Two things that have never been in doubt when looking at the potential of Simeon Jackson to be a difference maker for the Canadian National Team have been his talent and his determination. Instead, the main question surrounding the 24 year old forward has always been when (and not if) he was going to deliver the type of game breaking performance for Canada that has become the hallmark of a career in England that has thus far been characterized by Jackson scoring big goals in promotion clinching victories. While no one is confusing the St. Lucia National Team with a Mexico or a Manchester United, Jackson’s hat trick against the St. Lucians last Friday was certainly a welcome sign that the Norwich City striker is indeed finding his form in his first World Cup qualifying matches.
The speedy forward now has four goals in his last two International matches and, regardless of the fact that St. Lucia and Puerto Rico are low ranked nations, Jackson himself feels his confidence rising and sees his and his team’s recent scoring spree as something that both he and his teammates can build on.
“As a striker, it's about getting goals, as I've always said. And these things always help. Like I did last season with Norwich, it kind of helped me through to the end of the season, so hopefully this will catapult me now and keep me going,” said Jackson at BMO Field today ahead of Canada’s next World Cup Qualifying match on Tuesday against Puerto Rico.
Asked if he has any superstitions that he will be following through on given his recent hat trick, Jackson lightheartedly mentioned that while he isn’t superstitious, a new permanent National Team rooming arrangement could be looming if he can find the back of the net against Puerto Rico.
“My roomie has been telling me it is because of him. It's the first time that I have been rooming together with Iain Hume. So maybe if I score again tomorrow, we'll have to be roommates for the rest of this qualification.”
It may seem sacrilegious now, but in advance of the St. Lucia match there were actually a few voices that had the audacity to question whether Canadian Head Coach Stephen Hart should have even included Jackson in his squad for Canada’s October World Cup qualifying matches given his lack of playing time at the club level. And in many ways it wouldn’t be a stretch to look at Hart and Jackson as two unrelentingly hard working (and talented) underdogs who have had to prove themselves again and again throughout their careers. While Jackson has had to earn his minutes and respect at every level he has played at in England, Canada’s Head Coach started his current reign as an Interim leader who had his fair share of detractors that had wanted a proven International big name coach when the Canadian Soccer Association ultimately chose to remove the Interim tag beside his title. It’s clear that the coach respects the character and talent of the player and it’s equally clear that player has a deep respect for his coach.
“When the manager of your team shows faith and belief in you, it helps. And you always want to pay back your coach and your teammates. We've got that here with all the players and it's really good to have.”
In addition to his desire to pay back Hart for the confidence that he has shown in him, Jackson also believes that Trinidad and Tobago born Head Coach is absolutely vital to Canada’s chances of breaking through and qualifying for their first World Cup since 1986.
“It helps massively (that Hart knows CONCACAF so well), especially for myself, as this is my first taste of World Cup qualifying. Stephen Hart has great experience with the national program and it helps all of the players and even the experienced guys who have done these before.”
While he is fully focused on his next game for Canada against Puerto Rico, Jackson is also pragmatic in hoping that his recent goal scoring exploits with Canadian National Team will be noticed by Paul Lambert, who is at the helm of Jackson’s recently promoted English Premier League side, Norwich City.
“I hope so. But you know, the scouts are always watching and these games are such that the goals and goal scorers are shown around the world, so hopefully he's watching.”
Asked whether it was surreal to go from playing in front of 70,000 fans at Old Trafford the previous weekend to playing on a combination cricket/soccer pitch against a tiny Caribbean nation last Friday, Jackson continued to exude the take it all in stride quality that has served him so well in his climb up the ranks of English football.
“That's football. One day you are in the low and the next day you are in the high. You just have to be able to adjust and deal with these things.”
One adjustment that Jackson looked to have made easily on Fridat was to find a comfort zone playing with SpVgg Greuther Fürth Olivier Occean as his target man up top. And according to Jackson, the Quebec born forward brings yet another dimension to an already varied stable of Canadian attackers.
“Yeah, he does (bring something different). All of the players here bring something different to the attacking lineup. It's good to have these games to build momentum and to allow us to gel the way they have. And whoever plays, we have a good understanding of what each other's strengths are.”
With the combination of a victory over Puerto Rico by Canada and a win by St. Lucia over St. Kitts and Nevis on Tuesday being the right sequence of events that would allow Canada to clinch a spot in the next round of World Cup Qualifying after only four matches played, this initial round looks to be progressing nicely for a Canadian side that has never seemed to have had the ball bounce their way in recent World Cup Qualifying campaigns. And like many of the Canadian players, Jackson likes he what he is seeing with respect to the progress that Canada has made in recent weeks in terms of both the tangibles and the intangibles needed for success at the International level.
“It's been going really well. We have had some good results and are scoring some goals and that's what it's all about. Everyone is playing with confidence and we just have to keep this up now.”
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