BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Curaçao is preparing for its historic World Cup debut against four-time champion Germany with a sense of excitement and pride.
On Sunday, the island nation of 150,000 people will become the smallest country ever to compete at the World Cup.
Coach Dick Advocaat has done his best to keep his players focused and relaxed as they navigate this unprecedented experience.
“Just be yourself, and don’t be nervous,” defender Shurandy Sambo said Advocaat told them, just before the team left its Florida base camp for Houston. “Of course everybody is excited, but just be yourself, show yourself, because this is the biggest stage.”
The Curaçao players have worked hard to ensure they are prepared for their debut. Germany, making its 21st appearance in the World Cup, is a heavy favorite.
“We’ve watched a lot of clips of Germany. How they play, what they can do,” Sambo said.
Advocaat said there is more pressure on teams like Germany that are considered favorites and that his team has “everything to win and nothing to lose.”
He's confident that Curaçao is ready for the challenge of facing Germany, which he referred to as a towering contender.
“We are a minor, very small country compared to Germany and we’re going to make life very difficult for them,” he said. “We’re going to be a very unpleasant team to play.”
Curaçao’s squad is representing a country that rarely has a chance to have moments as big as this on international sports stages.
Due to its strong Dutch ties, Curaçao is not recognized in the Olympics as its own nation, and despite its impressive per-capita production of professional baseball athletes, Curaçao players represent the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic.
“We are not here to just be here,” midfielder Ar’jany Martha said. “We want to show ourselves and get good results.”
Despite the country’s small population, Curaçao will have plenty of supporters to cheer them on as they make history. Sambo said his own family will be attending, as will 21 families of other players.
“I (would describe us) as one big family,” defender Livano Comenencia said. “If you see us on the bus or outside the bus, in the hotel, we are always with music, always happy. Everybody is around each other.”
Gracie Fisher is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken contributed to this story.
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
