IF YOU ARE a fan of Guyanese football, certainly the name Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson will easily come to mind and on Wednesday the huge crowd that turned out at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground were reminded of why he was considered at one time as the Caribbean top forward. Playing against his former team, Richardson, the first player from Guyana to feature in the USA’s Major League Soccer (MLS), scored both goals (10th and 87th minute) for Pele FC in their 2-2 draw with Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United when action continued in the Stag Elite League.

The result means that Pele, who had defeated the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) 2-1 on the league’s opening night, is atop the eight-team table with four points.
From the chants and cheers, it was obvious that the bulk of the supporters in the GFC ground belonged to Pele FC.
It was also Alpha United’s second draw in the league in as many matches after playing to a goalless draw against rivals Slingerz FC. Both Slingerz FC and Alpha United are on two points.
And from the blast of the referee’s Fox40 to start the game, Richardson welcomed all to the ‘Jackie Chan’ show.
Coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover’s defenders, though not standing idly by, had no answer for Richardson’s aggression and relentless attack.
Together with his ‘wingman’ Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant, Richardson five minutes into the contest came close to finding the opening goal but Alpha United goalkeeper was equal to the task to deny the former Golden Jaguar an opening goal.
But not to be restrained, Richardson then paced down the left wing attacking the North Road end goal at GFC and earned a corner from which he sent Pele in the lead.
Grant took the corner and the ball sailed into the goal area, with Alpha United defenders failing to make the clear, Richardson pounced on the loose ball and hammered it into the back of the net and Pele took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute.
The crowd was in frenzy as Richardson celebrated and pointed to and kissed the Pele FC crest stitched on his uniform.
However, Alpha United being their usual dominant selves, in the 29th minute found the equaliser through their captain Daniel Wilson.
A deafening silence permeated the venue and the game’s momentum shifted in favour of Alpha United. But 10 minutes later, the former Victoria Kings wingback Sherwin Skeete handed the ‘Hammers’ the advantage.
Richardson willed Pele FC to find the equaliser but the half ended with Alpha United leading 2-1.
Fans were on the edge upon the resumption of play and once again, Pele, behind Richardson, controlled the tempo of the game.
Richardson came close to drawing the game in the 80th minute when he flicked the ball past the goalkeeper after neatly evading three defenders but his effort rolled centimetres away from the goal.
The crowd rose to their feet and cheered loudly in appreciation and Richardson covered his face in dismay, knowing how close he came to levelling the score.
But as fate would have it, Grant, who had a dominant performance in the midfield, was fouled in the 87th minute almost 20 yards out from goal and Richardson opted to take the kick.
He spotted the ball on the mark set by the referee and stood over the ball similarly to Cristiano Ronaldo; took two steps backward and on the official’s mark, ‘Jackie Chan’ sent his shot swerving over the wall set by Alpha United and the ball climbed into the ‘V’ of the goal, beating the full-stretched goalkeeper.
Even Minister of State Joe Harmon and Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, who were sitting in the VIP section, rose to acknowledge Richardson’s goal.
However, time didn’t permit Pele to get the full three points but certainly the club will be satisfied with a point.