Five Cuban U-23 Soccer Players Play Hooky

If we shook our heads every time a group of Cuban athletes tried to defect en masse, we’d be some bobblehead lookin’ dudes–and it looks like the Cuban Defector Shield has failed the country again. The under-23 national soccer team, who were playing in the Olympic qualifiers in Tampa, are now short five members because it’s presumed they want to defect. Well, duh.

The players were discovered to have left the team hotel hours after earning a 1-1 draw with the United States in the Pre-Olympic tournament.

If the five players do not return, Cuba would be left with a 13-man squad, but only 12 would be available to play their next match, as Linares is automatically suspended one game for the red card.

“Jose Manuel Miranda, Erlys Garcia Baro, Yenier Bermudez, Yordany Alvarez and Loanni Prieto left the hotel”, Raul Gonzalez, coach of the Cuban national team, told ESPN reporter Fernando Palomo.

Well if they really wanted to find them, why don’t they look for the five guys asking the question they’ve practiced a million to themselves since they hatched this crazy scheme: adonde esta Calle Ocho?
Five members of Cuban U-23 team missing from hotel [ESPNsoccernet]
Image [KHOU]