Ticket sales moving quickly for 20 August match at BMO Field

With just over three weeks to go before Canada’s next stage begins on the Road to South Africa 2010, tickets to the series opener at BMO Field have been selling quickly. More than 18,000 seats have already been secured for the 20 August match in Toronto, the first of three home matches in CONCACAF Stage III of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ Qualifiers.



Canadian fans are encouraged to act swiftly to help build “a sea of red” to support the national team. Tickets to the Toronto match are available through Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.ca or 416.872.5000). A number of Canadian support groups have already scooped up tickets to create their own cheering sections within BMO Field.



Canada’s men’s national team has high hopes for this qualification phase, even up against the toughest group in CONCACAF Stage III. Canada faces Jamaica at BMO Field in Toronto on 20 August, Honduras at Stade Saputo in Montréal on 6 September, and Mexico at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on 15 October.



Canada will also play Mexico on 10 September in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Honduras on 11 October (venue yet to be announced), and Jamaica on 19 November in Kingston (Jamaica). Canada needs to finish amongst the top-two teams in Group B to advance to CONCACAF Stage IV in 2009.



The 20 August 2008 match at BMO Field will kickoff at 19.30 ET. It will mark Canada’s 10th FIFA World Cup Qualifiers™ match in Toronto, albeit the first at BMO Field. Canada’s current roster includes stars such as Julian de Guzman of Deportivo La Coruna, Dwayne De Rosario of Houston Dynamo, and Atiba Hutchinson of F.C. København.



Canada is looking to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Canada’s last participation in a senior FIFA competition was the FIFA Confederations Cup Japan 2001, following the team’s successful championship at the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.