Canada-based T&T midfielder Andre Rampersad believes too much respect was given by himself and his teammates to Jamaica in their 4-1 loss in their Concacaf Gold Cup Group A match at City Park Stadium, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA on Wednesday.
The Soca Warriors went into the match on a two-game unbeaten streak against the Reggae Boyz having won 1-0 and drawn 0-0 in two friendly matches played in Jamaica in March and won their Pool A opener of the competition against St Kitts and Nevis 3-0 last Sunday, less than 24 hours after Jamaica and USA drew 1-1 in the competition opener.
Against Jamaica, T&T found itself trailing 3-0 inside the first 30 minutes with England-based duo, Demarai Gray (14th and 30th), and Leon Bailey (18th) both on target.
Four minutes into the second half, the 28-year-old Rampersad, the captain of Canada Premier League club, HFX Wanderers, got T&T back into the with his first goal in national colours in four matches since making his senior team debut on March 27, this year, in a 3-0 Concacaf Nations League win over the Bahamas.
Commenting after the match, a dejected Rampersad, formerly of local club FC Santa Rosa said he was happy to get his first goal, but at the same time disappointed about the outcome of the match.
Rampersad said, “First of all I’m grateful, just scored the first goal for the country, but I think the first half, looking back at the game, was soft. We gave up a lot of soft goals in the game against another Caribbean giant, but all in all the second half we came out, and I think we showed what we could do, but it was too late.”
Quizzed as to what may have caused the nervous start, Rampersad replied, “I think too much respect was given. Given that they have the likes of Michail Antonio, Leon Bailey, and Gray and these guys, I think it's all about looking forward to the next one."
Looking ahead to the clash with the USA today at the Bank of America Stadium, from 7 pm, Rampersad said, “We have to pick ourselves up, as the USA team also wants to top the group.”
He added, "We know what it is for the USA, we knocked them out last time for the World Cup, so obviously, that's going to be on their mind, and they play at home.
“For us, it's all about bringing the energy and leaving it out all on the pitch. It's just about dying for the country and bringing the fans back on board.
“Because I know they are very disappointed with the results yesterday (Wednesday) as they rightfully should be, and yeah we look forward to Sunday (today) and leaving it out all on the pitch and trying to get the results needed to go on to the next one."
Asked about his first goal for T&T, Rampersad credited Greece-based Levi Garcia of AEK Athens, the league and cup winners for the assist.
"Yeah, Levi, is a quality player we all know him and what he's done in his career, and it was just believing in him and I know he would take the guy on, and it was just the time in my run and everything else was just instinct putting it on target and hit the back of the neat.”
He added, “It was a joyous feeling, but at the same time we were at 3-1 at that point and had to fight back but it was too late."
With one win and a defeat against their name, Rampersad said everybody in the team is reflecting on what has gone before and what is required now going forward.
He added, “I think when we look back on playing against St Kitts and Nevis and we won 3-0 there are a lot of things in that game we had to learn from as well defensively.
“Then we went into the JA (Jamaica) game where they actually showed us up with more quality than St Kitts and Nevis. So going into the USA game we look at ourselves, and we reflect a bit, but we don't dwell on it.
“It happens and we just have to move on. We know they are going to come out firing and we just have to do the same from the first place."
(With Reporting by Vinaya Boodram).
