The Boyz gave their all, says Hallgrimsson

Having had their elimination from the Copa America confirmed following Wednesday's loss to Ecuador, Reggae Boyz head coach said the players gave their all on the pitch despite the results.

Jamaica were defeated 3-1 by Ecuador in their second match of Group B action and sit at the foot of the table as the only the team yet to get a point on the board.

Hallgrimsson said despite the results, the players had fought to the very end in both games and gave credit to their efforts on the field.

"I must give my players credit for everything they gave, especially in the second half. They left everything on the pitch, but sadly, the results did not go in our favour," he said. "I think it was more positivity, it was more power, it was more on the front foot and we had nothing to lose, so we decided to go all in."

The team had a slow start against the South Americans, but started to stamp their presence on the game as the match went on.

A goal from Michail Antonio nine minutes into the second half signalled a shift in tactics as the Boyz grew more confident in attack.

Hallgrimsson said the changes in the second half also brought new energy into the team, which allowed the Boyz more control.

"The first half was difficult for us. We tweaked the tactics and matched them, especially in the middle. I think we did better as the first half progressed," he explained.

"I thought in this moment (second half) we were playing well, we had the upper hand, but we just wanted more fresh legs from guys that can create goals and score goals; so that was the reason we did these changes."

However, there was some controversy as Jamaica was denied a penalty after Ecuador's Alan Franco appeared to handle the ball in the box.

Hallgrimsson said he believed the referee made the wrong decision, as Ecuador were awarded a penalty earlier in the game for a similar situation.

"I haven't gotten the reason and I'm just seeing the replay; but for the love of God I don't know why this one was a penalty, if the other one was a penalty. I can't answer for them, but I wish they could sit here and answer that one for me."

He believed the scoreline did not reflect the chances in the game, and said he believed that the team deserved to have left the match with a more favourable result.

"I don't think it was a 3-1 difference in this match, so it's kind of embarrassing to go with a 3-1 loss after this game. I think we deserved to have more, especially after the second-half performance."

Jamaica will play their final group-stage match against Venezuela at the Q2 Stadium in Texas on Sunday.