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It isn't just the inevitable love of giant killing and empathy for the underdog that has thrust Guadeloupe into the CONCACAF Gold Cup limelight after their unlikely 2-1 victory over in-form Canada, it was the quality of football that had many singing their praises and counting on more surprises to come.
The unheralded and unknown of side served notice in a 1-1 opening-night draw with Caribbean stalwarts Haiti before stunning the Canucks with a couple of top-drawer goals. A 1-0 reversal to Costa Rica in their last Group A match on Monday night, coupled with Canada's 2-0 win over Haiti, now has Guadeloupe waiting on pins and needles but still looking good to qualify as one of the best third-place finishers.
And even such a slender advancement would be quite a remarkable achievement for the men who came into the competition as rank outsiders, having never before qualified for the tournament or any regional event save for a single participation at the CONCACAF U-20 championship back in 1992.
The other French national team
Not actually a 'national' side at all, the Caribbean archipelago is a French Overseas Department - their currency is the Euro - Guadeloupe (population 452,000) have left a surprising mark on the 2007 Gold Cup finals after qualifying by reaching the semi-finals of the Caribbean Cup.
Former French international Jocelyn Angloma, who played over 400 times for top European clubs and represented France at UEFA EURO 1992 and 1996, came out of international retirement to lead the side in the regional qualifying tournament. The 41 year-old former Inter Milan and Valencia winger (now moved to the centre of midfield) curled in an 85th-minute free kick goal to hand the Guadeloupeans a 2-1 win over favourites Cuba that propelled them into a qualifying semi-final position.
A 3-1 loss to fellow finalists Haiti in the last four could not dampen the spirit of the side, who feature just less than half domestic-based amateur players -- including Angloma, currently toiling away for Etoile de Morne-à-l'Eau. Twelve players were based in Europe this past season, including four who competed in the top division in leagues in England (David Sommeil at Sheffield United), France (Aurélien Capoue at relegated Nantes) and The Netherlands (Franck Grandel and Loic Loval at Utrecht).
There are seven other players battling away in France's lower leagues, and the team definitely take their queue from 1998 FIFA World Cup champion Les Bleus. As Technical Director since 2001 Roger Salnot said before the finals: "Certainly most of the players are most used to the French manner of playing. We are technically very good, yet also very organised."
"That one will stay in my memories"
Three nights after they manhandled 2006 FIFA World Cup participants Costa Rica 2-1 in their opener, Canada were heavily favoured against the solid defence and intelligent counterattacking of Guadeloupe. But two long-range shots and an impressive fighting spirit shocked continental observers, and when the smoke had cleared, the islanders sat atop the table.
Once again Angloma was the spark, and the midfielder opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he gathered a clearance from Canadian defender Richard Hastings and launched a precise 35-yard chip of the goalkeeper.
"I anticipated the goalie charging, and I tried to lob him," he said after being named man of the match. "It was a beautiful goal, and I haven't scored many in my career so that one will definitely stay in my memories."
Even after Canada equalised in the 35th minute, the Guadeloupeans held firm in front of a largely supportive 25,000 fans and claimed a winner three minutes later through David Fleurival's curving 30-yard blast.
Holding on to the dream
The 1-0 reversal to the Ticos on Monday night has dented the side's chances of advancing - Costa Rica claimed the head-to-head tiebreaker to finish second in Group A - but none of their confidence or resolve. They are now waiting anxiously for results from Groups B and C to see if they are one of the two best third-place teams.
And though they were clearly fatigued by the second half of their third contest in five days, they fought the highly regarded FIFA World Cup veterans to a virtual standstill.
"We are not used to this type of competition," admitted Salnot after the defeat. What worked against us is that the side that we played tonight and also played on Saturday and also played during the week. Due to the lack of players on our substitutes' bench, you could tell at the end of the game that the players were getting tired. It was hard for them to get things going. We didn't have the strength on the bench to make a difference."
Whether they go through or not, it's clear that little Guadeloupe already achieved a major victory -- putting themselves into the minds of CONCACAF's elite. And, if they advance, they could definitely pull another surprise or two.
As Angloma said recently: "We are playing in the Gold Cup to draw the attention of the world to our islands and the quality of our football ... If we advance, that will really get us moving forward. This is great for the country and for football in Guadeloupe."
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