The worst result Bermuda?s footballers can afford to leave El Salvador with is ?a narrow loss?.

Speaking on the eve of his team?s departure for the first leg of their vital second-round, World Cup qualifier against El Salvador, national coach Kenny Thompson yesterday left no illusions about the mission to Central America.

?We want to win. We always play to win but how we achieve that objective depends on the situation and the situation here is that we?re playing El Salvador ? one of the toughest opponents in our region ? in El Salvador in front of 50,000 people,? he said.

?Certainly if we can come out with a victory we would be extremely happy. We would also be happy with a draw because it gives us a good chance, coming back to Bermuda, of winning the tie.

?Even a narrow loss might not be too bad as long as it?s not by too many goals so that the tie is over before the second leg starts. We want to avoid losing by a bunch of goals.?

However, this does not mean Bermuda will indulge in ?negative football? though Thompson noted the ?onus would be on El Salvador to be the aggressor?.

?We need to be able to withstand that (pressure) but we must be able to give a little bit back ourselves.

?We?re not capable of playing negative football for an entire match but it?s important that we defend extremely well,? he stressed, predicting game conditions will be ?slower than we?re used to and grassy?.

Thompson cautioned that his squad can ill afford the sloppy patches of play that have cost them already this season. While those lapses in concentration are something he has been underlining from the outset of this World Cup campaign, he appreciates the difficulty in erasing them.

?Yeah, it?s a disappointment but at the same time I understand some of the reasons why that?s happening. The players are not used to high concentration for 90 minutes.

?We have played 12 international matches (in this campaign), including the Man City match, but in the big scheme of things that?s still not enough because domestically concentrating for 90 minutes is unnecessary for these players. They can play without concentrating for the whole match and still get a positive result.

?So to try to fix that in a relatively short period of their football lives is very difficult,? he explained, adding he has seen an improvement in this aspect of the Bermudians? game.

Saying the Island?s 18-man squad ?reflects players who have been committed to the programme?, the national coach told he is banking on the experience of players like Shaun Goater, Kyle Lightbourne, Kentoine Jennings and Shannon Burgess to help guide their younger peers. One glaring absence is that of veteran defender Meshach Wade who has been unable to secure a visa.

Singling out pros Goater and Lightbourne, Thompson said: ?Their involvement and experience will prove invaluable not only for these matches against El Salvador but by putting some things in the players? minds for the programme beyond this World Cup.?

Asked about possible psychological warfare, he replied that while he does not expect such he has warned his players ?to be ready for any and everything?.

?I?ve said to the players that whatever happens that may upset any of us, it?s important we stay calm, concentrate on the job at hand and do well.?