Onstad Has High Hopes

[Winnipeg Fury]

Onstad has high hopes

Monday, August 18, 2008

Onstad is one cap shy of matching Craig Forrest's record of 56.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO -- Pat Onstad has watched more than a few Canadian teams line up in front of him and he likes what he sees this time ahead of Wednesday's World Cup qualifying game against Jamaica.

Coach Dale Mitchell says he has most of his starting 11 set in his mind, but is still mulling over several spots. Onstad says the good news for Canada is Mitchell has options.

"That's what probably makes it so difficult for Dale for the (starting) 11. We've probably got 16, 17 guys to choose (from)," the 40-year-old Houston Dynamo goalkeeper said after practice Monday at BMO Field.

"We've got all sorts of attacking options and it's nice to see. It hasn't been in the past but this is a team with a bit of flair, something a lot of Canadian soccer fans haven't seen very much. Over the last 18 months or so, this team has come together as a good group, good cohesive unit. I'm really looking forward to see how we can do in this round of qualifying."

Up front, Mitchell can throw on the likes of Rob Friend, Ali Gerba, Tomasz Radzinski and Iain Hume with Julian de Guzman and Dwayne De Rosario pulling the strings from midfield.

Mitchell has yet to choose his goalie, with Onstad and Greg Sutton vying for the start. Should Onstad play, he will tie Craig Forrest at 56 caps, the most by a Canadian 'keeper.

Mitchell was without late arrivals Atiba Hutchinson, Patrice Bernier and Friend on Monday. Midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran, however, is injured and won't be joining the squad.

The Jamaica game is the first of six in Canada's third-round group in CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Canada, ranked 79th in the world and fifth in CONCACAF, is in a pool with No. 32 Mexico (No. 2 in CONCACAF), No. 61 Honduras (3) and No. 108 Jamaica (11). Also Wednesday, Mexico hosts Honduras.

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.

Canada has only ever made it to the World Cup finals once, in 1986 when Mitchell was in the team.

Last time around, Costa Rica and Guatemala advanced to the final round in CONCACAF with 10 points out of Canada's group. The Canadian men finished last with five points after going 1-3-2. Four years previously, Canada exited with the same record, at the same stage.

"I think you can look at that, and analyze it, and say Well the last time it probably took the better part of nine or 10 points to get there,"' Mitchell said of the points needed to advance. "Maybe it's going to be the same this time but you don't know. There's 18 points on the table. You've got to have your team ready to get three in every match. We're only looking at getting three on Wednesday and then go from there."

Jamaica, while the lowest-ranked team in Canada's group, can draw on the likes of captain and midfielder Ricardo Gardner (Bolton), and strikers Deon Burton (Sheffield Wednesday) and Luton Shelton (Sheffield United).

"I think the team has improved a lot in the last year," Mitchell said of the Reggae Boyz. "They've got good athletes. And they've got players playing on a good level now. ... I expect a difficult match on Wednesday.

Jamaica is coached by veteran Rene Simoes, who was rumoured to be a contender for the Canadian job Mitchell ended up getting.

The Jamaicans may be buoyed by the success of their Olympic sprinters, who have turned heads on the track in Beijing.

"They've got some fast athletes, we know that, and some of them will be playing for them on Wednesday ," said Mitchell.

NOTES -- Goalie Greg Sutton sat out training Monday after a knock sustained in Toronto FC's 2-0 loss to New York on Sunday. Coach Dale Mitchell said he will be ready by Wednesday. Toronto FC defender Jim Brennan also sat out most of the session after playing the full 90 minutes Sunday.