THE Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) will launch its 2014 Brazil World Cup campaign today when the national senior team faces CONCACAF neighbours Canada in a friendly international at the National Stadium at 6:00 pm.

The 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup Finals will take place in South Africa this summer, but neither Jamaica nor Canada will be present, as both teams were eliminated in the CONCACAF semi-final qualifying stage in 2008.

Now both teams are in the rebuilding phase.

“We have played Canada a number of times, but come Sunday (today) this will mark the start of our new campaign, so we would want to go there and give a good account of ourselves,” head coach Theodore Whitmore told the Sunday Observer.

Whitmore, the former Reggae Boyz captain and two-goal World Cup hero, also noted that the game would provide his technical staff with an opportunity to assess a number of players in match conditions.

“Right now we have a pool of about 70 players who we want to look at and each of these players must know that the chance is theirs to take when given.”

For Canada’s Trinidadian-born head coach Stephen Hart, it’s all about experimentation. No points are at stake.

“These sorts of games are about experimentation, and if the result comes, it comes; if it doesn’t, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it,” he said moments after a training session at Winchester Park, St George’s College, yesterday.

“The fans, probably it is necessary to win because they want a victory, but for me at this point…it is 2010 and it’s important to win the games that you need to win,” he added.

The Reggae Boyz have been in training for the past two weeks, while the Canadians had a 10-day training camp in South Florida, before arriving in the island late Friday.

Whitmore and his assistant, veteran Bradley Stewart, have been busy trying to fine-tune the Boyz’s squad, which included a number of schoolboys, and the coach has admitted that he is pleased with the effort thus far.

“I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen so far,” he said, though the Boyz appeared less than clinical in some technical drills, particularly finishing, over the past few days.

“I’ve seen a lot of improvement, but I can’t over-emphasise the importance of shooting, because we have a problem scoring goals,” Whitmore said.

Veteran utility player Tyrone Marshall has returned to lead the team in Whitmore’s preferred 3-4-3 formation. And it looks like he will be partnered by Shavar Thomas and Jermaine Taylor in defence, ahead of Dwayne Miller in goal.

The midfield will be occupied by Rodolph Austin, who arrived in the island on Wednesday, and Jason Morrison in the centre, flanked by Demar Austin and Eric Vernon, while the Digicel Premier League’s top scorer Devon Hodges will play as the point man, with support from Luton Shelton and Omar Cummings.

Yesterday the Canadians suffered a blow shortly after they started their light workout at St George’s, as key midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, who has been out of the team since he criticised former head coach Dale Mitchell, suffered a calf strain and had to pull out of the team.

However, the North Americans should not be overly worried as they have assembled a mix of experience and youth.

Numbered among the veterans are 42-year-old goalkeeper Pat Onstad, as well as the highly skilful Julian de Guzman, who played for a number of years in Spain’s La Liga with Deportivo, Ali Gerba, Adrian Serioux, Adrian Cann and Andre Hainault.