"Small island, big dreams" reads a poster for the football team of the Caribbean island of Curacao -- the smallest country ever, by population, to qualify for football's World Cup.
Since Curacao clinched qualification with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Jamaica in November, the 160,000 inhabitants of the Dutch island famed for its eponymous sapphire liqueur are riding the crest of the Blue Wave, as the national side is dubbed.
kAm%96 BF2=:7:42E:@? :D 6IA64E65 E@ 8:G6 E@FC:D> @? E96 A2C25:D:42= :D=2?5 @7 H9:E6 D2?5 362496D[ H9:49 C646:G65 `]d >:==:@? G:D:E@CD =2DE J62C[ 2 3@@DE]Â k^Am
kAm':D:E@C ?F>36CD H6C6 2=C625J FA `b A6C46?E :? E96 7:CDE E9C66 >@?E9D @7 E96 J62C]k^Am
kAmQu@@E32== :D AFEE:?8 FD @? E96 8=@32= >2A[Q !C:>6 |:?:DE6C v:=>2C !:D2D[ 9:>D6=7 2 7@C>6C 7@@E32==6C[ E@=5 pu! :? 2? :?E6CG:6H[ AC65:4E:?8 2 G:D:E@C :?7=FI]k^Am
kAmu2C 7C@> E96 =FIFCJ D627C@?E 9@E6=D 2?5 r2C:3362? 4CF:D6 D9:AD E92E 5@4< :? E96 A@CE @7 E96 42A:E2= (:==6>DE25[ 2 8C@FA @7 E66?286CD <:4< 2 32== 2C@F?5 2 5:CE A:E49 :? E96 =@H\:?4@>6 ?6:893@C9@@5 @7 uF:<]k^Am
kAm%96 A=2J6CD 2C6 7C@> 2 7@F?52E:@? 7@C J@F?8 A6@A=6 7C@> F?56CAC:G:=6865 324<8C@F?5D D6E FA 3J 7@C>6C sFE49\rFC242@2? >2?286C #6><@ q:46?E:?:[ H9@ A=2J65 AC@76DD:@?2= 7@@E32== :? E96 }6E96C=2?5D 2?5 =2E6C 4@24965 rFC242@]k^Am
kAm~? E96 82E6[ 2 >@E:G2E:@?2= D=@82? :? !2A:2>6?E@[ E96 4C6@=6 DA@<6? :? E96 sFE49 r2C:3362? :D=2?5D @7 pCF32[ q@?2:C6 2?5 rFC242@[ 25G:D6D J@F?8 A6@A=6 E@ E2<6 56DE:?J :? E96:C 92?5D]k^Am
kAmQ*@F 2C6 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C J@FC 7FEFC6[Q :E C625D]k^Am
k9am\ s:2DA@C2VD DE2CC:?8 C@=6 \k^9am
kAmQx7 J@F 4@>6 @? 9@=:52JD E@ rFC242@[ J@F D66 362496D 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 =@@<D A6C764E[Q q:46?E:?: D2:5] QqFE E96C6 2C6 2=D@ 2C62D H96C6 A@@C A6@A=6 =:G6]Qk^Am
kAmQ|2?J 72>:=:6D 92G6 E9C66[ 7@FC[ 7:G6 49:=5C6? 3FE ?@ >@?6J] (6 96=A E96> H96? E96J 5@?VE 92G6 6?@F89 E@ 62E[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm}6G6C@? p=36CE@[ @?6 @7 9:D J@F?8 5:D4:A=6D[ 5C62>D @7 36:?8 42==65 FA 7@C E96 ?2E:@?2= E62>[ 3FE E96 C@25 E@ D6=64E:@? :D =:EE6C65 H:E9 @3DE24=6D 7@C =@42= A=2J6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 :D=2?5 @H6D :ED (@C=5 rFA 36CE9 6?E:C6=J E@ :ED sFE49\32D65 5:2DA@C2[ E96 AC6D:56?E @7 rFC242@VD 7@@E32== 7656C2E:@?[ v:=36CE |2CE:?2[ 25>:EE65]k^Am
kAmQp== E96 A=2J6CD @? E96 ?2E:@?2= E62> A=2J :? 7@C6:8? =628F6D[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 @?=J E62> >6>36C 3@C? @? :? rFC242@[ %29:E9 r9@?8[ >@G65 E@ E96 }6E96C=2?5D 2E E96 286 @7 `b]k^Am
kAmqFE 7@@E32== :D :?4C62D:?8=J :? G@8F6 @? H92E 92D EC25:E:@?2==J 366? 2 32D632==\>25 :D=2?5]k^Am
kAmu656C2E:@? AC6D:56?E |2CE:?2 9@A6D E96 (@C=5 rFA H:== DH6== E96 C2?<D @7 E96 b[d__ E@ c[___ :D=2?56CD @77:4:2==J C68:DE6C65 :? 4=F3D E@ 52E6]k^Am
kAm%96 >@DE 72>@FD rFC242@2? :D A6C92AD 7@C>6C p;2I 2?5 q2C46=@?2 DE2C !2EC:4< z=F:G6CE[ H9@ H2D 3@C? E@ 2 $FC:?2>6D6 72E96C H9@ A=2J65 7@C E96 $@FE9 p>6C:42? 4@F?ECJ 2?5 2 >@E96C 7C@> rFC242@]k^Am
kAm%96 7@C>6C DEC:<6C E@=5 pu! 96 H2D QG6CJ 92AAJQ 23@FE rFC242@VD BF2=:7:42E:@?]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 72?E2DE:4 E92E E96 :D=2?5 :D :? E96 (@C=5 rFA[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQx? >J 52J[ W7@@E32==X H2D ?@E E92E 3:8 @? E96 :D=2?5 3FE E96 A=2J6CD 92G6 8:G6? rFC242@ G:D:3:=:EJ] xEVD :>A@CE2?E 7@C E96 7FEFC6[ 7@C E96 ?6IE 86?6C2E:@?[Q 25565 z=F:G6CE[ H9@ 4@24965 E96 rFC242@2? D:56 36EH66? a_`d 2?5 a_`e]k^Am
k9am\ %C6>3=6[ v6C>2?JP \k^9am
kAmrFC242@ 92D 366? 5C2H? 2=@?8D:56 t4F25@C[ xG@CJ r@2DE 2?5 7@FC\E:>6 (@C=5 rFA H:??6C v6C>2?J :? vC@FA t[ @?6 @7 E96 E@F896DE @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C pC86?E:?6 DE2C r=2F5:@ r2?:88:2[ H9@ EC2G6==65 E@ rFC242@ 7@C 2 C6E:C65 =686?5D E@FC?2>6?E \\ E@86E96C H:E9 #@?2=5:?9@[ z=F:G6CE[ E96 }6E96C=2?5DV (6D=6J $?6:;56C 2?5 xE2=JVD |2C4@ |2E6C2KK: \\ AC65:4E65 E96 (@C=5 rFA H@F=5 >@E:G2E6 E96 :D=2?5VD J@FE9 2?5 =625 E@ E96 6>6C86?46 @7 ?6H E2=6?E]k^Am
kAmQx7 E96J >2?286 E@ 86E E9C@F89 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 :E H@F=5 36 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ[Q 96 D2:5[ H9:=6 ?@E:?8 E92E E96 62C=J DE286D @7 E96 (@C=5 rFA 2C6 ?@E23=6 7@C AC@5F4:?8 DFCAC:D6D]k^Am
kAm%96 @AE:>:D> DH66A:?8 E96 :D=2?5 92D :?764E65 E96 @77:4:2= 72? DE@C6[ H96C6 =@42=D 2?5 E@FC:DED ;@DE=6 7@C rFC242@ 3=F6 ;6CD6JD[ 42AD 2?5 D42CG6D]k^Am
kAmpD 96 C:?8D FA D2=6D #@G:6? !6EC@?:=:2[ E96 a`\J62C\@=5 42D9:6C[ 36=:6G6D 7@@E32==VD 8C62ED H:== 36 9F>3=65 3J =@H=J rFC242@]k^Am
kAmQ(6 H:== 362E v6C>2?JPQ 96 AC65:4E65]k^Am
kAmA87^=23^43^D=2^9@=k^Am



