Snak

A brief history of Cuban soccer defections in U.S., Canada

Having players jump ship from their respective national teams, whether at the full senior level or Under-23 level, has become a regular occurrence when the Caribbean side plays in the United States or Canada.

On Saturday, FIFA confirmed that three players defected from the Cuban National Team on Thursday, a day prior to its World Cup qualifier in Toronto. It was not known on Saturday if the three men had crossed the border into the U.S.

At the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Rey Angel Martinez, who most recently played for the Rochester Lancers in the Major Indoor Soccer League, and Alberto Delgado decided to leave the team during the competition in Los Angeles.

Striker Maykel Galindo, who starred for Chivas in 2007-2008 and played for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer, jumped ship during the 2005 Gold Cup. He most recently performed for the Los Angeles Blues in the USL PRO.

Osvaldo Alonso, who performs for Seattle Sounders FC, and Lester Moore, left the National Team during the 2007 Gold Cup.

Cuba was hurt by defections during two separate events in the U.S. in 2008.

During the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Tampa, seven players left Cuba’s Under-23 team, including Yeniel Bermudez, Yordany Alvarez and Yendry Diaz.

Two days prior to the Caribbean country’s World Cup qualifier against the U.S. in Washington, D.C., two players — left the team’s hotel near the nation’s capital.

During the 2011 Gold Cup, Yosniel Mesa decided to defect while the team was in Charlotte, N.C. for a game.

In January at the 2012 women’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Vancouver, two women defected for the first time — forward Yezenia Gallardo, regarded as the team’s best player, and midfielder Yunelsis Rodriguez.

During the CONCACAF men’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Nashville, Tenn. in March, Yosmel de Armas defected from the Cuban U-23 team.

Background story: Cuban missing player crisis

HAVANA — Whether officials want to address it or not, it is quite clear that there is a Cuban missing player crisis.

Over the past several years, Cuba has seen the nucleus of its National Team whittled away due to player defections.

It seems every time a Cuban soccer team plays in the United States, at least one player jumps ship. The Cubans have lost a dozen players to defections.

Yet, Cuban Soccer Federation president Luis Hernandez doesn’t think there are any problems. He said that the players should have stayed “to defend their country.”

“Of course, there is not any concern for us,” Hernandez said during an interview with American journalists Friday morning.

“The players who have left by themselves, it was their decision. They left the team when they were supposed to defend their country.”

Hernandez was talking on the eye of the World Cup qualifier between Cuba and the United States, which is playing in this Caribbean country for the first time in 61 years. The Americans are favored in the Saturday 8 p.m. ET match at Estadio Pedro Ma Stadium.

The return match between the two teams is set for RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Oct. 11.

Asked how much of a quality drain there was, Hernandez did not answer the question directly.

“What I can say, we have many talented players we have here ready to play for us in Cuba,” he said. “We have great young players.”

Hernandez noted that four players from the Cuba Under-20 team had been promoted to the full national side and that six players from the U-23 team that participated in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Tampa in March also were on the team.

“They are very motivated and very enthusiastic to change the result, unfortunately, we had with Trinidad & Tobago.”

Trinidad defeated Cuba, 3-1, at Marrero Aug. 20.

“It was a match dominated by the Cuban team,” Hernandez said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t win.”

Chivas USA forward Maykel Galindo is probably the best known player to have defected, leaving during the CONCACAF Gold Cup after the U.S. recorded a 3-1 victory over Cuba in Seattle in 2005. Seven players left the Cuban Under-23 team during the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Tampa in March. Those players were Jose Manuel Miranda, Erlys Garcia Baro, Yenier Bermudez, Yordany Alvarez, Loanni Prieto, Yendry Diaz and Eder Roldan.

In a recent e-mail interview he did prior to a journalist’s Friday sit down with Hernandez, Galindo countered the CSA president’s argument.

“I think it has hurt the Cuban National Team to have many of the players that left the team,” he said. “I am not just saying it because of myself but because of the young players from the U-23 who left the national team because they were talented and they were the better players.”

Galindo said that sometimes a chance to play professionally and raising one’s standard of living was more important that playing for one’s country.

“I don’t feel guilty for leaving my team,” he said. “I didn’t talk to anyone about it beforehand, and I decided it on my own.”

Like other Cubans who left their home country, Galindo said his was a desire to play professionally.

“They leave Cuba because they want to make something out of their lives,” he said. “They are in search of the dream of playing soccer at a professional level and they know that Cuba will not offer them that. They do it because they feel that their family will be proud of them if they make it to the professional level and many of those players have realized that they can achieve that goal. Thankfully, in my case, doors were being opened to me.”

Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz: We have not achieved anything — yet

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — He had just given Guatemala a stirring and dramatic World Cup qualifying victory over Jamaica on Friday night, but striker Carlos Ruiz reminded the media that nothing had been accomplished.

The 2-1 victory over the Caribbean side kept the Guatemalans (3-1-1, 10 points) tied with the United States (3-1-1, 10), also 2-1 winners at Antigua & Barbuda on Friday. Jamaica (2-2-1) is in third place with seven points.

“The win was valuable, but we are not yet qualified for the next round, so we must keep a cool head because you have not achieved anything,” Ruiz was quoted by the Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre.

Ruiz headed in a cross in the 85th minute to boost the Central Americans to the win over the Reggae Boyz in front of a crowd of 20,000 at Matteo Flores Stadium.

The Guatemalans will visit the U.S. in Kansas City, Kansas in the final match on Tuesday night. Both teams can clinch spots in the 2013 hexagonal round, even if they lose. That would occur if Jamaica loses at home to Antigua the same night.

Flu sidelines USA’s Johnson from Guatemala game

KANSAS CITY, Kansas — So much for left back Fabian Johnson playing for the United States in its World Cup qualifier against Guatemala on Tuesday.

Johnson was ruled out of the game as he did not recover from the flu. He did not travel here for the CONCACAF Group A encounter at Livestrong Sporting Park (7 p.m. ET).

Johnson is the Americans’ top choice at the position and his absence in the 2-1 qualifying win at Antigua and Barbuda forced coach Juergen Klinsmann to move central defender and team captain Carlos Bocanegra to the left side. As it turned out, the pass that set up Antigua’s goal was initiated from that left flank before Eddie Johnson connected for his second goal in the 90th minute.

The U.S. enters the match with 19 healthy players. Teams are allowed as many as 23 players on their qualifying roster.

On Friday, midfielder Jermaine Jones received his second yellow card of the competition only minutes after he came on as a sub vs. Antigua.

Defender Edgar Castillo has been ruled out of the Antigua and Guatemala matches with a foot injury.

Midfielder-forward Landon Donovan and midfielder Brek Shea were left off the team last week due to injuries.

A tie with Guatemala (3-1-1, 10 points) would boost the Americans (3-1-1, 10) into next year’s hexagonal. The U.S. could lose to the Central Americans and still advance if Jamaica (2-2-1, seven) ties or loses at home to Antigua (0-4-1, one).

The revised U.S. roster for Guatemala:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (6): Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Maurice Edu (Stoke City), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Roma), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

FORWARDS (4): Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Alan Gordon (San Jose Earthquakes), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders)

El Salvador coach: ‘We fell into their game’

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — El Salvador coach Juan de dios Castillo had a simple explanation as to why Costa Rica defeated his team, 1-0, in a key World Cup qualifier on Friday night:

The Salvadorans allowed the visitors to dictate play in the CONCACAF Group B encounter.

“We fell into their game,” he told the Costa Rican newspaper Al Dia.

“We did not put the ball on the floor,” he added.

El Salvador (1-2-2, five points) faces a must-win situation against Mexico (5-0-0, 15) at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Tuesday night.

La Selecta also need some help from Guyana (0-4-1, one), which visits Costa Rica (2-2-1, seven) the same night. Guyana must defeat the hosts as well if El Salvador advances to next year’s final round.

Unless Costa Rica loses big at home to the Caribbean side, a draw won’t help El Salvador. If the two Central American rivals finish tied, the Ticos would take second place because it has better goal differential than the Salvadorans (plus-two to minus-one).

Interessant artikel om Antigua & Barbuda.


Antigua plays for the present and looks to the future

This is a repost of a story that originally ran on June 5, 2012.

By Michael Lewis

For national coach Tom Curtis and his Antigua and Barbuda team, it isn’t necessarily about winning now, but building for the future as well.

In less than a month’s time, Antigua will undertake what Curtis calls the biggest soccer game in the country’s history. The Benna Boys, who have never gone this far in World Cup qualifying, will play the heavily favored United States in the CONCACAF semifinal round in Tampa on Friday..

“With a doubt,” he said. “It’s a huge game in Antigua’s history. We hope we can put on a competitive performance.”

Curtis added: “We’re hoping that the whole football on Antigua will get a kick start by the fact we’re playing against a team like the United States, Guatemala and Jamaica.”

That Antigua is among the final 12 CONCACAF teams is one of the confederation’s big stories and surprises, considering it has a population estimated at around 90,000 as one of world’s soccer minnows.

The Caribbean country — which is located in the Leeward Islands, north east of St. Kitts and Nevis and north of Guadeloupe — was merely an afterthought about CONCACAF World Cup contenders. That is, until the Antigua Football Federation decided to place a team — Antigua Barracuda FC — in USL PRO last season so the players could improve and play at a higher level and compete for a spot at the 2014 World Cup.

Success can be measured in certain ways. The Barracudas did not reach the USL PRO playoffs, finishing sixth and last in the American Division with a 9-13-2 record. But their development was evident elsewhere. The National Team (5-0-1, 15 points) edged a favored Haiti side (4-0-1, 13) by two points to win Group F and reached the semifinal round.

“This is a chance these guys wouldn’t have,” Curtis said last year. “Normally, they would be working eight to eight and they would not get a chance to train professionally.

“Before they were able to play in the USL they weren’t experienced in terms of playing at such a high level,” he added during a telephone interview last week. “I think because they are playing week in and week out, some technical, high quality opponents, it gives them an experience of what the level is all about and the expectation of what they need to do to get to that level.

“It has been really vital for us in terms of preparing for these big games. The level that we will have to play up will be a step up again and hopefully the players will realize that it’s not going to be like the USL. The players are going to be world-class players. It’s going to be difficult for us, but hopefully it’s going to be something that they’ll enjoy and gain a lot from. I think the coaching will as well. What we’re hoping is that the young players of Antigua and Barbuda can look at their peers playing against these world-class players and have an expectation, too, that they might be able to compete at such a high level.”

While Curtis and the AFA certainly would welcome wins and advancement to the final round, he is realistic as well.

“We want to be competitive in this group,” he said. “It’s important we focus on the game. Obviously, everyone has dreams and ambitions to go through to the next round. But for me as a coach, if we can be competitive in this round, then we’ll have been successful. We’ve already been successful in terms of getting here.

“You’re got to remember that the island is 88,000 strong. We’re playing against populations and football structures that are a lot bigger and a lot more experienced. So we’ve done really well to get this far. If we can be competitive in the next round then we obviously can be successful. Everyone dreams on the island. Everyone wants to get through to the next round. Everyone wants to get through to Rio. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with people having high expectations and high ambitions.”

And what if Antigua reaches the hexagonal, the final round?

“I think it would be phenomenal,” Curtis said. “Like I mentioned before, the island is a very small island, a very small population. People are intensely nationalistic and want the National Team to do well. If the National Team does get through to the next round, you’re going to find the whole island will jump on board for support. You’ll find that second and third generation Antiguans will jump on board as well.

“Hopefully, that sort of thing can snowball and the football structure on the island can improve and we can help the younger players out and get them to play on decent surfaces and good facilities. At the moment, we don’t any decent [artificial turf] facilities or any kind of football sense and national team we’re looking for to develop. Hopefully, if we are successful, we can gain some investment and move football on the island forward.”

In the second round of playing, Antigua was led by two Barracuda players — striker Peter Byers, who tallied eight times in six games, and veteran defender and team captain George Dublin.

While most of the National Team is made up of Barracuda players, Curtis has reached across the ocean to bring in some Antiguans performing in various English leagues.

That included four players who perform at varying levels in England — defender Marc Joseph of Kendall Town (Northern League Premier Division) and midfielders Mikele Leigertwood of Reading FC (The Championship), Keiran Murtagh of Woking (Conference South) and Justin Cochrane of Boreham Wood (Conference South).

“We will augment and hopefully strengthen the Barracuda side with players coming in from overseas,” Curtis said. “That doesn’t mean to say that the Barracudas don’t have the opportunity to cement themselves in the team. That’s another good thing about the Barracudas. They are playing week in and week out and we’ve given them an opportunity to get themselves into the national team. There’s no excuses. If we feel they are good enough to get on the national team, then that’s great.

“We’ve also had interest from players in colleges in the states.”

A little success can go a long way.

“With the little bit of success that we’ve had, word of mouth and people talk to the players and all of the sudden you find that they have an Antiguan grandmother somewhere and we try to get them on aboard,” Curtis said. “That’s what we need to do. We’ll continue to do the best we can in terms of strengthening the side.”

This year’s version of the Barracudas have gotten off to a 2-6 start in the USL PRO season as they are in ninth place out of 10 teams. They split their double home series with the Charlotte Eagles and Pittsburgh Riverhounds in April before losing twice on their first appearance on American soil this season last month, losting to the Wilmington Hammerheads and Charleston Battery. Antigua dropped two home matches to USL PRO defending champion Orlando City, 1-0, 2-1, on May 11 and May 13, respectively. The Barracudas rebounded by reaching the CFU Champions Cup finals.

Asked about the team’s performance, Curtis replied, “I suppose up and down, really. We’ve had a couple of good results against Pittsburgh and Charlotte and a couple of disappointing results against them. I think what we need to do is to find a level of consistency when we’re able to put together decent performances on a consistent basis. We haven’t been quite able to do that. We found last year and of course this year that the level is really high. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell to cope with. I’ve said to my players they need to be 100 percent mentally and physically prepared for each game or we’ll not be able to compete. so we’re working on that at the moment.”

The 39-year-old Curtis played professionally in England for some 16 years before he turned to coaching in 2007. He was the assistant coach of the English Universities team before he was given a unique offer — to coach in the Caribbean.

Curtis could be the busiest soccer coach on the planet. He not only directs the Barracudas and National Team, but is technical director of the Antigua Football Association as well. That means he also is responsible for the age-group teams as well.

“I’m fortunate to have a lot of local coaches around me who are working hard for me as well,” he said. “They take a lot of sessions in the evening, which I oversee. it’s certainly busy and certainly stressful at times. It’s enormously very enjoyable and also very challenging. It’s a good job and very busy. Hopefully, we can be successful and its an experience that I chose to take on . . . 14 months ago. Hopefully, it will make me a better person, a better coach and a better manager in the future.

The Antigua National Team is training at its facility prior to the U.S. game.

“I went over to IMG for the USL combine,” Curtis said. “I was really impressed with the combine. The FA is working with the USL to get us training facilities at IMG. It’s only down the road from Tampa. . . . It will be a fantastic opportunity for our players. We haven’t in the past had the experience of having staying in that sort of facility. We’re really excited by the opportunity.”

Sele viaja a Cuba para partido decisivo

La selección de fútbol de Panamá viaja este domingo a La Habana, con la esperanza de ganar su partido del martes ante Cuba y afianzar así su liderazgo en el Grupo C y conseguir su clasificación a la hexagonal final de la Concacaf, para el Mundial de Brasil 2014.

Sin embargo, Panamá solo necesita un empate con Cuba para acceder a la hexagonal final.

Panamá viaja a Cuba luego de sumar un punto, para acumular diez, tras su empate a cero goles con Honduras, en un partido disputado el pasado viernes en casa, dentro del Grupo C.

Mientras, Cuba, que no ha ganado ningún partido en esta fase eliminatoria, cayó el viernes ante Canadá por 3-0, en un encuentro disputado en Toronto.

Tanto Panamá como Canadá cuentan con diez puntos, Honduras con ocho y Cuba sin puntos.

Panamá tiene mejor diferencia de goles (+4), Canadá (+3) Honduras (+2) y Cuba, sin goles.

La selección panameña, que viaja hoy por la tarde a La Habana, realizó su último entrenamiento el sábado en el estadio Rommel Fernández, de la ciudad de Panamá.

El partido entre Panamá y Cuba se jugará el próximo martes en el estadio Pedro Marrero, de La Habana, mientras Canadá se enfrentará a a Honduras en la ciudad hondureña de San Pedro Sula.

Los jugadores que fueron convocados para el partido contra los cubanos son los siguientes:

Porteros: Jaime Penedo (Municipal, Guatemala), Luis Mejía (Fénix, Uruguay), Alex Rodríguez (Sporting SM) y Kevin Melgar (Alianza FC).

Defensas: Luis Henríquez (Lech Poznan, Polonia), Felipe Baloy (Santos Laguna, México), Román Torres (Millonarios, Colombia), Rolando Algandona (Sporting SM), Eduardo Dasent (Tauro), Jean Carlos Cedeño (Alianza FC), Eric Vásquez (Chorrillo), Algish Dixon (Chorrillo), Harold Cummings (Árabe Unido), Roderick Miller (San Francisco).

Centrocampistas: Amílcar Henríquez (Independiente Medellín, Colombia), Nelson Barahona (Atlético Huila, Colombia), Armando Cooper (Godoy Cruz, Argentina), Gabriel Gómez (Philadelphia Union, EE.UU.), Alberto Quintero (Chorrillo FC), Aníbal Godoy (Chepo FC), Juan de Dios Pérez (Tauro) y Marcos Sánchez (Tauro).

Delanteros: Blas Pérez (FC Dallas, EE.UU.), Luis Tejada (Toluca, México), Yairo Yau (Sydney FC, Australia), Rolando Blackburn (FK Senica, Eslovaquia) y Edwin Aguilar (Tauro).

Es posible que el técnico de Panamá, Julio César Dely Valdés, haga algunos cambios para el partido ante Cuba de la alineación utilizada contra Honduras el pasado viernes: Román Torres, Felipe Baloy, Luis Henríquez, Gabriel Gómez, Amilcar Henríquez, Armando Cooper, Alberto Quintero,Luis Tejada y Blas Pérez.

Cotejos con Uruguay, en La Paz Bolivia no gana hace 15 años

El balance ubica en situación de desventaja al plantel visitante. Jugó ocho cotejos y no ganó ninguno. Perdió cuatro y empató los restantes.

Bolivia tratará de romper mañana su mala racha que tiene con Uruguay, rival al que no le puede ganar desde hace 15 años y con el que inicia la segunda ronda de las Eliminatorias hacia el Mundial de Brasil 2014.

Ambos planteles se enfrentaron en ocho ocasiones, el equipo boliviano ganó cuatro veces y los restantes cuatro enfrentamientos acabaron en igualdad; hasta ahora el equipo celeste no logró vencer, en La Paz.

El primer cotejo que jugaron ambos por una fase premundialista fue el 16 de julio, de 1961; aquel cotejo terminó igualado 1-1, el tanto nacional fue obra de Máximo Alcócer.

Luego, 16 años más tarde, en 1977, se vieron las caras nuevamente y la victoria le correspondió a Bolivia que venció 1-0 con gol de Porfirio Jiménez. Aquel año, Bolivia ganó de forma invicta su grupo, pero tuvo que jugar una “Liguilla final” en la que fue goleada y no puso clasificar al Mundial de 1978.

Para el Mundial de Italia 1990, Bolivia derrotó 2-1 a Uruguay con un autogol de Alfonso Domínguez y un tanto de Álvaro Peña.

En 1993, la selección de Azkargorta logró vencer a los celestes por 3-1 con anotaciones de Erwin Sánchez, Marco Antonio Etcheverry y Milton Melgar. Éste es el triunfo más holgado de un equipo nacional ante el plantel oriental por una Eliminatoria.

El último triunfo nacional ocurrió el 20 de julio de 1997, cuando los dirigidos por Antonio López ganaron a los charrúas por 1-0 con un tanto de tiro libre de Marco Antonio Etcheverry.

En 2000, rumbo al Mundial de Corea Japón 2002, bolivianos y uruguayos igualaron 0-0, el mismo resultado se repitió para las clasificatorias de Alemania 2006, mientras que en la fase previa de Sudáfrica 2010 el resultado fue 2-2 con dos goles estructurados por Marcelo Martins.

Todo, listo

Santa Cruz. Uruguay tiene el equipo definido, según medios de ese país, tras el entrenamiento realizado en cancha de Blooming. Uruguay jugaría con: Fernando Muslera, Maximiliano Pereira, Andrés Scotti, Mauricio Victorino, Álvaro Pereira, Álvaro González, Wálter Gargano, Egidio Arévalo Ríos, Cristian Rodríguez, Luis Suárez y Diego Forlán. La figura táctica que se vislumbró en el entrenamiento es con un 4-4-1-1, con Forlán de enganche y Suárez como único punta.

Los ocho partidos

AÑO CIUDAD RESULTADO MUNDIAL
1961 La Paz Bolivia 1-1 Uruguay Chile 1962
1977 La Paz Bolivia 1-0 Uruguay Argentina 1978
1989 La Paz Bolivia 2-1 Uruguay Italia 1990
1993 La Paz Bolivia 3-1 Uruguay Estados Unidos 1994
1997 La Paz Bolivia 1-0 Uruguay Francia 1998
2000 La Paz Bolivia 0-0 Uruguay Corea-Japón 2002
2004 La Paz Bolivia 0-0 Uruguay Alemania 2006
2008 La Paz Bolivia 2-2 Uruguay Sudáfrica 2010

de fleste har hørt om Chicharito Hernández, Så var der Marco Fabian - "El Chatón" Enríquez er sidste skud på stammen fra La Cantera del Rebaño Sagrado


El sueño cumplido del "Chatón" Enríquez

Jorge Enríquez está viviendo un sueño. El mediocampista de 21 años ha recorrido un camino meteórico en los últimos dos años para convertirse en un habitual de los grandes escenarios. El sendero lo ha llevado a conseguir desde un tercer lugar en la Copa Mundial Sub-20 de la FIFA Colombia 2011 hasta la medalla de oro en el Torneo Olímpico de Fútbol Masculino Londres 2012.

Tras esa avalancha de éxitos, el llamado “Chatón” cumplió otro de sus anhelos el viernes 12 de octubre al debutar con la selección absoluta de México en la victoria por 5-0 frente a Guyana en la fase clasificatoria rumbo a la Copa Mundial de la FIFA Brasil 2014™. Con la emoción aún en los labios, el jugador del Deportivo Guadalajara habló en exclusiva con FIFA.com sobre su carrera, sus objetivos y también los de una generación de la que el país azteca espera grandes cosas.

Cambio de paradigma

El pasado viernes, Enríquez entró al campo en el minuto 39, tras la lesión de uno de los grandes símbolos mexicanos de los últimos años, el veterano Gerardo Torrado, y no desmereció en ningún momento en el triunfo ante los caribeños. Como es lógico, el centrocampista no podía ocultar su alegría. “Estoy emocionado y muy contento. Es un sueño para mí estar aquí y poder participar con estos jugadores”, confesó.

Enríquez no se mostró intimidado en lo más mínimo por las circunstancias, y la razón principal es el largo recorrido que ha tenido en las categorías inferiores del Tri. “Los procesos son muy parecidos”, señala el Chatón, “venimos de una base muy buena de trabajo en las selecciones menores, no es difícil cuando el sistema es casi el mismo”.

Un proceso que, además, ha tenido resultado, tanto con los triunfos colectivos, como en el plano individual para Enríquez, ganador del Balón de Bronce en Colombia 2011. “Creo que los buenos resultados han ayudado a cambiar mucho la mentalidad en México. Ahora los niños pequeños nos ven ganadores, nos ven sin temor. Creo que eso es importante, hemos logrado transmitirles otras sensaciones con nuestros logros, y conseguir que nos vean como ejemplo”, afirma el jugador.

Un camino ascendente

En general, los mediocampistas defensivos en México se caracterizan por ser bajos de estatura y muy luchadores. Enríquez no cumple con el molde habitual. Con su 1,90 metros y un físico poderoso, no han faltado las comparaciones con Yaya Touré, un parecido que el azteca considera un halago. “Es un jugador que inspira mucha confianza y se tira el equipo al hombro, es uno de mis referentes. Sergio Busquets también es un jugador al que trato de parecerme. Los dos tienen mucha calidad y se puede aprender mucho de ellos”.

Y como sus dos modelos, Enríquez sería feliz vistiendo una camiseta azul y grana en el futuro, un anhelo que se extiende a la idea de jugar en una liga importante en Europa. “Es un sueño, he luchado muy fuerte para ello. Sería increíble para mí, y uno de mis grandes deseos. Esperemos que se dé algo pronto. Me encantaría estar en la liga española, en el Barcelona, aunque la Premier League e Italia me harían mucha ilusión también”.

Grandes esperanzas, aunque por el momento el presente se llama El Salvador, equipo al que, con la selección mexicana, enfrentará el martes 16 de octubre. El Chatón está listo para responder presente, si es requerido por el técnico. “Los vi cuando jugaron contra México en la ida, este tipo de equipos te complican porque no tienen nada qué perder, juegan sin presión y eso los hace muy peligrosos. Tenemos que trabajar el partido si queremos ganarlo”, analiza.

Pero sea cual sea el resultado, México ya está en el Hexagonal Final de CONCACAF y, para terminar, Enríquez no puede esconder sus ganas de que estos partidos representen el primer paso para un largo y exitoso trayecto vestido en los colores verde, blanco y rojo. “A partir de aquí es donde empieza ese sueño, esa pelea por llegar al Mundial. Quiero jugarlo, disfrutarlo y darle una alegría a México, y voy a luchar con todas mis energías para hacerlo”, finaliza emocionado.

French Guyana moves on in Carib Cup

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - Gary Pigree had his second multi-goal game in three days and led French Guyana into the second round of Caribbean Cup qualifying with a 3-0 victory over host St. Kitts & Nevis on Sunday.

Combined with Trinidad & Tobago´s 10-0 win over Anguilla earlier Sunday, French Guyana finished second in Group 5 with six points and a plus-3 goal difference. That eclipsed Group 4 runner-up B Barbados - which was eliminated with six points and plus-1 goal difference.

The results mean Trinidad, which already had clinched the Group 5 title, will host Group 8 in the second round with Cuba, Suriname and the Group 2 runner-up November 14-18, while French Guyana joined host Grenada, Haiti and the Group 2 winner in Group 6 November 14-18.

Pigree, who scored three goals in Friday´s 4-1 victory over Anguilla, put French Guyana ahead in the seventh minute. Jean-Claude Darcheville added his second goal in three games in the eight minute to immediately double the lead, and Pigree assured the victory with a second in the 72nd.

This is the only the third time since 1998 that French Guyana has competed in the Caribbean Cup and first since 2005, which it reached the third round before being eliminated.

In the earlier game, Jamaal Gay scored four goals, Keon Daniel had three and Willis Plaza added two to pace Trinidad over Anguilla.

All three had scored in Trinidad´s 4-1 opening win over French Guyana on Wednesday. Gay and Daniel had the Soca Warriors ahead 2-0 by the 11th minute, Gay added two more by the 32nd and the two combined for another three to have Trinidad in command 7-0 by halftime.

Sylvester Teesdale completed the scoring in the 71st.