America and Cuba (NOT a Left-Right debate!)

JAStewart

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JAStewart
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I hope this is more politics related than sport related, but I'd love to know the answer...

As I understand it:
There are no flights to Cuba from America and vice-versa.
There is ongoing tension between the two.
America doesn't like Cuba's style of Government and vice versa.

So, they don't like each other much at all.

What happens if the USA National Football Team draws the Cuban National Football Team in a World Cup Football (Soccer) Qualifier? Do they play on independent soil?
 
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JAStewart said:
What happens if the USA National Football Team draws the Cuban National Football Team in a World Cup Football (Soccer) Qualifier? Do they play on independent soil?
Click to expand...
If Cuba's team comes here I'm guessing less than half go back to Cuba.
 
JAStewart said:
I hope this is more politics related than sport related, but I'd love to know the answer...

As I understand it:
There are no flights to Cuba from America and vice-versa.
There is ongoing tension between the two.
America doesn't like Cuba's style of Government and vice versa.

So, they don't like each other much at all.

What happens if the USA National Football Team draws the Cuban National Football Team in a World Cup Football (Soccer) Qualifier? Do they play on independent soil?
Click to expand...
Perhaps they don't play. I don't know this, but I could imagine that they arrange the draws to make sure that politically problematic matches don't occur in the opening groups (you know US-Cuba, Israel-any Arab state). They could still meet in the quarter final for example, but that wouldn't be on US or Cuban soil. I might be talking out of my ass here, but it's not unknown for such considerations to be taken. For example Israel plays in the European football (or any other sport) league, not in the Arab one where they belong geographically.
 
Cubans do travel to the US from time to time to compete in sporting events. I believe defections are rare in such cases. Although it's incomprehensible to me, many Cubans actually seem to believe in the merits of their system of government. Even if that wasn't the case, it would be difficult to abandon all of your loved ones.
 
ravdin said:
Cubans do travel to the US from time to time to compete in sporting events. I believe defections are rare in such cases. Although it's incomprehensible to me, many Cubans actually seem to believe in the merits of their system of government. Even if that wasn't the case, it would be difficult to abandon all of your loved ones.
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especially if you and said loved ones are part of the privileged class. Otherwise, hundreds not so privileged make the trip weekly by raft, boat or whatever floats that's handy.
 
Rob Lister said:
especially if you and said loved ones are part of the privileged class. Otherwise, hundreds not so privileged make the trip weekly by raft, boat or whatever floats that's handy.
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Ha! Nicely put, point taken.
 
Kerberos said:
Perhaps they don't play. I don't know this, but I could imagine that they arrange the draws to make sure that politically problematic matches don't occur in the opening groups (you know US-Cuba, Israel-any Arab state). They could still meet in the quarter final for example, but that wouldn't be on US or Cuban soil. I might be talking out of my ass here, but it's not unknown for such considerations to be taken. For example Israel plays in the European football (or any other sport) league, not in the Arab one where they belong geographically.
Click to expand...

Well actually, in this years Asian World Cup Qualifying Section, North Korea have been drawn in a group including South Korea.
 
ravdin said:
Cubans do travel to the US from time to time to compete in sporting events. I believe defections are rare in such cases. Although it's incomprehensible to me, many Cubans actually seem to believe in the merits of their system of government. Even if that wasn't the case, it would be difficult to abandon all of your loved ones.
Click to expand...

Plus the US government might send you back.

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JAStewart said:
Well actually, in this years Asian World Cup Qualifying Section, North Korea have been drawn in a group including South Korea.
Click to expand...

I don't think NK and SK actually hate each other. They've got the entire Sunshine policy going on.
 
One of the USA's strongest chess players is one Julio Becerra-Rivero who earned a flight to Las Vegas to take place in the world championship, and decided not to go back.

Imagine if the greatest city you've ever seen in your entire life was Havana, and suddenly you find yourself drowned in the neon lights of the most opulent and decadent city on earth. Politics aside, you're bound to think "whatever these people are doing, they are doing it right!"
 
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