U.S. men\'s soccer wants to avoid politics playing Cuba

[Jimmy2]

by MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM

September 5, 2008

They had to tell their fans they weren't allowed to travel to see them play, couldn't scout their opponent's last game in person and have seen their foe's roster weakened by defections.

No, this won't be just any trip for the U.S. men's soccer team, as much as it aims to treat it that way. It never is when Americans go to Cuba.

The U.S. has placed a financial embargo against Cuba since 1962, and Americans face restrictions on travel to the country. So while the U.S. team expressed confidence in its ability to block out distractions, it can't ignore the political overtones shadowing the trip to Havana on Saturday night for a 2010 World Cup qualifying match.

"It's kind of neat that soccer brings you to a place like this," U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said after the team practiced this week at Barry University. "But I don't think too many of us are looking at the political side of it. We are just going down there to play a game."

Surely, the Cubans also want to win for sporting reasons, and there are plenty of those for a team that qualified for its lone World Cup in 1938. They lost their opening semifinal match at home to Trinidad and Tobago and need a victory to keep alive their hopes of advancing.

It's probably enough incentive for Cuba that the U.S. is, along with Mexico, the strongest side in the region and is 5-1-1 vs. Cuba. Cuba last beat the Americans in 1947 in Havana. That's the last time the U.S. senior men played there (the under-20 team played in Havana during the 1992 Pan American Games).

But when Cuban goalie Dany Luis Quintero told The Associated Press "our motivation is always greater against a rival like the United States," he probably wasn't just talking about the pitch.

"Cubans don't like to lose to the United States," Quintero said. "The fans are more motivated, and we are hoping for a full stadium."

The Americans are accustomed to hostile environments. Sometimes they even experience them for "home" games — Mexican fans dominated the crowd of 70,000 in Houston for a 2-all tie in February.

A victory Saturday would be the first time the Americans have won three consecutive World Cup qualifying matches on the road. Winning against Cuba and also Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday in Bridgeview, Ill., would almost assure the U.S. its sixth consecutive World Cup berth.

"We want to finish it off as quickly as possible," Bocanegra said.

"We are going down there to get a win. Get those [three] points and move on to the next game."

The Americans are heavily favored to do so. That would be the case even if the Cuban under-23 team didn't have seven players defect in Tampa in March, the kind of incident that creates tension with Cuban soccer officials

But Cuban Soccer Federation President Luis Hernandez played down the political angle of Saturday's match.

"The U.S. players are just athletes, soccer players, and we are, too," he told the AP.

That's the theme echoed by the Americans. They were to arrive in Cuba on Thursday evening and are scheduled to return to the U.S. immediately following the match.

"We know that it is a unique situation [for] any American going to Cuba," U.S. midfielder DaMarcus Beasley said.

"At the same time, we are there to win a soccer match. All the political stuff, we will let the governments worry about that."

[KB24]

Being a long time soccer fan I am fired up for the game today. I also read an interesting article about some American fans that snuck into Cuba through a 3rd country and are going to the game (http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/245578). They will be outnumbered 10K to 1.

The US team is staying at the Melia Cohiba hotel and the hotel actually raised an American flag at the entrance to the lobby for their arrival.

-Patrick

[jayro75]

» Being a long time soccer fan I am fired up for the game today. I also read

» an interesting article about some American fans that snuck into Cuba

» through a 3rd country and are going to the game

» (http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/245578). They will be outnumbered

» 10K to 1.

»

» The US team is staying at the Melia Cohiba hotel and the hotel actually

» raised an American flag at the entrance to the lobby for their arrival.

»

» -Patrick

We'll walk all over them like we do to all the rest of the sub par CONCACAF competition.;-)

[Jason]

» We'll walk all over them like we do to all the rest of the sub par

» CONCACAF competition.;-)

Hardly did that now did we?I was discusing this game with family earlier today, the US played indifferently and I content it was because of the pitch, it was bumpy as hell. Eveyone puckers up a bit when the ball comes their way not wanting to look like a fool when it takes a weird hop over their well-placed receiving foot

It was a nice atmosphere, I love these games with "political undertones" (plenty of those for the US) as the press is usually the only ones making a big deal of it, seems to be more love in the post game shirt exchange between the players in such matches.

Everyone seemed pleasantly suprised at well they were treated during their stays in Cuba after not really knowing what to expect. Thumbs up to the gracious hosts!

[jayro75]

» » We'll walk all over them like we do to all the rest of the sub par

» » CONCACAF competition.;-)

»

» Hardly did that now did we?I was discusing this game with family earlier

» today, the US played indifferently and I content it was because of the

» pitch, it was bumpy as hell. Eveyone puckers up a bit when the ball comes

» their way not wanting to look like a fool when it takes a weird hop over

» their well-placed receiving foot

»

» It was a nice atmosphere, I love these games with "political undertones"

» (plenty of those for the US) as the press is usually the only ones making

» a big deal of it, seems to be more love in the post game shirt exchange

» between the players in such matches.

»

» Everyone seemed pleasantly suprised at well they were treated during their

» stays in Cuba after not really knowing what to expect. Thumbs up to the

» gracious hosts!

To be fair we controlled the match completely and outside of one chance near the end the Cubans were completely out of it. It was pouring rain and the pitch was crap. We pretty much always play this way when away in CONCACAF in weather. Let's wait and see what happens when the Cubans come here in October to play at RFK. I suspect it will be like the 6-0 thrashing we gave Panama during '06 qualifying. Remember we drew them 1-1 in Panama City.

[Jason]

» » I suspect it will be like the 6-0 thrashing we gave Panama during '06 qualifying. Remember we drew them 1-1

is this going to be before or after 50% of the team defects? :-D

[jayro75]

» » » I suspect it will be like the 6-0 thrashing we gave Panama during '06

» qualifying. Remember we drew them 1-1

»

» is this going to be before or after 50% of the team defects? :-D

You really think Fidel is going to let them come here in the first place???:-P :-P

He'll probably send a bunch of old men.

[Jason]

» » » » I suspect it will be like the 6-0 thrashing we gave Panama during

» '06

» » qualifying. Remember we drew them 1-1

» »

» » is this going to be before or after 50% of the team defects? :-D

»

» You really think Fidel is going to let them come here in the first

» place???:-P :-P

»

» He'll probably send a bunch of old men.

6-1 to the US and only 2 Cubans reported "missing".I feel sorry for them, they played with heart and show true sportsmanship if nothing else.