Iain Hume exhibits a growing confidence within Canada's national soccer team as the second set of qualifying games approaches for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
"Obviously everyone is expecting us to stroll through the games. With all respect to the countries we are playing, we should comfortably win this group," the national team forward said.
Canada leads its CONCACAF qualifying group after two games with a maximum six points after wins over St. Lucia and Puerto Rico. St. Kitts and Nevis sits second with four points.
The qualifying resumes Oct. 7 when Canada travels to St. Lucia before coming back for an Oct. 11 game in Toronto against Puerto Rico.
The results so far are heartening, even if the way they were attained left something to be desired.
Hume said there is no doubt Canada is the best team in the group. Despite winning 4-1 against St. Lucia and 3-0 against Puerto Rico, Hume said Canada needs to be better in finishing its chances. It's this lack of finishing that has been the focus of criticism.
"In spells in both games, we've proven how much superiority there is between (Canada and the opposition) and how much we can go in and dominate games. It's just a matter of killing games off," Hume said.
He gives credit to national team coach Stephen Hart for moving the team in the right direction.
"We try and play football the right way," Hume said. "It's not the traditional kind of football, not how the team was 10-15 years ago. It's the way the world of football is moving forward."
Canada plays the predominant 4-3-3 style of play the top nations in the world play. Teams push the ball around the pitch with short passes, keeping possession until an opening occurs. Teams with top talent dominate games in this fashion, but what about a team like Canada?
"There's no reason why with the players we've got and the players we may have in the future, we can't equal them," Hume said. "Things won't change overnight."
Canada needs Hume to put the ball in the net. He scored against Puerto Rico and is rounding into form with his English club Preston. He's finding his way back into Hart's lineup after he fractured his skull in 2008. It was a life-threatening injury that kept him out of the lineup for nine months.
"I'm at the best I've been for a long time," Hume said. "Going on loan to Preston was one of the best things I've done in my career. I've over the moon with how my career is going but I wanted to get back into Stephen's plans."
Canad has a good chance of moving on, but Hume issued a warning.
"There's not going to be any rollovers," he said. "It is at the end of the day, down to us to work hard and to keep believing we are going to be all right."
