By Ryan Johnston
SPORTSNET.CA
Olympic fever has infected countless of Canadians this summer including men’s national team midfielder Dwayne de Rosario.
"My first-generation cousin finished third in the women’s 100 metre hurdles," De Rosario told reporters after a Canadian training session on Tuesday, unable to mask his excitement.
De Rosario was referring to Priscilla Lopes Schliep, the Canadian sprinter who surprised everyone by reaching the podium in an event dominated by American and Jamaican athletes.
"I am feeling very proud myself that my cousin came third."
While having an Olympian in the family has De Rosario grinning from ear-to-ear, the veteran of Canadian men’s soccer also knows how success of any kind can motivate an entire country. The performance of the Jamaican sprinters in Beijing has challenged eight-time gold medalist Michael Phelps for the feel-good story of the summer, and has residents and ex-pats waving the green and gold at every opportunity.
On Wednesday, the Jamaican men’s soccer team begins its World Cup qualifying against Canada at the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto.
‘I think it (the Jamaican success at the Games) will not only motivate the team but also the fans," De Rosario explained. "That pride of seeing your country be successful is a great feeling."
The Canadian striker himself has strong family ties to the Caribbean through both his mother and father but insists that when the whistle blows on Wednesday his heart bleeds red and white.
"It is all business (Wednesday) night," De Rosario said. "You will definitely see a lot of Jamaicans at the game, but hopefully there are way Canadians."
The projected split in number of supporters sits at 70/30 in favour of the home team, buoyed by what will be a vocal south end chorus of regular Toronto FC supporters.
Pat Onstad, the Canadian goalkeeper and De Rosario teammate in Houston, knows firsthand what full support can do for the home side.
"That is a good group of fans (behind the south end net), probably one of the best groups in the league," Onstad said. "When I have come here with Houston and at the all-star game they have phenomenal, and it is good to see that the fans are supporting soccer here in Toronto."
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).
The four teams will play each other in a home-and-away series with the top two advancing to the final round of qualifying in the region. Canada has only ever made it to the World Cup finals once, in 1986 when current head coach Dale Mitchell was in the team.
The coach has done well to instill a sense of belief in his squad; with many of the players admitting that anything less than qualification for 2010 will be a failure.
"I will be very disappointed of we don’t qualify," De Rosario said when asked about the high expectations. "I am not trying to think about if we don’t qualify, but rather when we do."
If there is one player on the Canadian team with the ability to back the confidence it is De Rosario. In his last appearance on the FieldTurf in Toronto he came on as a substitute to score a memorable game-winning goal as a member of the MLS All-Stars.
So what can fans expect as an encore?
"A game-winner. Again."
Notes: Canadian strikers Tomasz Radzinski and Rob Friend stayed well after training to continue firing shots on the north-end goal. Friend, who is a giant up close, looked almost painfully focused leaving the field for the tunnel under BMO… Head coach Dale Mitchell will wait until game-time to decide on who will be his goalkeeper against Jamaica… TFC striker Danny Dichio came out at the end of his own training session to watch the CMNT… Rogers Sportsnet will be airing the Jamaica vs. Canada WCQ on Wed., August 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT, live on Sportsnet West and Pacific for viewers with all Sportsnet channels. The match will also air in tape-delay on Sportsnet East and Ontario at 11 p.m. ET… Can’t wait for tape delay? Sportsnet.ca will also be streaming the match live at 7:30 p.m. ET.