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Cuban Players Ditch US Hotel, May Plan to Defect

Cuba's soccer prez denies the 2 men ever left for United States

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 11, 2008 2:52 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Two Cuban soccer players fled a US hotel in Virginia yesterday and may plan to defect, the Washington Post reports. Pedro Faife, 24, and Reynier Alcantara, 26, are slated to play in a World Cup qualifier tonight and have not turned themselves in to Customs—but Cuba's coach doesn't expect to see them again. "It is always a problem for the Cuba team," he said.

"We have security," he added, "but you can't handcuff them to their rooms." Cuba's national soccer president said the players never left Cuba, although that leaves the 18-man squad two players short. Twelve soccer players have defected from Cuba over the past 6 years; earlier this year, seven of them switched sides while qualifying for the Olympics in Tampa, Fla.

Cuba's Pedro Adriani Faife (17) controls the ball during second half soccer in a CONCACAF Gold Cup match Sunday, June 10, 2007 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Cuba's Pedro Adriani Faife (17) controls the ball during second half soccer in a CONCACAF Gold Cup match Sunday, June 10, 2007 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.   (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Cuba's Reynier Alcantara (18) heads the ball during the first half of a 2007 Gold Cup soccer match in Houston, Wednesday, June 13, 2007.
Cuba's Reynier Alcantara (18) heads the ball during the first half of a 2007 Gold Cup soccer match in Houston, Wednesday, June 13, 2007.   (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)
Cuba's Reynier Alcantara, left, runs after scoring during a CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Panama Sunday, June 10, 2007 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Cuba's Reynier Alcantara, left, runs after scoring during a CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Panama Sunday, June 10, 2007 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.   (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
US' Sacha Kljestan, right, tries to control the ball as Cuba's Pedro Faife fouls him from behind during a World Cup 2010 qualifying soccer game. Faife appears to have defected.
US' Sacha Kljestan, right, tries to control the ball as Cuba's Pedro Faife fouls him from behind during a World Cup 2010 qualifying soccer game. Faife appears to have defected.   (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)
US' soccer players, left, greet Cuba's players at the end of their World Cup 2010 qualifying match in Havana. No US players defected.
US' soccer players, left, greet Cuba's players at the end of their World Cup 2010 qualifying match in Havana. No US players defected.   (AP Photo)
A woman walks past a graffiti depicting Argentine-born revolutionary hero Ernesto Che Guevara in Havana.
A woman walks past a graffiti depicting Argentine-born revolutionary hero Ernesto "Che" Guevara in Havana.   (AP Photo)
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On the last defection
ESPN

Cuba 'stunned' by earlier defection
Associated Press

The latest incident was predicted
Soccer Talk

 
World Cup • Cuba • United States • soccer • Communism • defection

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