Curacao, a Caribbean island nation of under 200,000 people formerly tied to the Dutch West Indies, has qualified for the World Cup for the first time. The team will now be linked forever with its historic football achievement.
The island is also the origin of blue curacao liqueur, made from the laraha citrus fruit that grows only there. The flesh is too bitter to eat, yet the dried peel yields an aromatic oil processed by a Dutch distillery into the liqueur known as cream of the sky. Blue coloring was added purely for visual appeal.
The national side is coached by 78-year-old Dick Advocaat of the Netherlands, now handling his 28th international assignment. He has previously led teams from Iraq, Serbia, Russia, Belgium, South Korea and the UAE, plus various clubs. Curacao features players including the Bacuna brothers, Juninho, Chong and Martha. Tahiti Chong, once at Manchester United, stands out for his distinctive hairstyle.
Advocaat returned after a family break to care for his daughter. He has called the qualification one of his career highlights and praised the players and staff. The side defeated Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica, Aruba, St Lucia and Haiti 5-1 in qualifying, though it lost friendlies to China, Australia and Scotland.
Ranked 82nd, Curacao opens against Germany. The coach noted the squad consists of paid amateurs and stressed the need to adapt tactics. He believes underdogs can still advance with two or three points.
Beyond football, the name Curacao also refers to a traditional Dutch egg-yolk liqueur, and reports indicate Advocaat himself abstains from alcohol.
