Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

Ricardo Fuller ... a key component of Jamaica's strike force tonight. - File

IT'S NOW or never. The day of reckoning is nigh for the Reggae Boyz, who must either beat Canada or get eliminated from CONCACAF World Cup qualifying for the 2010 Finals in South Africa.

"Everybody wants to do well tomorrow," interim coach Theodore Whitmore told The Gleaner yesterday. "Right now we are hungry for success. We are going out there knowing the job at hand; we are going out there to deliver."

It is a situation which has become all too familiar for Jamaica, who hammered out 1-0 victories over Mexico and Honduras last month to revive their chances after looking all but dead at the completion of their first-round 'Group of Death' fixtures with one point from a draw with Canada in Toronto, and losses in Mexico (3-0) and Honduras (2-0).

The now 83rd-ranked Jamaicans have seven points and trail Honduras (nine) and Mexico (10), who will clash in the other Group Two match in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, which has serious implications for the Boyz' chances.

Quadrangular play-off

A Mexican victory, coupled with one of their own over Canada, ranked 81st, would guarantee Jamaica safe passage through this quadrangular group play-off series.

The play-offs involve three groups from which two will qualify for the Final Six competition that decides three qualifiers for the World Cup Finals.

A fourth will play-off with South America's fifth best team for another spot.

"We don't want to wait on the Mexico-Honduras game, we have to play our game and put away the chances," Whitmore pointed out. "The most important thing is all the players we have invited know the significance ... and they are all ready to deliver. We want to take it one goal at a time."

Previous meetings

With a tie for second a real possibility, goal difference may be a factor, and the Reggae Boyz are looking to kick up their bit of history against an opposing team that includes a number of tryouts, because they are out of contention and looking to build for the future.

In 13 previous meetings, Jamaica have only beaten Canada twice, by 1-0 margins, and the teams played to a 1-1 tie in this series in Toronto on August 20.

Canada have also scored in every match. In World Cup qualifying, the countries are even after five contests with one win apiece and three draws.

Jamaican Start-up

Jamaica look set to start with a front-line trio involving Ricardo Fuller, Marlon King and Luton Shelton with captain Ricardo Gardner, Demar Phillips and Rodolph Austin expected to add to the firepower, along with Jamal Campbell-Ryce's befuddling skills.

Meanwhile, Jermaine Johnson, first-leg goalscorer Andy Williams, Omar Cummings and Dane Richards are other attacking prospects off the bench.

"We have three in-form strikers, Marlon King, Luton Shelton and Ricardo Fuller, and I don't see why I can't throw them all in the game," stated Whitmore. "I know that each of them have a goal and we are looking at three goals there."

With the goal-difference scenario, it will be key that the Boyz eliminate scoring possibilities. Hardman Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, who is nursing an injury, will play and marshall the back line with Tyrone Marshall, as well as Donovan Ricketts between the sticks.

Canadian team

Much of the the Boyz' transformation, under Whitmore, evolved through the gutsy effort and selections of logic that have brought together the country's best talent in its greatest hour of need, epitomised when Fuller and Shelton produced that momentary spark to score and win all three points in the corresponding fixtures against the Central Americans.

Yet, even though the Canadian team that will venture on to 'The Office' pitch tonight is not going anywhere, is not as imposing as Mexico and Honduras and bears no resemblance to the crack unit it fielded with 14 mostly recognisable European-based professionals when all the teams were starting out on level footing three months ago, it will not be playing dead.

'Want to win'

"We cannot not give of our best," said Canada's coach, Dale Mitchell, at a training session on Monday evening. "If Jamaica go out, play well and win, credit to them. But we want to win and if we can it would be great.

"It's always tough when you know that you are out, but we have a good group of youngsters who are excited to prove themselves and the hope is that they will deliver."

His most experienced player, captain Paul Stalteri from English Premiership club Fulham (with 73 caps), said much the same.

"It's a World Cup qualifier and we owe it to the other teams in the group to give a good account of ourselves," Salteri said.