WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao (AP) — There won't be millions of people from Curaçao cheering on their national team in the World Cup, because Curaçao doesn't have millions of people.
Before the tournament even begins, Curaçao has already crafted a story like none other in World Cup history. A tiny island country — autonomous territory, if you prefer — of about 156,000 residents in the Caribbean is now the smallest, both in terms of population and land mass, to make it to soccer's biggest stage.
And if that wasn't enough, it's doing so under a coach in Dick Advocaat who, at 78, is about to become the oldest the tournament has ever seen.
Proving the Doubters Wrong
They know what the world is probably thinking: Their country is too small, their coach is too old, they don't have a chance.
They heard all that through the qualifying process as well — and here they are.
"We have made history," Curaçao defender Sherel Floranus said. "We are writing our own history, for this island."
The way they see it, they've already won.
The Road to Qualification
They rolled through qualifying, going 4-0-0 against Haiti, Saint Lucia, Aruba and Barbados in their opening round, then going 3-0-3 against Jamaica, Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago in the next round to grab their spot — one of three that were available for 32 teams who went to qualifying from North America, Central American and the Caribbean.
A Country of Contrasts
Just how small is Curaçao? Its first World Cup stop — a June 14 match against Germany in Houston — is to a city with 15 times as many people as the island. The stadium in Houston could hold about one-half of Curaçao's entire population.
It has been a perfect storm to get here. First, the three host nations for this World Cup — the U.S., Mexico and Canada — were exempt from qualifying and already were in the tournament field. And this inaugural edition of an expanded 48-team tournament made it inevitable that there would be some surprise teams getting to the World Cup.
Like, for example, Curaçao. Surprise! With odds of +250000 at some sportsbooks, Curaçao is the longest of long shots in the field.
"We know there is a big chance that we don't win the World Cup, but that we (made it) there ... for Curaçao, a very, very, very good moment," said Remko Bicentini, a former pro player and Curaçao's former national team head coach. "We are proud of that.
"It is a party for the whole Curaçao. It's a big level and all the players ... we worked years, for years, for years, very hard to become where we now are."
Dutch Roots, Caribbean Pride
Curaçao's sports history is sometimes masked by its Dutch ties. The island was part of the Netherlands Antilles until October 2010, when it became a more autonomous "constituent country" of the Netherlands.
The Dutch monarchy still reigns, the citizens remain Dutch nationals and the Netherlands government oversees defense and foreign affairs. And this week, Curaçao's World Cup preparations are happening in the Netherlands — a nine-hour direct flight away, but a place where the team was greeted with "welcome home" signage.
The sense is clearly that the results at the tournament won't mean much. Winning a match would be magical. Tying one would be cause for celebration. Just being there, for those from Curaçao, is a victory in itself.
"I always saw other countries play the World Cup," said Michael Stokkel, a policeman. "I was a fan of Brazil, but now I will be a fan of my own country. It's an incredible feeling."
He's going to the World Cup, but by himself. It's just too expensive to bring others, he said.
It's not unheard of for athletes from Curaçao to compete on the international stage. The rare part here is that they're doing it actually as "Curaçao." There have been unsuccessful attempts for the nation to be recognized as its own Olympic team; athletes compete in the Summer Games either for the Netherlands or for individual sports.