|
Cuba Football lol
|
View this Thread in Original format
| chucho |
| quote: | Cuba's Olympic team played against Honduras with only 10 men after up to seven of their players defected.
Five members of the communist state's Under-23 team defected after their Olympic qualifying game against the United States, a 1-1 draw, in Tampa on Tuesday.
A further two players, both reported to have defected, were absent from the line-up against Honduras.
With one player already suspended following a red card, Cuba coach Raul Gonzalez had only ten players available to him and his team began the match with a one-man disadvantage and no substitutes.
Cuba held Honduras for 69 minutes before goals from Marvin Sanchez and Hendry Thomas condemned them to defeat.
"It was a great game for Cuba," said Gonzalez.
"It's hard to play with 10 players. It's something you have to accept."
The five players who defected after Tuesday's game were captain Yenier Bermudez, goalkeeper Jose Manuel Miranda, defenders Erlys Garcia Baro and Loanni Prieto and midfielder Yordany Alvarez.
Media reports on Thursday said that defender Yendry Diaz and midfielder Eder Roldan had defected on Wednesday and neither of those players were present at the game.
The Cuban Football Association in Havana slammed the players as cowards.
"This was a very irresponsible act of cowardice by these five players," Antonio Garces, a Cuban Football Association official, said in Havana.
"They have betrayed their homeland," the official said.
The Cuban team is part of an eight-nation tournament in the U.S to determine which two teams will represent North and Central America and the Caribbean in the Beijing Olympics tournament.
The regional soccer governing body CONCACAF, which organises the tournament, said in a statement that the Cuban team would continue to take part despite the absences.
"CONCACAF's sole objective is to ensure the 2008 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament is carried out in the proper manner," a statement said.
"The Cuban Delegation has informed us that they will continue to participate in the tournament. All matches, therefore remain as scheduled."
The defecting players had initially been offered a trial by second-tier professional team Miami FC but the United Soccer Leagues club later backed away from that position after contact with CONCACAF.
"The official position of Miami FC is that it is not right for any athlete, in any sport, to abandon a competition in the middle of it," said club spokesman Marcos Ommati.
"Our first intention was to help but we had to think it through," Ommati said, adding that the players might be offered a chance with the club after they resolved their legal status in the U.S.
Miami has a large Cuban exile community and the addition of Cuban players would have been a boost to the profile of the club.
Cuba, aiming for their first appearance in the Olympic competition since the 1980 Moscow Games, will also face Panama in Group A on Saturday. |
Cuba is ed :stongue: |
|
|
| bas |
| I heard that on the news. So funny. |
|
|
| King Ecnal |
I think this is why USA allows Cuban athletic teams to come here so much... so they can grab some more Cubans and stick it to... now... Raul...
theres probably INS clowns taking these kids out for drinks and telling them they should defect...
whatever... Embargo should be lifted... so this crap doesn't have to happen to either party involved... |
|
|
| verndogs |
 |
|
|
| nchs09 |
| You oversee the important news.. Guatemala is OWNING the group ;) |
|
|
| Dj Smitty20 |
| I'd love to get into it with everyone about how the United States treats Cuba but you know..... |
|
|
| King Ecnal |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dj Smitty20
I'd love to get into it with everyone about how the United States treats Cuba but you know..... |
lol... I actually don't know... cause I think me... being the one person who brought it up... is against how we treat Cuba... and I believe Vern agreed with me... so there's two supporters of how crappy the US-Cuba foreign relations are...
so, you'd only be preaching to the choir if you shat on the US about Cuba....
or are you going to defend the USA? if so, feel free! |
|
|
| Shamez214 |
I'm still hoping for the day he defects... |
|
|
| King Ecnal |
| quote: | Originally posted by Shamez214
I'm still hoping for the day he defects... |
forgive me, but I don't know who that is... can we get some deet's?
cause I'm hoping he's not like 45... but when/if he comes to the majors... he'll be 28... ya know... |
|
|
| denys envy |
i'll play for Cuba.
sign me up! |
|
|
| Neon Sky |
| didnt the same thing happen with Haiti a few years ago? lol |
|
|
|
|
