Soccer Fury in Cuba

Janis Hernandez

HAVANA TIMES — The World Cup just began two days ago and the fans do nothing but talk about who will take the title. In Cuba the love of the game has grown in a surprising way, despite baseball being the most popular sport.

But the fact is that the younger generations are developing a passion for the sport of multitudes. Nowadays there isn’t a street or park without a group of boys and young kids and not so young men too, kicking a ball and making predictions of who will win in Brazil 2014.

In my neighborhood the fans has been divided into two groups, one favoring the defending champion Spain and others the host Brazilians. A third small group is in favor of other European countries.

There are discussions, betting, and the most fun is how the stalwarts of the South American giant, start early in morning blaring out samba music and wear green and yellow shorts and shirts. Fans of Spain have hung on that country’s flag on their balconies.

I’m not really much of a soccer fan, but I enjoy seeing and hearing those immersed in it. Although sometimes I get a little upset because the noise never seems to stop.

Right now, while writing this post, I had to send my little neighbors to play in the parking lot, because the noise of the balls would not let me concentrate. The strange thing is that there was a knock at the front door. Opening for my aunt was 68 years after greeting me, she asked:

“Who are you for in the World Cup?”
“Brazil”, I answered
“I’m for Argentina”, she said.

It seems that everyone more or less is in the midst of great passion for soccer.