| "> | | | | 44 years, Haiti, a virtual unknown before 1974, |
| The Golden Age | | | | secured its place in soccer history when they |
| Once upon a time Cuba was one of the best teams | | | | competed at the X World Cup in Munich, West |
| in the Americas. By the early 1930s, the Island | | | | Germany. From 1990 on, Costa Rica has participated |
| finished first at the I Central and Caribbean Games. | | | | twice in the global event. At the FIFA 2002 |
| They defeated Costa Rica and Honduras. | | | | tournament, the Central Americans finished 19th place |
| Subsequently,between July 4 and July 19, 1938, | | | | (among 32 teams). |
| Cuba's national soccer team became the best | | | | Unlike neighboring Cuba, Jamaica qualified for the |
| Caribbean team in soccer history when they placed | | | | World Cup in the late 1990s. The Jamaican squad |
| seventh at the Third FIFA World Championship in | | | | placed 22nd in the FIFA championship, ahead of |
| Paris, France's capital city. During that event, Cuba | | | | Scotland, Saudi Arabia and Japan. Subsequently, |
| had defeated Romania. However the Island was not | | | | Trinidad & Tobago, a cricket-loving Island, |
| see again in the World Cup. | | | | participated at the 2006 World Cup. Meanwhile, |
| Country Profile: Cuba | | | | Honduras has qualified for the South Africa 2010. |
| This Spanish-speaking nation is located in the | | | | Honduras, one of the poorest nations in the Western |
| Caribbean Sea. It covers 42,800 square miles; Latin | | | | Hemisphere, made its World Cup debut in the early |
| America's largest individual island. There are at least | | | | 1980s. |
| 12 million people. Havana is the country's capital. | | | | From 1962 until the late 1980s, sports in Cuba had |
| Politically, Cuba is a dictatorship. | | | | suffered an abrupt change when the USSR and other |
| Since 1959 Cuba, formerly a colony of Spain, has | | | | Marxist states sent up to 300 coaches to the Island. |
| become a Marxist dictatorship. In practice the Island | | | | Also during that period, the Spanish-speaking nation |
| is governed by Castro's family. Hereafter, the nation's | | | | received more money per capita to promote sports |
| dictator Fidel Castro Ruz was elected as the first | | | | than any other nation on Earth, including South Korea, |
| pro-Soviet leader in the Western Hemisphere. From | | | | China and Greece. At the same time, several soccer |
| the 1960s to the 1980s, the USSR (now Russia) | | | | coaches came to Cuba, from Hungarians to Soviets. |
| provided heavy military and economic aid. | | | | In the meantime, the Marxist government sent a |
| Unfortunately it is one of the most brutal human | | | | host of national squads to Eastern Europe, North |
| rights abusing states in the Third World since the | | | | Korea and the Soviet Union. Havana also hosted |
| 1950s. Due to this, the Cuban tyranny is an | | | | many international tournaments. But despite all of this, |
| international pariah on the world stage, along with | | | | the Cuban soccer team did not qualify for the FIFA |
| Iran, Zimbabwe, Burma and the Democratic People's | | | | World Cup. But that was only the beginning of the |
| Republic of Korea (also known as North Korea). | | | | tragedy. |
| According Reports Without Borders, Cuba is one of | | | | A Nightmare |
| "15 enemies of the internet on Earth". For political and | | | | From the 1990s to the 2000s, only a handful of |
| economical reasons, over 250 athletes, including | | | | soccer players did not escape from Cuba. By the |
| Olympic champs, had left the country since 1990, the | | | | early 1990s, Fernando Griñan, one of the |
| highest of the world's developing nations. | | | | Island's most popular players, sought political asylum in |
| Economically, it has become heavily dependent on | | | | abroad. But Griñan wasn't the only one. By |
| Venezuelan aid since the 2000s. | | | | 1998 Eduardo Sebrango fled Cuba to Canada. Shortly |
| FIFA World Cup | | | | afterwards, Alberto Delgado y Perez and Rey Angel |
| Cuba's national team has not qualified for the FIFA | | | | Martinez defected from its national team during the |
| World Cup since 1938. In recent decades, many | | | | 20o2 Gold Cup in the States. Three years later, |
| Caribbean and Central American nations, from El | | | | Maykel Galindo escaped from the Island. Likewise, |
| Salvador and Honduras to Haiti and Trinidad Tobago, | | | | between 2007 and 2008, Osvaldo Alonso, Lester |
| have already outpaced Cuba. By the early 1970s, the | | | | More, Pedro Faife and Reinier Alcantara had left |
| Salvadoran team was the winner of the men's soccer | | | | Havana. In March 2008, seven players sought political |
| CONCACAF Tournament and because of this it was | | | | asylum in America: Manuel Miranda, Erlys Garcia, |
| one of the 16 teams in the FIFA championship in | | | | Yenier Bermudez, Yordany Alvarez, Loanny Duarte, |
| Mexico City. Hereafter, twelve years on, El Salvador, | | | | Yendri Diaz, and Eder Roldan. As a result, Cuba failed |
| along with Honduras, took part in its second men's | | | | to qualify for the 2010 South Africa. |
| World Cup in Barcelona (Spain). For the first time in | | | | |