Curaçao makes soccer history as smallest nation by population to qualify for a World Cup

KINGSTON Jamaica AP The tiny Caribbean island country Cura ao will go to the World Cup as the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the marquee event in men s soccer Cura ao an autonomous territory of about people within the Netherlands kingdom takes the record of Iceland with a population of just over which was the previous smallest country to reach the World Cup when it qualified for Russia A unit relying heavily on players born and raised in the Netherlands rode its luck Tuesday to take a - draw in Jamaica and finish top of a four-team group Its other opponents were Trinidad and Tobago and last-place Bermuda Cura ao has actively recruited from its diaspora getting permission from FIFA within world soccer s rules to change the national-team eligibility of five players since August who once represented the Netherlands at youth or Under- level Defender Joshua Brenet even played a World Cup qualifying tournament for the Netherlands in Tahith Chong a former Manchester United youth member is one of the insufficient squad members born in Cura ao which was called Netherlands Antilles until getting its autonomy years ago A storied Dutch coach has led Cura ao on to the elite stage for the first expanded -team World Cup in the United States Canada and Mexico Dick Advocaat at age is set to lead his third crew at a World Cup and his second in the U S He took his native Netherlands to the quarterfinals at the edition and coached South Korea at the World Cup in Germany Cura ao s adventure is set to put players from unheralded clubs on the biggest stage The squad that clinched qualification included players from Rotherham in England s third-tier league Band rmaspor in the Turkish second division and Abha in Saudi Arabia Cura ao got the historic product despite not having Advocaat on the bench He missed the match in Jamaica because he had to return to the Netherlands last weekend for family reasons His crew rode its luck in Kingston as Jamaica struck the woodwork three times in the second half A potentially decisive penalty kick awarded to the home unit in stoppage time was overturned after a video review Cura ao will be joined by regional neighbors Panama and Haiti which also booked their World Cup spots Tuesday Panama advanced to its second World Cup after defeating El Salvador - on first-half goals from C sar Blackman and Erick Davis plus Jose Luis Rodriguez late in the contest Panama s only previous World Cup appearance was in It overtook Suriname another Dutch-influenced association which started play atop the group before losing - against Guatemala Haiti a troubled Caribbean country had a surprising campaign and beat Nicaragua - to win its group over favorites Honduras and Costa Rica which was a quarterfinalist at the World Cup Haiti s only previous trip to the World Cup was in West Germany in The Caribbean and central American results Tuesday also finalized the six teams which will take part in the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico in March Two teams will qualify from the playoffs which includes Jamaica and Suriname plus Iraq from Asia Congo from Africa Bolivia from South America and New Caledonia from Oceania