Five CONCACAF nations will be involved in international friendly action this coming weekend as preparations for the second stage of World Cup Qualifying hit high gear. In this latest round of matches, two high-profile teams will be making visits to the CONCACAF Confederation. Brazil face Canada at Qwest Field in Seattle (USA), while England travel to the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain to face Trinidad & Tobago in a reprise of their 2006 FIFA World Cup ™ group game clash. The match will also be part of the one hundred year anniversary celebrations for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association.

In an all CONCACAF clash, El Salvador will take on Guatemala at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., USA. This will be the second time in a matter of months that the Cuscatlecos have played a game at RFK Stadium. The first came just two months ago and was the second (away) leg of their World Cup qualifying tie with Anguilla - a game El Salvador won 4:0. The two Central American rivals last met during the group stages of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup™ at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California in a closely contested affair that finished 1:0 to the Chapines with José Manuel Contreras scoring the only goal of the game.

With the World Cup Qualifying game just around the corner (4 June) Honduras will wrap up their World Cup qualifying preparations with a game against CONMEBOL opponents Venezuela - hosts of the 2007 Copa America. La Vinotinto will be looking to snap a two game losing streak following defeats by Colombia (5:2) and Bolivia (0:1) while Honduras will hope to continue their fine recent form (six straight wins and an overall unbeaten streak of seven matches). Both teams will be involved in World Cup Qualifying action next month with Honduras hosting Puerto Rico on Wednesday (4 June) while Venezuela travel to Montevideo for a tricky encounter with Uruguay. The two nations last played almost exactly a year ago in Merida, Venezuela - a game the hosts won 2:1.

The five-time World Cup Champions Brazil will play the Maple Leafs at Seattle's Qwest Field. This will be just the fourth time the two nations have played each other - the most recent encounter being a 0:0 draw during the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. Canada's head coach Dale Mitchell is aware of the prestigious nature of the friendly but is keeping both eyes on the bigger picture. "Our first game against Brazil will be a big occasion, but both matches (including the 4 June friendly with Panama) will be invaluable in helping us to assess and prepare for our main focus, which is the qualifying process that begins next month against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines."

Finally, Trinidad & Tobago will host England on Sunday, 1 June. A key element of the centenary celebrations for the Caribbean nation, the game will be only the second time the two countries have met. As FIFA Vice-President and CONCACAF President, Jack Warner, points out: "There is a historical nexus between England the T&TFF (Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation) it would not be the same if it were Brazil or Italy or Germany." The link Warner refers to is Thomas Boyd, an Englishman who was the first ever president of the T&TFF.