Cuba in WBC: from resurrection to the semifinals in Miami

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 17 (ACN) After a historic resurrection in pool play as its MLB members gradually tapered, Team Cuba is closing ranks for a triumph on Sunday in one of the semifinal games of the 5th World Baseball Classic at Miami’s LoanDepot Park.

Those who played in the Cuban Elite League managed to blend in with their fellow countrymen who have made headlines in both Japanese and American professional baseball to earn their second semifinalist inclusion since their debut in WBC in 2006.

The Cubans got over a major stumble in the first two games, with back-to-back losses against the Netherlands (4-2) and Italy (6-3), but showed true grit to beat Panama (13-4) and the local Chinese Taipei (7-1) and advanced to the semifinals with a win 4-3 win over Australia in Tokyo, where the Aussie head coach summarized by saying, “Hats off to Cuba”.

The Australian perhaps gave the clarion call for what may happen Sunday, when Cuba plays against the winner of an interesting clash between two powerhouses, U.S.A. and Venezuela, both of which boast a roster of excellent professional players.

Indeed, Cuba will not take to the field as the favorite to win, but the brave members of the so-called “Team Asere”, who are united in their wish to be worthy of the national uniform they wear, have much to gain and little to lose.

The atmosphere of the game is likely to become tense, since the networks are already heating up with the presumable presence in the Miami stadium of a group prone to create problems in the stands for Cuba’s presence in this event with a unified team rather than one made up exclusively of MLB players.