PHILADELPHIA, United States — The Reggae Boyz, all grown men, were not shy in confessing that a lot of tears were shed in the locker room after their 3-1 defeat by Mexico in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup at the Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night.

One of those players, striker Giles Barnes, said the defeat was a difficult pill to swallow, and stated further that the emotions expressed afterwards captured the mood among the players.

“There were a lot of tears in the locker room, but they were not only tears of sadness, but tears of pride,” said the Houston Dynamo man, who has scored two goals in the tournament.

Barnes, 26, said the dressing room scenes will stay with him forever, but says he takes heart from the Gold Cup experience which will put Jamaica on a good footing going forward.

“We done so much for Jamaica’s football, and to see your brother next to you crying, man that was something… it’s just a lot emotions going on now,” he told reporters.

Barnes, who partnered Simon Dawkins in a game that a couple of defensive errors cost them the match, said at the end of it all, the nation should stand proud and comforted in the fact that they did their best.

“We should be proud as a nation with what we have been able to achieve…then again we are going to take heart from it, but congratulations to Mexico as well as they have done well in the second half, but it was a learning experience,” the former West Bromwich Albion player noted.

Jamaica, for finishing second in the biennial tournament, carried off US$500,000, while Mexico bagged US$1 million.

Jamaica had created history by becoming the first Caribbean team to reach the prestigious final.

Most players have returned to their respective clubs around the globe, with only a handful scheduled to return to Jamaica on Monday.

Sean Williams