THERE WILL BE PLENTY of nostalgia for fans like me when football returns to Kensington Oval today.

When Barbados take on Dominica in the second leg of their World Cup qualifier, it would be the first time in more than 20 years that a football game has been played at the Oval.

The venue last hosted a triangular tournament involving the local national team, Martinique and Trinidad and Tobago.

Before the advent of the National Stadium, Kensington was considered the home for many sports like football, cycling, track and field and hockey.

Although cricket drew the largest crowds, the other sports were also well patronised, especially when there was an international event.

I am certain that today's World Cup match will be well supported, notwithstanding that it's a midweek game and it kicks off before many of us would have been scheduled to leave work.

Naturally, a weekend would have been ideal for the encounter, but today happens to be one of those designated for World Cup matches by FIFA, the sports ruling body.

With due respect to Dwight James' call on the powers that be to give a half-day holiday so that the team could have a full house of support, I think it's too early in the campaign to honour this call, but could be given serious consideration in later rounds if the stadium isn't ready by then.

Some might suggest that I am being very optimistic to be looking ahead to future rounds for the team, but why shouldn't I be?

The fact that some may have reservations about this could be a reflection of how our game has remained stagnant over the years or how teams from the Windwards and Leewards have improved over time as well.

I believe it's more a case of the latter than the former as players from that region have been able to get some exposure, particularly on the United States collegiate scene, as well as some other semi-professional leagues around the world.

Mind you, a handful has also managed to get contracts in some European leagues even if not at the top level. The point is that it has been enough to bring them on par or even slightly ahead of Barbados.

Several years ago, Barbados may have been favoured to record a resounding victory over Dominica even if they had played at Windsor Park in Roseau. In fact, the 1-1 draw in the first qualifier between the two at the aforementioned venue strengthens my point.

Prior to that game, Barbados had whipped the Dominicans 5-0 in a friendly in 2006. The shape of the team that played in the first qualifier was very different on that occasion. The Dominicans were able to draw on some of their foreign reserves and proved to be more than a match for the Bajans in front of almost 10 000 supporters.

I believe that the level of support for the teams will be the major difference going into today's encounter. The Bajans will have the obvious advantage here.

Neither team would have played at the new Kensington so this makes it literally and figuratively a level playing field except that the Bajan ballers would have had more time to get a feel of the ground. This, in my opinion, isn't likely to be that crucial a factor. The various combinations will be more critical and of the highest importance.

The initial pressure will be on Barbados, no matter the team's composition, because the thinking would be that they should make home advantage count.

Consequently, I won't be surprised to detect a little bit of nervousness in the opening minutes. This is what they have to guard against and keep their composure. I hope the coaches have spent an equal amount of time on mental and physical preparation.

Still, it will be hard not to see the Bajans coming out on top. They would have had the most psychological points in the first qualifier coming away with more than an honourable draw.

If memory serves me right, Barbados didn't win the triangular series in the mid-80s at Kensington, victory today is vital as the losers will have to wait another six years for a taste of World Cup action while the winners move on to a prestigious match up against CONCACAF giants the United States in June.