Canada midfielder Josh Simpson (11) battles for the ball in the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match at Ford Field in Detroit, Tuesday, June 7, 2011.Paul Sancya/AP
Stephen Hart says Canada's success in World Cup qualifying depends on having the entire team healthy.
So the coach was keeping fingers crossed Friday for a speedy recovery for a couple of injured players.
The Canadians may not be at full strength when they host the United States on Sunday in a friendly at BMO Field, the team's final preparation for World Cup qualifying games next Friday in Cuba and then June 12 in Toronto.
Midfielder Josh Simpson is out indefinitely after breaking his leg less than two weeks ago at a game in Switzerland — a big blow for the Canadian side. And Hart said two other players in camp are injured, but he wouldn't specify which two.
"Hope is the word," Hart said, when asked if he believes the two will be healthy for the qualifying game against Cuba. "I think for Canada to do well we need to be healthy and we need key players to be healthy."
Sunday's game versus the United States marks only the second time the two teams have met on Canadian soil. Canada won the previous match 5-1 at Varsity Stadium in 1957. The friendly is also part of the Canadian Soccer Association's 2012 centennial celebrations.
A win would be nice against the team's cross-border rivals, Hart said. But a strong game is more important for gathering momentum to carry the squad into Cuba.
"I would like to see a very solid performance from the team and if the solid performance leads to a victory than I'll of course be very very happy," Hart said.
"Either way, you come out of the game mentally better, because you can always say well we didn't play at our best but we got a result, which people say is a sign of a good team. Or you can say we played very well and on another day the result would have been different. Win-win situation in an exhibition."
Striker Simeon Jackson said it's key for No. 75-ranked Canada to get off to quick start with a victory over 136th-ranked Cuba next week in Havana.
"The first game is very important," Jackson said. "It's definitely going to be tough but we know that. It's definitely going to be important to go out there and get a good result in the first game and get that momentum to carry back home."
The Canadians are fresh off a training camp in Florida, and Hart said the weather was scorching down south — the perfect preparation for the qualifying game in Cuba. Temperatures climbed to just under 40 C for the team's final couple of training sessions.
"I was glad we were down there, the players came from Europe, long season, they had to go through it, it was definitely beneficial," Hart said.
This round of qualifying has proved challenging for the Canadians in the past.
They failed to survive this stage for the 2010 World Cup after picking up just two of nine possible points at home and losing all three games on the road.
Canada is in Group C with No. 62 Honduras, Cuba and No. 52 Panama in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The top two teams in the group will advance to the final round of qualifying in the CONCACAF region, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Sunday's friendly marks the third of five matches in an 18-day span for the U.S. The Americans defeated Scotland 5-1 and then lost 4-1 to Brazil.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann thanked Hart for the opportunity to play at a news conference Friday at BMO Field.
"We are in the same boat, we are trying to prepare the team as strong as possible for World Cup qualifiers," Klinsmann said. "That's where it all begins, the road to Brazil 2014, that's where we want to go, both teams."
Canada and the U.S. have faced each other 13 times in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and four times in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Their most recent meeting was June 7 at last year's CONCACAF Gold, a 2-0 victory for the U.S. at Ford Field in Detroit.