/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16334381/173199466.0.jpg)
Imagine if the United States was prepping for a midfield battle against Osvaldo Alonso. And Alonso had Yordany Alvarez with him. Cuba probably still wouldn't nick a point off the U.S., but at least it would be a challenge and the play of the American midfielders would actually be worth tracing and evaluating.
Instead, Cuba comes in short-handed as always, and worse than usual. Anyone who saw their opener, or them in World Cup qualifying, knows that this isn't Cuba's best team. Sounds like another easy win for the U.S. albeit not Belize easy.
Ryan: My great grandfather is from Cuba so I grew up with a taste of the island. Cuban food? Check. Cigars? Check. Playing the guitar on the stoop while wearing a fedora and drinking whiskey? Check. My abuelito was the best. He was also a baseball fan, not a soccer fan because, seriously, Cuban soccer. 3-0 to the red, white and blue.
Zach: Cuban food is quite tasty and aside from that troublesome Marxist–Leninist single-party state government situation over the past decades, I've got no beef with the island. As for the match between the USA and Cuba, this should be another easy win for the USA, though probably a little more challenging than that Belize rout. Since FOX has the broadcast and that's never a good thing, I recommend putting on some Buena Vista Social Club tunes and enjoy what should be a 4-1 victory for MURICA.
Phillip: Um... I don't know much about Cuba's team aside from the fact that at least one of them will never play for Cuba again at the end of this tournament. I do believe that Cuba is a better team than Belize, and Belize (Are they the Belizians? Wikipedia tells me that they're the Jaguars. Interesting.) scored a goal on us. I'm going to take the Yanks winning this one 3-1.
Follow @StarsStripesFC on Twitter | Like Stars and Stripes FC on Facebook
More from SSFC
• Brek "Sharknado" Shea has arrived
• New challenge awaits Jozy at Sunderland
• The U.S. returns to Soccer City, USA
• USWNT to play September friendly vs. Mexico