They might have a better team, making a 12th man all that more important. They drew with the USA U-23s in Tampa before they had 5 members defect, as you know.
Is the game even allowed to be shown in the US? Effen stupid that I even have to ask that stupid question. stupid scorched earth american foreign policy.
Reviving this thread. USMNT supporters will know soon if Cuba is the next team in our home and away WCQing. Who will go to Cuba and will we get a USSF waiver on the boycott so we can all go together on one charter flight and support our team in Havana in Septeber?
if there is ANY kind of waiver or allowance for supporters to go, im definitely going. im not doing the entire, fly through canada, avoid customs thing though.
Now that we're getting close to the time, I would encourage every US Soccer supporter to write to both of your Senators and your Representative to try to get some help with this. Sports can be an instrument of social change. It's happened before, it can happen again. Be sure to stress that and that it would be great to see the Star-Spangled Banner being held by fans in Havana.
I have been working with the folks from USA-Cuba on a LEGAL trip. IF Cuba does their part and wins it's series against Antigua & Barbuda, there WILL be a trip. Cuba plays their first game tomorrow away: 17.6.2008 Antigua & Barbuda - Cuba 19:00 St. Johns, ATG
the only question is going to be how many supporters can cuba host, cause i know how many people will want to get in on it!
sorry, I meant how many they can host in terms of what the away allocation for the US in the stadium would be
In 2006, my flight back to Salt Lake City from Cancun left 2 gates away from a flight going to Havana. There were signs in travel agency windows in Playa del Carmen that said "Havana $230". I'm not sure if that was round trip or one way and no doubt; the price has gone up since then. Be sure to check out uclacarlos' advice earlier in this thread about going there.
Assuming that the US dollar is still considered to be a convertible currency in September; no doubt, every Sam's Army solider or American Outlaw who wants a ticket will be able to buy one.
And if you end up on TV because you're wearing USA colors, good luck getting back into the US without being arrested.
It is a safe bet any U.S. fans who are photographed will be part of some Cuban propaganda. Or end up with a file with the U.S. Treasury.
fifa.com report Cuba managed a slim win over Antigua and Barbuda in a 4-3 goal feast in St. John's. Kerry Skepple, who scored in a recent friendly with St. Kitts, grabbed the opener for the home side in only the 9th minute of the first leg of the CONACACAF region's second round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Cuba's Jaine Valencia drew level just a minute later, but Skepple struck again shortly after in the 13th minute to put the hosts up. Cuban Yoel Colome equalised in the 22nd minute, and Valencia made it 3-2 for Cuba with his second of the night on 74 minutes. The home crowd at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium thought their side had earned a share of the points when Tyio Simon made it 3-3 in the 81st minute, but Leonel Pla silenced the supporters for good to give the Cubans a 4-3 win with just five minutes to go.
The whole point of this thread is that US supporters nut up, tell the USSF we want to go legally, and they, for once do something for the fans and get the Feds to give us legal to passage to Cuba. On a chartered plane.
Do tell, how do you expect the USSF to have enough pull within the Department of State to get legal travel visas for fans? Hell, they're going to have a hard enough time getting legal visas for support staff.
First, I think the embargo is ridiculous. But given that this would get significant press coverage, I've got to believe that State would look at this is too much of a liability. Not the true US supporters posting on here, but I'm sure some nut job who would want to make some political protest (either way) out of this would try to infiltrate his way onto the trip. What would be the pre-req to get on the charter? And State aside, I don't want US supporters to serve as a conduit for some wacko's political fix, whatever it is.
Guys... take a deep breath and relax. There will be a LEGAL and LICENCED trip. Assuming that Cuba takes care of things on Sunday, you should expect to see information here shortly thereafter.