hustling Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant are the chief orchestrators of plays in the team.
Pele supporters feel that Richardson has let them down but he was quick to disagree.
“No man, I think I did my best. I did all I could have done you know, but like I said, tonight (Monday) was just their time to shine.”
He added: “They came out and defended that’s all they did but again, I don’t think I let my players or my family or my supporters down you know, we just lost.”
Western Tigers defenders, captain Dwayne Ali and Sherman David, must take full credit as they double teamed Richardson every time he touched the ball but Richardson said they had nothing on him.
“Honestly, Tigers didn’t had me on lock down. They played reasonable defence, yeah, but to lock me down. No man, they didn’t. It’s just that I didn’t really have the support you know, my players… I don’t know…. but we were not finishing.”
He added: “But I think we played well. All they did was defend, nothing more, but they won.”
Richardson said as defending champions his team was under a lot of pressure.
“Both teams wanted to win and we are the defending champions so a lot of pressure was on us to win.
I am not a selfish player, everything is not all about me, but my team-mates, they played too, and they tried hard, just like me to win. We all played a good game but the Tigers ended as the better team because they won.”
Richardson and his Pele team will contest the third place play-off against Sunburst Camptown the other losing semi-finalist team.
Not being sore losers, Richardson said they will be backing Western Tigers to win the competition.
“Congratulations to Tigers and I wish them well in the final. I will be backing them on Friday,” said Richardson.
