Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
Fredy Thompson of Guatemala (right) makes a sliding tackle as Andrew Williams of Jamaica dribbles towards goal during the first half of their Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup soccer match in Carson, California July 8, 2005. - REUTERS
BOSTON, Massachusetts:
MIDFIELDER Andy Williams has stated that he is no longer interested in playing international football and is retiring from the Jamaica team.
"I'm retiring after this," Williams told The Gleaner in an interview on Saturday night, following the Reggae Boyz' elimination from the CONCACAF Gold Cup after suffering a 3-1 loss to the United States in the quarter-finals at the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
"I told Mr. Boxhill (Crenston) from after the first game," he said.
But the 27-year-old attacking linkman declined to say what prompted his decision.
"I can't elaborate," he said. "Too much madness is going on. I'm leaving it for the youths to deal with it. I'm going to continue playing for my club. I can't retire from that. That is what's putting food on my table.
"If when the World Cup qualifiers start again and whoever is coaching the team wants me to play I may think about it, but all I can say for now is I'm finished."
FIRST APPEARANCE
Williams first represented Jamaica in a match against a George Weah-led African All-Star team during the Reggae Boyz' Road to France campaign in 1996.
"My heart's in it but I'm missing a lot of games for my club and a lot of time away from my family, it's not worth it right now," he added.
Williams, who plays professionally in the United States Major League Soccer for Real Salt Lake City, indicated that a lack of support for the national programme could have contributed to his decision.
"I know the federation can't do any better because they can't get sponsors for the national programme and the business people are not stepping up to help us.
"That is just embarrassing. I know a lot of Jamaicans never expected us get out of the first round with the team that we have. They thought that it'd be three losses and then we take the plane back and go to Jamaica.
"Nobody has any faith in us, the private sector is not willing to help the programme," he lamented.
Giving an overview of Jamaica's performance at the Gold Cup, Williams said Jamaica "over-achieved".
"Based on what we had and the preparations that we had, we over-achieved."
LIMITED REST
Jamaica hardly had any international match preparation and endured major air and ground travel made worse by limited rest and recuperation time while flying from Jamaica to Los Angeles, Houston and finally Boston to play four matches within a nine-day span.
Commenting on the match against the Americans on Saturday, Williams said Jamaica gave a "pretty shocking display".
"In the first three games, everybody played well," he pointed out. "We just chose to have a bad game on the wrong day."
Williams missed an instant opportunity to equalize for Jamaica when he had a penalty kick saved by Kasey Keller at the seventh minute. Asked to give his thoughts on the gentle side-footed shot, Williams explained that a previous experience got the better of him.
"It's the first time for me," the man dubbed the 'Bomber' noted. "What went through my head was the November game the last time we played in Columbus and the score was 1-1.
"I took a penalty kick against Kasey Keller and scored it. So I thought, knowing 'keepers, I thought he would have tried saving it the other way than the last time. I tried switching but overall I kicked the penalty bad and never hit it convincingly."
The team seemed deflated afterwards and played a bad first half but Williams said he did not think the penalty kick miss was the reason.
"I don't think so because even if it had tied one-one, the way we played I don't think it would have made a difference because even before they scored they had us on our heels basically.
"We didn't have it today, probably the penalty added to this, I don' know."
