Barbados captain Norman Forde (left) will be marshalling the troops in the midfield. (Picture by Charles Pitt-Grant.)

by WADE GIBBONS

BARBADOS ENTER their World Cup 2010 qualifier against the United States at The Home Depot Centre in California today as the clear underdogs.

But despite the odds ostensibly stacked against them, there is still a degree of optimism since this football squad is bolstered with nine professionals.

Barbados enter the important encounter confident in their ability of putting in a strong performance despite the daunting fact that their rivals held the No. 1
rated team in the world, Argentina, to a 0-0 draw at Giants Stadium on June 8.

The United States and Barbados have faced each other only twice before, with the former winning both matches in the semi-final round of World Cup qualifying in 2000. In the first game, a brace from Joe-Max Moore was the precursor to a resounding 7–0 victory in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The Americans were also victorious when they travelled to Barbados, beating the home side 4–0 in the return leg. That game was much closer than the lopsided scoreline would suggest. Eddie Lewis and Landon Donovan are the only players on the current roster who were involved in those matches.

Barbados have welcomed back quality strikers in Doncaster Rovers' Mark McCammon and Crystal Palace's Paul Ifill. Former Tottenham Hotspurs' and England Under-20 left-back Marcel McKie is a newcomer to the squad and is expected to add much needed solidity in defence.

Despite the presence of several overseas-based players in the Bajan line-up, United States' head coach Bob Bradley has his eyes firmly fixed on the home-based captain of the team, Norman Forde. He has indicated his intentions of shutting down Forde in the midfield.

"I think that we concentrate on what we need to do, yet at the same time we always prepare our team with some sense as to how the other team plays and key players. Norman Forde, certainly a lot of their attacking play goes through him and we still would want to do the best we can to close him down and not give him the opportunity to make the game for Barbados," he said.

Bradley described the Barbados team as one having players with individual flair and overall athleticism.

For all of the United States' anticipated superiority, eight players in their line-up have not appeared in a World Cup qualifier before. Of the 13 with World Cup qualifying experience, Barbados will have to pay particular attention to the inspirational striker Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Donovan is the United States' leading cap-winner in World Cup qualifying with 20 appearances from both the 2002 and 2006 campaigns, and has scored seven goals. Overall he has 100 caps and 35 goals. Fulham's Eddie Johnson with seven goals in as many qualifiers, is also expected to be at the forefront of the United States' offensive moves.

Barbados have not had the most encouraging results in their recent warm-ups, losing to Trinidad and Tobago, and embarrassingly, two back-to-back games
to football minions, Bermuda, last week.

The match kicks off at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

Squads

Barbados: Norman Forde, Daryl Ferguson, Marcel McKie, Paul Ifill, Mark McCammon, Johnathan Forte, Rommell Burgess, Johnathan Nurse, Alvin Rouse, Miles Jones, Rommel Brathwaite, John Parris, Brian Neblett, Gregg Belle, Riverre Williams, Barry Skeete, Adrian Chase, Malcolm Marshall, Dyson James, coach Eyre Sealy.

United States: Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Michael Bradley, Dan Califf, Dominic Cervi, Steve Cherundolo, Brian Ching, Jay DeMerit, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu, Brad Guzan, Frankie Hejduk, Tim Howard, Eddie Johnson, Sacha Kljestan, Eddie Lewis, Pablo Mastroeni, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, coach Bob Bradley.