That's the only difference between the US and those other central-american nations. The US is such a large and wealthy country, that even its small football community can invest and develop a successfull program, while those other countries cannot afford it.
Nice to see that anthropology degree paying off. Let me know what school you went to so I'm sure not to send my kids there. I think Fidel didn't like soccer because his hat would fall off when he tried to head the ball.
As a historical footnote, the first warnings of the Cuban missile crisis came when U2 photos showed a soccer field being build at a military base. The US interpreted that to mean there were going to be Soviet troops there soon.
Sport Culture I can assure you that baseball in Cuba is FAR from boring! The culture that surrounds the sport is every bit as vibrant as with soccer elsewhere in the world - certainly you don't see stands as (un)populated for club baseball games in Cuba as you do for, say, club soccer games in Brazil. If FSW covers the Caribbean (baseball) World Series again this year, it is worth watching to see the atmosphere.
Re: Re: Re: Cuba's Results Look Very "Decent" Dave, I've tried to track this one down a couple of times, and even asked a Cuban diplomat about it when we attended a mutual meeting in April. He had no idea. I imagine that the consulate would respond if I took the time to ask them what happened, or point me to the right person to ask. Might make for a good Soccer & Society article.
Re: Sport Culture I remember when the Cuban team played those exhibitions with Orioles a few years back. They play much faster, without all the endless timeouts and butt-scratching, and I seem to remember that the umps (Cubans for both games, the MLB umps wouldn't participate) refused to give timeout a couple of times to Orioles hitters, which I'm guessing is the norm down there. The players are also much more demonstrative in their emotions...which is also a no-no in MLB, and liable to bring a beanball your way the next time up at bat.
Re: Re: Re: Cuba's Results Look Very "Decent" They planned to send their entire team to a fourth-division German club (Bonner SC) but it didn't quite pan out because of the extensive international commitments of the Cuban team. Instead they went over to train with the Germans for about a month and played a bunch of friendlies. Bonner does currently feature a Cuban national team player, Vladimir Alejo, who is apparently married to a German (probably met during the training stint)...not sure if he's playing there with the blessing of the Cubans or if it's an Eduardo Sebrango type of situation.
3 cuban international players play on my friends Gold Coast team. Their forward, midfielder, and the goalie. They are all very good and i think could make an MLS roster if given the opportunity.
Wow, you don't give MLS much respect at all, do you? Have you ever seen some of the top A League players play? There are some extremely talented players in the US wanting to play in MLS who can't do it because they can't make the cut. But three players on whatever a "Gold Coast" team is could make it? Hmm. Seems a bit like saying that three players on my flag football team could make the NFL.
Ten-fifteen years ago I read that the Cubans had decided to begin to emphasize soccer more, in order to have an alternative to the gringo Yankee imperialist game. I'm not sure how effective that has been. I do remember hearing about some top Cuban player going to play in Spain. Don't know how well he did. I do know that, like other Cuban athletes competing internationally, the Cuban government kept the bulk of his salary. I spent some time in Havana twelve years ago and caught a couple of baseball games at the Estadio Latinoamericana. It was a lot of fun, and the tickets were free. It was good baseball, but I was a little disappointed to see a lot of poor fundamentals and sloppy play on the field; the play was much looser than I had expected. The only thing they sold at the ballpark were shots of Cuban coffer, except for one vendor who had a big bag of sandwiches or rolls or something. He was mobbed. People were walking away with four or five of these breadrolls in their hands. Why? Because it was one of the few food items that were available without a ration card, like the ice cream that you spent 45 minutes waiting in line for. I saw girls holding two ice cream cones at one time, both sticky and melting in the heat.
Re: Re: Sport Culture Regardless, the comment about countries such as the Dominican Republic and Panama playing the "boring" game of baseball instead of soccer prompts the comment on the Caribbean World Series.
these are 3 players who currently play for Cuba's national team, I am not talking about three random schmucks. and i have seen enough mls to know that the players as a whole don't deserve that much respect.
Why doesn't Cuba have a decent team? Well Cuba and the U.S have several sports that they prefer over soccer. Still the U.S is better than a hundred or more countries where soccer is the #1 sport. While Cuba and Venezuela are a better than a good amount of them. Note: Venezuela defeated Cuba yesterday 3-2 sub 23
First, "beisbol" could never be boring in Cuba. It's as much a party as any footy match involving Brasil. Interestingly enough, I don't remember that festiveness at football matches in Cuba. I do have the scars from playing on the streets, though. The notion that football is as a foreign sport in Cuba as rugby is in the States is just wrong. In order of popularity, sports in Cuba are baseball, baseball, more baseball, boxing, dominoes, basketball and football.
Baseball is boring anywhere except the bleachers in wrigley. There only the actual game is boring. When Cuba played US they reminded me of the US SIde in qualifying for the 90 wc. Fidel not likit soccer like baseball but hes pals with Maradona. I think cuba will get better after the old school commy goes to the great politburo in the sky,
Cuba 2-1 Jamaica (in Jamaica) http://www.eloratings.net/ July 06 Friendly in Jamaica Jamaica 1 Cuba 2
Yes. How many goals will Costa Rica lose by? This Cuba team will be hungry to win; finishing first in Group D will be a nice feather in Cuba's cap, and their chances of reaching the semi-finals (they would match up against either El Salvador or Martinique) would be almost assured.
Why doesn't Cuba have a decent team? Cuba has an outstanding starting eleven; however, they're all at sea just now, trying to reach the Florida coast.