Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

Ricardo Gardner will captain the Reggae Boyz in tommorow's game. - file

Toronto, canada

INSPIRED by the performance of their country's track and field athletes in Beijing, China, the Reggae Boyz move into the crucial aspect of World Cup 2010 football qualifying when they tackle Canada at the BMO Field in Toronto tomorrow.

An opener in the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Associations of Football (CONCACAF) semi-final round, the contest is scheduled to kick off at 7:30p.m. (6:30 p.m. Ja time).

Both teams are among four nations challenging for two spots from what is considered the toughest of three CONCACAF quadrangular groupings. Two-time World Cup hosts and perennial qualifiers Mexico, which is also the number-one ranked team in the region and their Central American counterparts, Honduras, are other members of the foursome labelled the 'Group of Death' on its perceived difficulty based on the standard of its competitors.

Marked improvements

The Canadians, too, have shown marked improvement over the past year, advancing to the semi-finals of the Gold Cup where they were controversially ousted by the United States and playing well to secure decent results against the boss team of the game, five-time World Cup champions Brazil.

They are also eager to end their absence from football's global championship since playing at Mexico in 1986, 12 solid years ahead of the Reggae Boyz first and only qualification in 1998.

Though the time is shorter, the Jamaicans are nonetheless hungry to make their mark on world football again, by claiming a place among the 32 finalists who will parade their skills in the 'Motherland', Africa.

Apart from wanting to re-establish contact with its roots, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president, Captain Horace Burrell, has reconnected with René Simoes, the Brazilian technical director who handled the historic France '98 bunch, to choreograph this charge to South Africa that moves into second gear in the middle of the Olympics.

Jamaica's sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Frazer have created history by winning the 100-metre events; and Fraser was also part of another landmark achievement, being head of the first-ever trio from one country to have swept all medals in a women's hundred final.

Like it has done at home, such achievements have bolstered the spirit and ambitions to do likewise, among the Reggae Boyz.

"It's very important to keep that fever growing," noted Theodore Whitmore, a key member of the '98 group who is now the team's assistant coach. "We've quality players to do the job. We've a mixture of experience and youth, it's to go out there and do the job."

Greater desire

Simoes listed the Olympic performances as fuelling greater desire in the team at this time, noting that a philosophical transformation is necessary for their game.

"It's four medals, but it was individual strength," he said. "We've to take this individual strength from within and transform it into team work."

Drills facilitating that unified effort were intensely practised at the team's second training session here, on Sunday night on an artificial surface at the St Michael's College School.

"It was good, they've to practice what they've to do, everyone needs to know their role in the team," noted Simoes after the near two-hour workout with 15 of the 20 players named to the squad.

Of the other five, Deon Burton arrived at the team hotel near 10 p.m. the same night, shortly after the training session ended, captain Ricardo Gardner and Ian Goodison came in later Tyrone Marshall did not train because of a quadriceps injury that makes him doubtful for the match and striker Luton Shelton was due last night. All of them played matches with their European clubs at the weekend, except Marshall, on the grounds of whose club Toronto FC tomorrow's match will be played.

Artificial surface

The artificial surface is dissimilar to other grounds where Jamaica play international matches and its one reason why the team has been preparing on such a surface.

"It's a big difference," explained Marshall. "The bounce of the ball is different, you don't strike it the same way, and the ball moves faster.

"But it's not a bad pitch ... it's decent, not bad to play on," he added, in the presence of striker Burton, a player more familiar to the lush grass surfaces in Europe.

He asked his Jamaican team-mate what type of shoe would better suit the surface and Marshall noted regular-studded, not pegs.

It is the Canada team, though, that will provide the bulk of the questions for the Boyz.

They eased past St Vincent and the Grenadines 3-0 and 4-0 in World Cup qualifying, held Panama 2-2 away and narrowly lost 2-3 to Brazil in May.

Its 18-man squad is all professional and 13 play for European clubs, including Deportiva de la Coruna's Julian Guzman, Tottenham Hotspurs' Paul Stalteri, FC Copenhaven's Atiba Hutchinson, Borussia Moenchengladbach's Rob Friend, FC Koln's Kevin Skoda and veteran Tomasz Radzinski, now with Greek team Skoda Zanthi.

Marshall, who is quite familiar with the team, said: "Guzman and Hutchinson are the two playmakers in midfield. I think that's going to be their strength."

The Boyz, with 10 overseas-based players in their squad, also have a fair amount of professional experience and don't feel pressured.

"They (Canada) are the ones who should be under pressure because they're playing at home," said Whitmore.

Squads:

Jamaica: Donovan Ricketts, Shawn Sawyers, Ricardo Gardner (captain), Ian Goodison, Tyrone Marshall, Demar Stewart, Jermaine Taylor, Obrian Woodbine, Evan Taylor, Jevaughn Watson, Davion Thorpe, Keneil Moodie, Rudolph Austin, Jermaine Hue, Andrew Williams, Demar Phillips, Omar Cummings, Deon Burton, Luton Shelton.

Canada: Greg Sutton, Daniel Imhof, Mike Klukowski, Kevin McKenna, Adrian Serioux, Julian de Guzman, Paul Stalteri, Jim Brennan, Tomasz Radzinski, Ali Gerba, Richard Hastings, IsseyNakajima-Farran, Atiba Hutchinson, Dwayne De Rosario, Patrice Bernier, Rob Friend, Iain Hume, Pat Onstad.

2010 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers schedule

August 20

Canada vs. Jamaica

Mexico vs. Honduras

September 6

Jamaica vs. Mexico

Canada vs. Honduras

September 10

Mexico vs. Canada

Honduras vs. Jamaica

October 11

Mexico vs. Jamaica

Honduras vs. Canada

October 15

Canada vs. Mexico

Jamaica vs. Honduras

November 19

Honduras vs. Mexico

Jamaica vs. Canada