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The first game in the semifinal round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers in Toronto on August 20 between Jamaica and Canada could go a far way in deciding the fate of both teams – particularly Canada. Dale Mitchell of Canada is banking on home points to get his team to the World Cup finals.

"The last couple of times, the home games have let us down a little bit," Mitchell said in a conference call Wednesday. "We need to get more at home.

"The formula that you'd like to stick by in this type of situation is win the home games and look for your points, if it's a draw or whatever it may be, away from home. But you've got to win your home games. If you do that, you'll be in good shape."

While Rene Simoes has dropped a large section of his England-based professionals and places his fate and Jamaica’s future in a squad of experienced players jutted with a large cadre of inexperienced locals, (click Reggae Boyz button above) Mitchel is taking no chances. Canada’s squad to face Jamaica at the BMO stadium in Toronto next Wednesday is totally professional, with just a few local-based players included for good measure. Mitchell is confident he has the quality and experience in his squad to make a run this time.

Fullback Paul Stalteri (Tottenham) will captain Canada and earn his 68th cap, third on the Canadian all-time list, against Jamaica. Mitchell's squad includes three players who were unavailable for the initial qualifying games against St. Vincent: forward Iain Hume (Barnsley), midfielder Daniel Imhof (Bochum) and defender Kevin McKenna (FC Koln).

Canada’s squad:

Goalkeepers: Greg Sutton, Hamilton, Toronto FC (MLS); Pat Onstad, Vancouver, Houston Dynamo (MLS).

Defenders: Mike Klukowski, Oshawa, Ont., Club Brugge KV (Belgium); Kevin McKenna, Calgary, FC Koeln (Germany); Jim Brennan, Toronto, Toronto FC (MLS); Richard Hastings, Vancouver, Inverness Caledonian Thistle (Scotland).

Defender-Midfielders: Daniel Imhof, Smithers, B.C., VfL Bochum (Germany); Adrian Serioux, Toronto, FC Dallas (MLS), Paul Stalteri (capt.), Brampton, Ont., Tottenham (England).

Midfielders: Julian de Guzman, Toronto, Deportivo La Coruna (Spain); Issey Nakajima-Farran, Calgary, FC Nordsjlland (Denmark); Atiba Hutchinson, Brampton, Ont., FC Copenhagen (Denmark); Patrice Bernier, Brossard, Que., FC Nordsjlland (Denmark).

Midfielder-Forwards: Tomasz Radzinski, Toronto, Skoda Xanthi (Greece); Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto, Houston Dynamo (MLS).

Forwards: Ali Gerba, Montreal, Milton Keynes Dons (England); Rob Friend, Kelowna, B.C., Borussia Moenchengladbach (Germany); Iain Hume, Brampton, Ont., Barnsley FC (England).

Canada were poor at home in qualifying run for the 2006 tournament in Germany. They started with a 2-0 loss to Guatemala before drawing 1-1 with Honduras and then lost 3-1 to Costa Rica, managing just one point out of nine at home and finished last in their group.

Jamaica may be ranked a lowly 108 by FIFA, by Mitchel sees the Reggae Boyz equal to the best in the group which also includes Mexico and Honduras.

"Anyone that knows CONCACAF well will tell you there are four good teams in our group and I don't consider Jamaica to be any less difficult of an opponent than the other ones we're going to face," he said.

Jamaica can call on the likes of captain and midfielder Ricardo Gardner (Bolton) and strikers Marlon King (Wigan), Deon Burton (Sheffield Wednesday) and Luton Shelton (Sheffield United)

"They have quality in their team," Mitchell said.

The teams will play each other home and away with the top two advancing to the final round of qualifying in the region. Three of those six finalists will book their ticket to South Africa while the fourth-place finisher will take on the fifth-best team in South America in a playoff to see who joins them.

(JamaicaWin.com will have LIVE TEXT coverage of the game with twice daily posting of the Boyz in training.)

Earl Bailey
Editor - www.JamaicaWin.com