July 10 – Six players plus the head coach failed to show up in time because of visa issues whilst another was reported to have defected as Cuba were trounced 6-0 by Mexico Thursday at the opening of the Gold Cup in Chicago.
Raul Gonzalez Triana and six Cuban players missed the game due to “logistical problems” when they apparently got stuck in Antigua following Caribbean Olympic qualifiers.
They weren’t the only members of the Cuban delegation missing from Soldier Field. Striker Keiler Garcia was reported to have defected when he did not show up for breakfast.
That left Cuba with just 16 players to face powerhouse Mexico, who have won the Gold Cup tournament six times.
Communist Cuba has a long history of sporting defections and six players abandoned their team at the 2013 Gold Cup in the United States.
Cuban assistant coach Walter Benitez told reporters: “It’s been very difficult. The lad who went away was a first-choice player but we’ll manage. We came to play a tournament and we’re going to play it, the rest is personal decisions.”
In the other group game Thursday, Trinidad and Tobago also got off to a flying start with a 3-1 victory over Guatemala.
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