Canada opens training in Alliston

Canada officially opened training this Monday morning in Alliston, ON in advance of its Friday FIFA World Cup Qualifiers™ match at BMO Field in Toronto. The Canadian side spent close to 90 minutes on the pitch at the Nottawasaga Inn before the lunch hour. Canada will train in Alliston this 29, 30 and 31 August before heading down to Toronto on Wednesday afternoon.



The team also met the press after training, with head coach Stephen Hart addressing the importance of each player’s qualities and how he must bring it to the team in training and in play.



“There is not much to be said, it is the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers,” said coach Hart. “They know what they have to do, they have to win the group.”



Canada is in a CONCACAF Stage II group with St. Lucia, Puerto Rico and St. Kitts and Nevis. Each team will play each other twice, once at home and once on the road. Canada’s first two matches are Friday 2 September 2011 at home against St. Lucia and Tuesday 6 September 2011 on the road against Puerto Rico. Canada’s schedule continues with two more matches in October and two more matches in November.



“It is important to bring certain qualities to the pitch and those qualities require some consistency,” said coach Hart. “That is all I will ask of them: give a hundred percent, bring your qualities to the game, and help bring out those qualities of your teammates.”







Media, fans and local coaches can meet the team at training either Tuesday 30 August or Wednesday 31 August in Alliston, with both training sessions set for a 10.30 start. On Wednesday afternoon, the team will meet the press at the Official Press Conference at Intercontinental Bloor in downtown Toronto (media are asked to arrive at 15.00 ET).



As for tickets, fans can purchase tickets to the Friday FIFA World Cup Qualifiers match for as little as $20. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.ca / 1-855-985-5000). It should also be noted that purchased tickets to the 2 September Canada match include free entrance to the Canadian National Exhibition (starting that morning at 10.00 ET). Without a ticket, fans that pay entrance to CNE can purchase a $25 match ticket for just $9 that evening (kick off at 20.00 ET).