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the soccer players in question arrived onto American shores in a less dangerous manner than these Haitian refugees, but their goals may be the same.

Crazy story from New York. I’ve been holding on to this hoping for more information, but this is what we know so far. Almost half of the U17 Haitian soccer team disappeared from JFK airport yesterday, with most believing they have been absorbed into the local Haitian community in hopes of defection. In hopes of a professional soccer career?

I’ve added updates to this story, including the news of the Cuban National Team defections. It was getting too long for the front page here, so I’ve put them after the jump…

From the Daily News:

“The apparent desertions dealt a major blow to Haitian soccer, which has been experiencing a resurgence of late after years of dismal performances. The U17s qualified for the biennial World Cup for the first time in the Caribbean nation’s history earlier this year, while the men’s team won the Caribbean Cup for the first time in January.”

From USA Today:

“Five or six of the 13 missing players had returned to John F. Kennedy International Airport and turned themselves in to team officials, said Felix Augustin, the Haitian consul in New York. It was unclear where the youngsters had been and why they had left the team, he said.”

It’s unclear why the youngsters left the team? These international, political, financial, human rights stories are never crystal clear, but that’s more about the mind games countries are forced to play in the name of sensitivity and political correctness than anything having to do with the facts - as exhibited by the fact that these reports make it a by-gone conclusion that they are attempting to defect. I’m sure this isn’t the last we hear of this story.

Noon Update:
11 players have been found. 2 still missing:

“Eyewitness News is told the members were located at several different locations, including at least two in another state, after vanishing during a stopover at the airport between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The Haitian Consulate said they are still searching for the final two missing children.”

Update #1.5; 3pm:

All the Haitian U17 players have been found.

Update #2:

Not to be outdone by it’s neighbor, two Cuban National Team players have defected from the Gold Cup squad.

From the Houston Chronicle:

“We know what you know,” said a Cuba team trainer, who declined to give his name. “We don’t know anything more. These two players left. They did not come back.” “No one here is keeping them from leaving,” he said in a brief interview at the team hotel. “If they leave, that’s their business. We don’t know where they are now. We don’t know who’s helping them. We don’t know if they’re coming back.”

The team’s coach then added:

“They went for the gold. I hope they don’t end up with thorns. The ones who take another road take it because they want to take it.”

WOW! With a contentious immigration bill falling apart in the U.S. Congress, with Castro ailing, with Haiti in near-constant poverty and turmoil, expect these stories to increase with people on both sides facing hard decisions. But will the pressure to find avenues around the need for defection increase?

Running away from problem is often easier than facing them. That goes for all sides of this issue.

These aren’t exactly American soccer issues, but some times soccer has to take a back seat to America. Which should include how we treat, aid, and affect our closest neighbors.