Canada soccer team's match against Brazil could prep it for World Cup qualifiers

Dwayne De Rosario has a request for the Canadian Soccer Association: More matches like this one, please.

The Houston Dynamo midfielder can't wait to get on the field against international soccer power Brazil next Saturday in Seattle, and he wants the governing body of Canadian soccer to know that playing such opponents is exactly what the national team needs.

"The Canadian Association needs to step up and play some big opponents," De Rosario said Friday. "The U.S. is playing England and Argentina. For preparation, it's the right move to play these big countries. ... It doesn't get any bigger than Brazil."

De Rosario and Canada are the clear underdogs against Brazil. But "friendly" is just a euphemism for a match that is important to both teams as they prepare for upcoming 2010 World Cup qualifying games.

Friendlies are a thing of the past, De Rosario said. Canada, playing only a short drive from its U.S. border, is out to get both a result and respect.

"It's a friendly to put it nicely, but the players know it's going to be a battle," De Rosario said. "It's a game that both teams want to win. I think Brazil is looking to just go and spank a team, which will build their confidence to prepare for their World Cup qualifier. We're going in there to get a result, to get a win.

"There's nothing that's going to be friendly about that game until after it's all said and done."

De Rosario, 30, is as big a star player as there is in Major League Soccer. He's been an MLS Cup Most Valuable Player twice and a veteran of plenty of international matches and top competition. He won't be intimidated by the reputation of Brazil.

"It's not going to be one of those where we stand there and watch them play around us," De Rosario said. "That's not the way [national team coach] Dale Mitchell wants us to go about it. He wants us to put pressure on them and go out there to win."

Notes

• Kaká, a top Brazil star who was originally on the travel roster for the Seattle match, had arthroscopic knee surgery Friday and will miss the team's U.S, tour, Brazil's coach, Dunga, confirmed Friday.

Kaká, 26, who stars for AC Milan in the Italian League, will not play in Seattle, nor against Venezuela at Foxborough, Mass., on June 6. Dunga hopes to get him back for World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay on June 15 and Argentina on June 18.

Also, injured defender Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa was replaced on Brazil's Seattle roster by Henrique, and by Thiago Silva for the World Cup qualifiers.

• Canada's team arrives in Seattle on Sunday and will practice most of next week at Washington. Brazil does not arrive until Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com