Jamaica's Demar Phillips battles for the ball with Canada's Paul Stalteri (right) during the first half of their World Cup qualifier in August in Toronto.
THEY NEED goals aplenty to be certain of qualifying and Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will be looking to do just that against Canada when the teams meet in the last semi-final round fixture in the CONCACAF series next Wednesday.
"We have sat and looked at scenarios on various occasions, but to be honest, I am not going to put the players under any pressure by saying you have to score this or that number of goals," noted Jamaica coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore.
Must-win situation
The Boyz face a must-win situation as they lie third in the group on seven points, two behind Honduras, while Mexico lead with 10. Mexico and Honduras, who have plus four (+4) and plus three (+3) goal difference, respectively, will meet in Honduras, a match set for kick off at the same time as Jamaica's.
The goal difference for the Boyz is minus three (-3).
If the Jamaicans beat out-of-contention Canada (two points) by seven clear goals, regardless of the outcome of the Mexico-Honduras match, they will be certain of advancing to the six-nation final round.
"Going out there we will be looking to put as many goals as possible into the back of the net," Whitmore said. "I think the first 15-20 minutes of Wednesday's game will be very important," he said.
Three automatically qualify
Canadian Rob Friend heads over Ian Goodison of Jamaica.
From the final-round grouping, three will gain automatic qualification to the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa and a fourth will play off with the fifth-place South American country for another berth.
The qualifying series has distinctly favoured home teams and the top-three contenders in Group Two, Mexico, Honduras and Jamaica, have won all the games they have hosted. Only Canada, who went down 2-1 to Honduras in Montreal and drew 1-1 with Jamaica and 2-2 with Mexico, have not been able to follow that trend.
Canada have always been tough for Jamaica and Whitmore has again gone for the top players, who turned the country's fortunes around with important wins over Mexico and Honduras, for this assignment.
"It is going to be a tough game, but we are going out there to win and I believe that we have a team that is more than capable of doing so. I've said it before, I have a lot of confidence in the current squad."
Two local-based players
Theodore Whitmore ... I am not going to put the players under any pressure by saying you have to score this or that number of goals. - File
Of the 20 selectees, only goalkeepers Donovan Ricketts and Shawn Sawyers are local-based. Captain Ricardo Gardner, Ian 'Pepe' Goodison and Tyrone Marshall who have held up the backline, Damion Stewart, Claude Davis and Shavar Thomas are defenders and the midfielders include Rodolph Austin, Oneil Thompson, Demar Phillips, Jermaine Johnson, Andy Williams, Wolry Wolfe, Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Jason Morrison.
Not surprisingly, the line-up includes a battery of strikers, headed by Ricardo Fuller and Luton Shelton whose goals beat Mexico and Honduras, Marlon King, speedsters Omar Cummings and Dane Richards, as well as Fabian Taylor, who gets his first call-up in 2010 qualifying. Their mandate for advancing is clear, score plenty goals.
- Audley Boyd
PREVIOUS RESULTS
Jamaica vs Canada
Jamaica 1 Canada 1
13/03/1985 Montego Bay - friendly international
Jamaica 0 Canada 0
17/03/1985 Kingston - friendly international
Jamaica 0 Canada 4
05/04/1988 Kingston - friendly international
Canada 3 Jamaica 2
03/07/1991 Los Angeles - Gold Cup
Jamaica 1 Canada 1
18/10/1992 Kingston - FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Canada 1 Jamaica 0
01/11/1992 Toronto - FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Canada 3 Jamaica 1
01/08/1995 Toronto - friendly international
Canada 0 Jamaica 0
27/04/1997 Vancouver - FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Jamaica 1 Canada 0
07/09/1997 Kingston - FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Canada 1 Jamaica 0
02/09/1999 Toronto - friendly international
Canada 1 Jamaica 0
04/09/2006 Montreal - friendly international
Jamaica 2 Canada 1
08/10/2006 Kingston - friendly international
Canada 1 Jamaica 1
07/09/2008 Toronto - FIFA World Cup Qualifier
