KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC– Striker Dane Richards, who netted twice in ten minutes to keep alive Jamaica’s world cup ambitions, says the goals were the most important in his football career.
Richards converted in the 78th and 88th minutes to lead the reggae boyz to a 4-1 victory over Antigua and Barbuda at the national stadium on Tuesday.
The USA topped the group with 13 points and Jamaica finished second with 10 points, the same as Guatemala, but only advanced with a superior goal difference of +3, to the Central Americans’ +1.
“We wanted to go to the next round and it was our fault why we weren’t secured” Richards told the Jamaica Observer.
“When we went to Antigua we should have won and got three points and then we gave up a goal late in Guatemala. So we wanted to come here and get back the fans in the stadium”.
Richards who was in July traded from New York Red Bulls to Vancouver Whitecaps in the Major League Soccer (MLS) has credited Rodolph Austin and Jermaine Hue for providing him with the passes that allowed him to score.
Austin sped past three players and cut back the ball into his path while Hue picked out the diminutive Richards with a 30-yard pass.
“Maestro. The boss! All I had to do was continue running, it was the perfect pass,” said Richards of Hue’s searching pass.
“I am winger and when I get the right ball I can be very dangerous, but wherever the coach puts me I am happy to play there”.
The speedy winger has netted 10 times for Jamaica and 21 times for the New York Red Bulls in a five-year span.
Jamaica will next year attempt to become one of three teams, in a CONCACAF finals of six countries, to qualify for the 2014 world cup in Brazil.
“Now the real work starts,” said Richards.
“Now is the crucial time, we can’t slip-up like how we slip-up in this round, we have to take care of the work early”.
Richards is due to join English Championship side Burnley on January 1, 2013 after the end of the MLS season.
