I wanted to get a better understanding of the significance of this final game between Cuba and T&T to see who had more at stake as far as the development of the game in their respective countries was concerned and the intangible\tangible factors affecting them either positively or negatively.
You know they say when you think you have it bad, your next door neighbor has it worse. Well, Cuba is not exactly next door neighbors but literally speaking they can be considered just that - neighbors. They happen to be, arguably, the largest Caribbean nation in the region, population wise, and the first Caribbean country to play in a FIFA sponsored World Cup. Yeah, that distinction belongs to Cuba and not Jamaica. But later on that fact. Anyway, this is a little history on Cuba and football in that big little Caribbean nation, if you will:
From BBC News, Havana, Cuba - Euro 2012 football fever hits baseball-loving Cuba. By Sarah Rainsford
"Support for football has grown a lot among young Cubans in recent years," "It's a football revolution," says student Manuel Alejandro "There are more fans here every day. Euro 2012 has had people glued to their TV sets across the island."
"We're not just following the championship, it has paralysed Cuba. All young Cubans are watching and they know every detail," says Carlos Mendez. The taxi driver is head of Cuba's very own fan club for Spanish club Barcelona's star striker, Lionel Messi. His Havana home is plastered with pictures of the player.
It is illegal to have satellite TV at home here, but state TV is carrying the championship live and it is on screens in bars, homes, even supermarkets. "Since they started showing football on TV here, support for the game has been growing. Now it is a passion," Carlos says. Baseball is on TV every day during the National Series. But it was not until 1998 that a football World Cup was screened live.
Now El Clasico - the Real Madrid-Barcelona clash in Spain - is shown live too, and one European league game is chosen for rebroadcast every week. There are still problems: if state TV is not showing a "Barca" (Barcelona) match, he has to run around Havana's hotels trying to catch it on satellite. But at least he can now get in. Cubans were not allowed to enter hotels until 2008.
While passion for international football is mounting, the domestic game lags far behind.
Football enthusiasts know very little about Cuban league teams. Travelling between provinces to matches costs money and is complicated. There is little media coverage, and even the Cup final is not televised. "I watch every Barcelona match, but I've never been to see Havana play," admits Carlos Mendez, and his Messi fan club friends all agree. "I just don't follow them. It's not the same quality."
Havana's main football stadium is a neglected, sorry-looking place, its facade faded and its rough pitch covered in long grass better suited to Sunday league football than international fixtures.
Cuba has not made it to a World Cup since 1938.
Still, when the national side took on Canada in a recent World Cup qualifier to try to change that, a few thousand hopeful fans turned out, faces painted, flags and hooters in hand. "We have more success in baseball and boxing. I think our footballers could do the same, they just need the opportunities," said Jose Gomez, wrapped in a Barcelona flag.
"And if they can't play in foreign leagues, they will never get better," he added.
Professional football, like all sport, was abolished in Cuba with the revolution.
"Our pitches are bad, there are no good trainers. The team has to take public transport while baseball players get cars," says another fan, Yosef Borraya.
"If one day they start getting results they'll suddenly get everything they need. But that's the wrong way round!" he complains.
Those in charge of the game here accept there are problems.
"Our football pitches and stadiums need improving for official competitions. And we need to work from the bottom up with young players," says Antonio Garces Segura, vice president of Cuba's Football Association. Meantime, there is no denying Cuba's enduring passion for baseball.
Cuban children play baseball. Baseball is still entrenched as Cuba's national sport
Every day, a group of men lock horns in furious debate under the shade of palm-trees in a central Havana square.
It looks like a fight from a distance, with voices raised and arms waving wildly. But the men are discussing the latest game.
"There's no tradition of football here," one man explains, in a break in the shouting match. "We've been playing baseball for generations."
They say the sport runs in their blood.
But what if a big ball game and El Clasico match were both scheduled for the same day?
"People of my age would go to the baseball," says Gilberto, in his 60s. "But the young would watch the football," he laughs.
It is a big swing in allegiance.
Cuba's national sport still gets most of the official attention and funding.
But when it comes to luring fans, football has emerged as a strong competitor.
This final game between these two Caribbean nations is not just about pride but it is about two football programs going in two different directions. Both trying to claim a spot in the next FIFA sponsored World Cup. This game will reveal a whole lot about each.
