Some new Bermuda soccer stars will have to be ?born? tomorrow if the Island is to progress to the third round of the 2006 World Cup qualifying competition.

Already reeling from the loss of ace pro and striker Shaun Goater because of a calf strain, Kenny Thompson and company were dealt another serious blow when veteran Kyle Lightbourne succumbed to the same injury to his left leg in training on Thursday night and was almost immediately ruled out of the crucial return clash.

This double whammy means Bermuda face El Salvador at the National Sports Centre missing about 40 years of footballing experience between the two sidelined marksmen.

However, while lamenting the loss of these key cogs, national coach Thompson noted this was an opportunity for which those shouldering Bermuda?s hopes should be eagerly ?rubbing their hands?.

?It?s important for footballers to be a little bit selfish. Players should be rubbing their hands knowing they have an opportunity that they may not have had if Shaun and Kyle were both fit.

?They must be motivated, from a selfish point of view, to want to (a) be on the field and to (b) want to perform so they can make a name for themselves but, at the same time, doing it within a team framework.?

Describing team spirit as ?fantastic?, he said the 18-member squad were far from daunted by the two untimely exits.

For his own part, Thompson expressed ?a lot of trust? in those selected to do the job in attack though admitting Bermuda?s repeated failure to capitalise on goalscoring chances was an ongoing concern.

?We have a lot of options in John Barry Nusum, Stephen Astwood, Ralph Bean and Khano Smith, if necessary, to push into the front. He (Smith) played well on Sunday when Shaun was struggling and had to drop deeper.

?I think with John there?s the potential for quality finishing. We?ve had a problem with locally-based players. We have to hope we can pull it all together on match day.

?You can only hope the player is calm in front of goal and chooses the right option. I think the players realise the importance and magnitude of this match and will be determined regarding any scoring chances.?

Thompson said not having Goater and Lightbourne would not alter his game plan as ?the concept always remains the same?.

?All the players are used to playing within our concept. The responsibilities that come with a certain position won?t change but, of course, with different players you will get a little more or a little less (output).?

As for the view in some quarters that his pushing players too hard in training might have contributed to their injuries, he replied: ?I don?t believe so.?

?These things happen, even at the professional level. Sometimes, in a training session, it?s the result of contact but other times, like in Kyle?s case, he tried to take off (the ground) and he felt something in his calf.

?Our workload is relatively light compared to the highest level because I have to take into consideration that the players have been working all day when they come to training.?

The Bermudian team, he said, were looking forward to playing in front of a packed, partisan home crowd. Fans are likely to see ?a more up tempo match? than last Sunday when the Bermudians went down 2-1 in El Salvador.

?The humidity in El Salvador was difficult to play in. Because of the pitch and a climate we?re more accustomed to we can play faster here if need be. But, again, balance is important because we can?t run fast for the entire 90 minutes. There are times the match will have to be slowed a bit,? explained Thompson.

Familiar surroundings apart, he anticipates the 4,500-strong crowd will give the hosts an added boost as the proverbial 12th man.

Overall, the former national player is confident he has picked and honed the right men for the task of taking Bermuda into the third round of World Cup qualifiers for only the second time ever.

?They can feel the excitement building up and that will lift them. These players are proud and they don?t want people looking at their performance negatively.

?I think they will rise to the occasion and give their best. We will play to win and I believe we can be successful.?