Bermuda's thirst for more international exposure ahead of next month's crucial 2010 World Cup qualifiers was quenched earlier this week with confirmation the senior national squad will square off against Caribbean Football Union (CFU) rivals Puerto Rico in two matches at the National Sports Centre (NSC) later this month.

The Royal Gazette can reveal the senior national squad will clash with their Caribbean counterparts on January 16 and 18 at the NSC where national coach Keith Tucker will get another chance to inspect the guard ahead of next month's home and away World Cup qualifier against Cayman Islands.

The senior national squad resumed training at the NSC earlier this week in the aftermath of last month's inspiring 4-2 demolition of St. Kitts and Nevis, with coach Tucker keen to have the troops pick up where they left off when the Puerto Ricans touch down later this month.

"You always want to get that first win out of the way," Tucker said last December. "Now we've achieved that, we can all move on and look towards the next challenge."

That challenge has now arrived in the form of a Puerto Rican side ranked 196 in the world, according to Fifa's official world rankings, with Bermuda situated 49 places above at 147.

Tucker's plans for the Puerto Ricans have already received a welcomed shot in the arm with the return of key defender Omar Shakir, with inspirational playmaker Keith Jennings said to be on the way, while college kids Tuarean Manders, Keishen Bean and Chris Frick were also spotted in training this week at the NSC.

However, Major League Soccer (MLS) star Khano Smith is currently in a battle to regain match fitness following hernia surgery in Germany last month and is more likely to sit out Bermuda's next assignment, while the availability of Philadelphia KiXX national team captain John Barry Nusum remains up in the air.

Bermuda skipper Kwame Steede is currently among the walking wounded after rolling his ankle during last weekend's Premier's Dudley Eve Cup semi final clash with PHC Zebras at the NSC, with senior national team management keeping their fingers crossed the influential midfielder can recover in time for this month's World Cup warm-up matches.

Around 18 players turned up for practice at the NSC on Wednesday night all fighting for places that are now at a premium with World Cup fever fast taking grip. And selecting from a keen squad is a dilemma any coach would love to have, with Tucker being no exception to the rule. "If we can get the guys competing against each other it will raise the level of our play," the former Howard University coach said.

Meanwhile, Bermuda Football Association (BFA) have yet to finalise details of a proposed overseas training camp in the lead up to next month's opening World Cup qualifier against Cayman Islands, with the eventual winner of that clash taking on regional powerhouses and 2006 World Cup debutants Trinidad and Tobago in June.

"We are looking at the possibility of taking the team abroad on a training camp for maybe seven to eight days," BFA technical committee chairman Mark Trott said last month.