Five members of the Cuban Under-23 national team have gone missing from the team hotel following the squad’s 1-1 tie against the United States on Tuesday night.
Five players, including standout goalkeeper Jose Manuel Miranda (pictured), left the team hotel in Tampa and haven’t been seen since Tuesday evening.
The disappearances have left Cuba with just 13 players for its next match, against Honduras on Thursday. CONCACAF could as Cuba to forfeit the tournament but Cuban head coach Raul Gonzalez has already stated that he has no intention of having his team forfeit.
I am calling it now, Jose Manuel Miranda will be the starting goalkeeper for Chivas USA in 2009. And that noise you hear? It is the stampede of MLS general managers rushing to the fax machine to get in their "discovery" claims on these players.
The possible defection shouldn’t come as a complete shock but I will admit to having thought that there would be less interest in defecting considering how tough a time the Cuban players who defected during the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup had trying to find professional deals. The funny thing is that it just so happens that one of the Gold Cup defectors, Lestor More, just signed with the Charleston Battery last week.
What do you think of this development? Share your thoughts below.
I forgot to add, there is no way that Cuban goalkeeper doesn’t land somewhere in MLS.
As someone with Cuban lineage myself, I find it all very sad. From the perspective of that every time Cuba travels to the US at least one of their players defect. So from a Cuban side of it, how can they grow their national team if every time there is a international tournament, players are bolting on them. Also, how rough things are in Cuba that these guys are willing to go through such measures (also keep in mind they are leaving their families knowing it’ll be years until they see them again) to make a decent living.
In the 1970s the entire Cuban National Team disappeared a day before they were to play a game against the NY Cosmos. This is always interesting, yet never surprising to hear.
See what happens to you when you dont let the US have there way….the CIA makes you dissapear!!!!
Of course im kidding…if the CIA wanted to help the US theyd have Peter Nowak and every US player not named Freddy Adu dissapear.
Why do the Cubans get a free pass, but not the Mexicans who are also only trying to feed their families?
regarding questions as to why more precautions to prevent defection are not taken; i believe one higher up alleged that if they wanted to go they would not go out of their way to stop them…..i suppose to soften their image….i think they also really think cuban communism is that amazing that no one should want to leave…
They swam to Bal Harbour in North Miami and washed on the causeway about noon today.
Don’t believe me? Then read it yourself.
http://cbs4.com/local/Bal.Harbour.Cuban.2.675664.html
Only one intentionally tried to defect. Not sure where he is now, but was not welcomed with open arms, and was threatened with jail and/or deportation. The full team (-1) went on to play in the U17 world cup earning 1 point in a tie with France and loosing to Japan and eventual U17 world champions Nigeria.
The U-17 Haitian team did the same this a few months ago. I’m not sure if they were disqualified.
NYRB needs a goalkeeper
As anyone checked Mons Venus.
LJ:
Don’t exaggerate, L.A. has 4 players! They actually have a very good goalkeeper. That’s why they were willing to part with Cannon.
Ives,
Any idea on what CONCACAF/FIFA decided? Is the Cuban team still practicing at 4pm. Would be tough for Cuba to play the rest of the games with only 13 players and actually only 12 can play the next game cause one Cuban player got a red card and he wasn’t one that defected. How does it impact US if any?
welcome your tired, poor,… As long as they are not from Haiti…
I guess I’m not suprised. I do wonder how this will affect the rest of qualifying if they don’t show back up. It wouldn’t be fair if Honduras and Panama were given points. The only fair thing to do would be to delete the US result, and nobody gets any points from Cuba.
Guess I was wrong…
“CD,
Do you know anything about Cuba’s team?”
They speak Spanish, their communist,they play in the Cuban domestic league and they won’t be able to go out of the team hotel without an escort.
Posted by: CD | March 10, 2008 at 11:21 AM”
Alexi, if you’re listening, this is your only chance of fitting talent into that 3 man team of yours.
—-Defector 1–Ruiz——
Def. 2 —Donovan—-Klein
———-Beckham———-
Def3–Valentin-Xavier–Def4
———–Def. 5———
Yeah, I’d say that’s about right.
I heard Chicago put discovery claims on the whole Cuban team two days ago
Quick! get those discovery claims running..
Da*n, I should have bet the over….
haha i agree with smokarz comment up at the top.
Columbus honorably requests a striker if one defected, ok?
i love america! woot!
Big ups to Speed. It made me spit out some of my fem Caramel Machiatto. Or however you spell it.
I agree with Jevanvoo. But it is a sad thing that they have a dictator ruling that country and to them it would be better off for themselves and their families. It is a bit selfish but I guess to them it is more a matter of survival. I am sure their families back home have very little, and are provided very little by the government, etc.
I heard on ESPN360 that this team came in late to the tournament. I am assuming this may have been the reason.
If Cuba has to forfeit the rest of their games, will our tie be withdrawn from the record?
Actully, GALINDO is at Chivas, not Gallardo who is Argentine and plays at DC United.
We want Miranda, Guzan is leaving, so why the hell not? Chivas USA Goalkeeper Perkovich is from South America, so he can speak Spanish. It’s prefect!
Oh yeah, he’s rough around the edges, but you never know, Miranda can be a steal.
They don’t all automatically get good contracts, you know — one guy recently defected and signed in Charleston.
Has anyone checked Ybor City?
i don’t blame them. i figured it would happen sooner or later, just not this soon.
Big surprise, I tihnk Dom was the first person to bring this up yesterday.
I feel bad for the Cuban national sports teams, but don’t blame the players. It’s just sad for them that under the current regime baseball is the only sport where they still have a chance at winning someting big on the international level.
I agree with jevanvoo. I mean it’s just sad that people have to quit their countries to get jobs. I really hope they know what they’re doing . . .
I’m all for granting these players asylum and totally support their decision to defect. But my question is this: since Cuba are in the habit of losing half their squad every time they play a game abroad, why haven’t they taken further steps to prevent it from happening?
all joking aside, it’s kind of sad for the team, they played so much better than was expected last night, and to make it to the olympics would be huge for them, and for Cuba. For the players that didn’t defect, with only 13 at this point, will they be able to realize their dreams of making it to the games? Not saying they shouldn’t have the opportunity to live outside of a dictator’s rule of course, but just looking at it from a team stand point.
I fully support this. A few will turn up, but for some of these young men, it’s the only way for them to get out of a potentially bad situation. It takes a lot of courage to do this.
I’m not surprised. For those who defect from Cuba, a MLS developmental contract may actually be a financial windfall.
Jose Manuel Miranda looked fairly solid in the net, but a starter in a year? His positioning looked off and he seemed a step slow. What I especially noticed was his poor distribution- he had two or three punts that were totally shanked low slicing balls that barely made it to midfield. He reminded me of Dario Sala in regard to time wasting.
Watching the game last night I was actually thinking that it was a huge disadvantage for the US to play Cuba first before any defections occur.
Damn, why couldn’t they have done this BEFORE the match? [especially the keeper
🙁 ]
The funny thing is that the announcers predicted this last night as well. I distinctly remember them saying that some of the players would probably be missing in the morning.
I predict to tonight, not only darkness but, also clouds and a low of 29.
So, 5 Cubans. Add that to the 10 missing Americans from last night, and there’s 15 young soccer players wandering the streets of Tampa/St. Pete.
Crap i missed the defection pool by 1. I had 6. Hey, i guess there is still time.
Welcome to the USA. “Give me your tired, your poor……”, you know? At least these guys aren’t criminals or smuggling drugs. If you’re a decent person, welcome. (If you can play soccer, all the better)
I wouldn’t be surprised if a player or 2 had family that lived in the area. Bienvenidos a Tampa.
smorebs, your pronostication abilities are outstanding. What do you predict happening tonight, darkness?
Ives,
What happens to the US result if Cuba forfeits the tournament? Seems like the US is getting screwed if Honduras and Panama both get a free three points. It shouldn’t be an issue if we had just taken care of business but that could kill us if we don’t beat Panama.
What, no coaches?! I feel cheated.
A few will reappear and rejoin the team. It always happens.
I think everybody called this. hahaha. I hope the Chicago Fire pick up Miranda, but Gallardo is at Chivas, which means they have the upper hand.
Cuba providing American fans quick, cheap, and desperate talent for 48 years. I would like to point out I am a Cuban, who wants to end this embargo and show Cubans free trade. This will spark something within the small country.
i am surprised that only 5 had disappeared. i would expect all 18 to be gone by now. lol
I called this with my friends last night!