Saturday, October 13, 2012

Cuban Soccer Players Defect Before Qualifier

((HT: Sportsnet.ca))

It was a really weird qualifier last night in Toronto as Canada took on Cuba...

And, it also seems, that every single time a Cuban squad plays elsewhere in the northern hemisphere that some of their players really don't want to take advantage of their return ticket to head home after their national job is through.

Three Cuban soccer players are rumored to have defected before the game- leaving their squad with only a starting 11 and nothing more... no substitutions or anything since a fourth player was listed as sick and unable to play.

The HQ guesses that's what happens when you only travel with 15.

FIFA would confirm the defections, but Cuban head coach Alexander Gonzalez took it in stride- as he would have to do unless he wants to get an earful when he gets home.

"As with any Cuban sport team that travels around the world, they're all chasing the American dream," he said. "And it's difficult to try to keep the team together ... Obviously it's a difficult situation for the team and it's tough for me to talk about it."

The US Border Patrol would neither confirm or deny the defections and/or any border crossing by the three players.

Canada won the game only 3-0, and a lot of people who were there thought the game could have easily been something like 8-0.

Head coach Stephen Hart talks about a very weird game

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