Canadian-born T&T striker 27-year-old Malcolm Shaw said the Soca Warriors' 4-1 loss to Jamaica in their second Group A match of the Concacaf Gold Cup at City Park Stadium Saint Louis, Missouri, USA on Wednesday night was a tough loss for the team.
For the Reggae Boyz, England-based winger Demarai Gray scored in the 14th and 30th minutes while another English-based player Leon Bailey was also on target in the 18th as they stormed into an early 3-0 lead inside the first 30 minutes.
Canada-based midfielder Andre Rampersad pulled a goal back for T&T in the 49th with a clever back-heel from a right-sided Levi Garcia center but two minutes into added-on time, Jamaica got a fourth item via a shot from Chelsea FC new-boy Dujuan Richards, 17, which deflected off T&T defender Kareem Moses and wrong-footed goalkeeper Nicklas Frenderup.
The win was Jamaica's first in 12 matches and the first in three matches against T&T, who suffered a first defeat in eight matches.
Speaking after the defeat, Shaw who made his debut in the 3-0 win over St Kitts and Nevis and had a goal chalked for a shove on a defender before earning his first start in the loss to the Reggae Boyz said, “Obviously, it was a tough result for us. Jamaica is a quality side and has a very good front three but we just have to look to the next game.”
The Atletico Ottawa striker was quick to admit that the team has some work to do ahead of the next match, a must-win contest against defending champion and host USA, improved on its come-from-behind 1-1 draw with Jamaica on Saturday by trashing St Kitts and Nevis 6-0 to go top of the group on goal-difference from the Reggae Boyz, with both teams on four points each.
Shaw, who qualified to represent T&T through his mother said, “We have some things we have to adjust and fix and we tried some new things against Jamaica but things didn’t go our way tonight (Wednesday)."
Reflecting on the first-half performance from the team, Shaw said, “We were a bit lethargic and a bit slow and disjointed too, and obviously Jamaica with their quality, they were able to play through us at times and play over the top, and they were clinical on the chances that they created, so we have to be more compact and be more solid in our shape.”
Comparing the performance of the team in the first half to that of the second half, Shaw admitted that the substitutions made a big impact.
“The subs that came in, they made a solid impact and I thought they came in and we went back to the usual shape that we started with against St Kitts and Nevis and I think that helped us a bit in getting back to some familiarity, and the guys that came in definitely put in a decent shift and we were able to get a goal back but obviously it wasn’t enough.”
Having to adjust his game to coach Eve’s tactics, Shaw said, “For me, it felt a bit frustrating as I felt like I wasn’t getting into the groove that I wanted to help the team.
“At times, I tried to show in the pockets and the ball wouldn’t come, or I would be in positions but I tried to just put in a shift to the best I could."
Looking ahead to the must-win match against the USA on Sunday (July 2) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte from 7 pm, Shaw said the team has the talent to accomplish their goal.
“We just have to go out there and fight and put in a mature performance and really step up because it’s do-or-die for us, so obviously everyone has to come out guns blazing and we have to be organised and deliver and we have the talent to do it,” said Shaw.
WATCH Shaw's Post-Match Reactions - T&T vs Jamaica at Gold Cup '23