MONTEGO BAY, St James — National striker Dane Richards will feel at home this evening when Jamaica face Venezuela in a friendly international at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

The 27-year-old New York Red Bulls striker told the Observer he will be under no pressure as he will get the chance to see his friends and family.

In an interview with the Observer after a training session at Jarrett Park on Wednesday, the former Cornwall College and Seba United player said: “I have been playing a long time and just want to go out there and have some fun.”

After his best season as a professional in the American Major League Soccer competition last season, Richards says the goal is to get better.

“The plan is just to try to have a better season; you can’t go down, but just improve every year.”

Richards, who played college football at San Jacinto and Clemson University, scored five goals last season, four of which were game winners while starting in 23 of the 25 games he played.

He said the Red Bulls were optimistic they would have a good season, having brought in a number of new players in the off-season.

“We have some new players and we have formed some chemistry in he pre-season,” he said.

He says he is expecting the Reggae Boyz to play well today in front of a good-sized home crowd.

“Once we have a good atmosphere in the small stadium and with the crowd behind us, we should so well,” he said, adding that the team will play well together as “most of us played in the Digicel Caribbean Cup in December, so we’re used to each other, while there are a few new faces.”