'We're in the present': Canada set to take on Iceland in World Cup tune-up

Richie Laryea and his teammates took the pitch for training Friday morning.

The buzz of power drills echoed around BMO Field as construction crews continued to put finishing touches on a series of upgrades that include a 17,000-seat temporary expansion ahead of the World Cup.

Canada's men's soccer team, meanwhile, was finalizing plans on the grass below ahead of a pair of warm-up matches with the clock ticking down to this summer's global showcase.

The national squad hosts Iceland Saturday in an international friendly and gets another test Tuesday against Tunisia. Canada will play two more exhibition matches this spring before its World Cup opener June 12 in Toronto.

"It makes the stadium look grand," Laryea, a Toronto FC defender set to again pull on Canada's jersey in his hometown, said of the venue's towering, shimmering stands behind each goal. "This is a big moment for our city."

Are the CANMNT players ready to play at the upgraded BMO field?

The 29th-ranked Canadians raise their World Cup curtain in Group B at BMO Field, which will be renamed Toronto Stadium for the tournament, against either No. 12 Italy — the four-time champions — or No. 66 Bosnia-Herzegovina after both advanced in the European playoffs Thursday. The countries meet Tuesday in a winner-take-all encounter.

"Those matches create a little bit of hardened toughness for what will be necessary in the World Cup," said Jesse Marsch, Canada's head coach. "Whether it's Bosnia or Italy, they'll have that under their belt. (But) I'm really lasered in on making sure that we get the most out of our camp and these two matches."

Iceland, ranked No. 75, failed to make the World Cup, while No. 45 Tunisia will be in Group F with the Netherlands and Japan, along with