Native of Barbados? Got cleats? Sign up today!

"In an ideal world, we could play there first and come home knowing what you have to do. It puts a lot of pressure on us not only to win the game but win by a couple of goals." -- Landon Donovan, seriously over-estimating the chances of his team's opponent, Barbados.

While much of the soccer world's attention is focused on what transpires in Austria and Switzerland at the 2008 European Champions, sports fans' minds around these parts are on the opening match in 2010 World Cup qualifying for the U.S. men's national team.

Wait ...

Well, that, and the NBA Finals, baseball, NFL OTAs, the U.S. Open of golf, and fantasy Major League Soccer, golf, arena football and NASCAR teams.

But back to soccer ...

The U.S. men's national soccer team opens World Cup qualifying play with a game scheduled to be played at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Their opponent?

That powerhouse from Barbados.

Well, "powerhouse" is a bit too strong a word.

Especially when you consider that the coutry's soccer association has put out a plea for players.

Needless to say, if the U.S. somehow manages to lose to Barbados -- which they have never, ever done -- that would be a bad thing. Probably, to a certain degree, pretty embarrassing.