246 years. That’s how long it’s been since representatives of the world’s most powerful nations gathered in Paris to divide up the planet following the end of the Seven Year war – an event, two and a half centuries later, which will shape the outcome of a football match this weekend.
On Saturday, the USA will take on tiny Guadeloupe in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup in Philadelphia.
It was Guadeloupe’s 2-0 loss to Mexico on Monday (ADST), which secured the tiny Caribbean archipelago’s place in the quarter finals, but the path to Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field began at that meeting in Paris.
At the time, France gave most of modern-day Canada to the British in exchange for control of Guadeloupe, a group of five tiny islands and a 4,800-foot volcano on the eastern edge of the Caribbean.
On the surface it seems like a poor deal, with the English getting all of Canada’s timber and mineral rich terrain but now it’s starting to prove fruitful.
You could be forgiven for thinking Guadeloupe is something you put on Nachos, but the truth is they have a rich football history.
In the last 30 years they’ve provided more footballers to the French national team then nearly any other French region.
Lillian Thuram, Marius Trésor and Pascal Chimbonda were all born in Guadeloupe while Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord, Eric Abidal, Gaël Clichy, Louis Saha and William Gallas all have strong links with the region.
In 2006, for three brief minutes, the entire Les Bleus back four was made up of Guadeloupeans, in Pascal Chimbonda, Lillian Thuram, William Gallas and Mikel Silvestre. With Thuram, Guadeloupe has even produced a world cup winner.
Unfortunately the region itself has never qualified for the World Cup or even been allowed to enter qualification.
As an overseas department of the French Republic, it is not a member of FIFA.
However, Guadeloupe is a member of CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).
This means that while the world’s biggest single sporting event is a no go zone for them, Guadeloupe can enter the Gold Cup and they’ve done so with great aplomb.
In 2007, after qualifying for their first major senior international tournament, they made it as far as the Semi-Finals of the Gold Cup before losing to Mexico 1-0.
This was the best finish by a Caribbean island team since Trinidad and Tobago reached the Semi-Finals of the tournament in 2000.
Saturday’s Gold Cup match against the USA is a quarterfinal tie and is another remarkable achievement.
If this team is achieving so much with all the restrictions that are placed upon them, imagine what they could do with FIFA membership and a full strength side.
North American football journalist Sean Wheelock, who is not only one of the nicest commentators I’ve ever had the pleasure of interviewing but a brilliant journalist in his own right, said on BBC Radio last week that he is certain that given the opportunity Guadeloupe would have qualified for the 2010 World Cup.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine the Federation Francaise de Football agreeing to this (clearly they have plenty to loose) and we know how stringent FIFA are in terms of granting membership now.
This means Guadeloupians and football lovers in general are missing out.
The most appalling thing about this set of circumstances is that CONCACAF’s World Cup qualification needs another developed football country. The fact that every four years the same teams, more or less, play off against one another is one of the things holding the region back.
So for now we must rely on enjoying Guadeloupe’s achievements every two years.
The US won over a lot of people after their Confederations Cup heroics but this weekend I’ll be hoping those plucky little players, from five little islands in the Caribbean, remind Sepp Blatter exactly what “in the spirit of the game” means.
MVDave
Guest
Great story about the return of football to Iraq vs Palestine with 2 matches the second in Baghdad on the 13/7/09. Fantastic for the locals to finally begin to see a return to some level of normality. The NY Times has an article on the symbolic nature of the game...well worth a read; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/world/middleeast/14soccer.html?ref=sports There are also some game highlights on You Tube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2XAyoEwhM The power of sport and football in particular. BTW Terrific article Davidde.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
In fact Palestine just lost to Iraq last week in Erbil (I think). The first international to be played in Iraq since 2003.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Yes, Palestine does have a team. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_national_football_team
The Phantom
Guest
Does Palastine have a team????
Slippery Jim
Guest
Wiliam Gallas is not Guadeloupean, his parents are. Gallas was born in Asnières-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris, and grew up in the Parisian suburb of Villeneuve-la-Garenne. He is a first generation Parisian, if you like. Silvestre was born in central France, at Chambray-lès-Tours. His father was from Guadeloupe. Therefore to say "the entire Les Bleus back four was made up of Guadeloupeans" for a moment in 2006, in including both Gallas and Silvestre is entirely fanciful. A very very similar article on this subject puts it more accurately: "The entire backline was of Guadeloupean descent". In any case, these players were certainly not produced by Guadeloupe in any real footballing sense of the word. http://www.haitiwebs.com/forums/soccer_fans/44778-tiny_guadeloupe_produces_some_finest_players_france.html Thierry Henry was also born and raised in Paris, in Les Ulis. His father is also from Guadeloupe, but not his mother. To imply that Guadeloupe 'produced' these players is really stretching the facts.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
I think much of it is just history, Phantom. Kiribati only decided to join FIFA a few years ago (I cannot remember exactly when however I believe it was 8 or 10 years ago) and there is no real football infrastructure to speak of (primarily as there is no real land to speak of). By then much of the FIFA nations debate had been settled and the historical anomalies accepted. no doubt now there are some sensible criteria in place that were not present when FIFA was founded. However as East Timor and Montenegro showed, it is still possible to enter FIFA as the landscape is not fixed. Still, to my knowledge Kiribati is the only internationally accepted independent nation to be rejected FIFA membership (I'm not sure if Tuvalu ever applied however they are also not a member). An interesting question that FIFA will need to face at some stage will be Kosovo. Now that debate will be interesting indeed.
The Phantom
Guest
Ben why then are there four teams from the UK. I also think theat the Faroe Islands are not an independant countary?
Brian
Guest
I see it can be a grey matter and goes back to exactly what is a nation. Tawain for example are not in the UN but are generally accepted as a nation for nearly all other purposes. Maybe New Caledonia, Faroe Is etc have greater autonomy than Guadelope but I am not sure as to FIFA reasoning. I agree with Davidde that one reason may be to ensure the US make the World Cup every 4 years, although based on recent qualifiers Guadelope spot would come at the expense of Costa Rica or even Mexico rather than the US
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
Kiribati's exclusion does have infrastructure rationale however as an independent nation it should be offered a chance on these grounds alone. New Caledonia is included yet it is not an independent nation, the same goes with Faroe Islands and Netherlands Antilles amongst others.
Brian
Guest
If they are not a nation they shouldn't be allowed in . FIFA is right. A much better example is Catalunya, they would also have a good team but no nation no team, simple as that. Not sure why Kirabiti is denied I would think it has something to do with infrastructure or registered players or something
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
The makeup of FIFA nations is indeed an interesting topic by itself. Kiribati has been denied entry despite the fact it is an independent nation and a member of the UN.