Cuba Walk Off in Protest After Romario Goal

[Winnipeg Fury]

Cuba walk off in protest after Romario goal

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 27 (Reuters) - Cuba's national team walked off the pitch in protest during a practice match against Brazilian club Fluminense on Thursday after veteran striker Romario scored what they claimed to be an offside goal.

Cuba's Peruvian coach Miguel Company said his side were already upset at having two goals disallowed earlier in the game when they abandoned the game while trailing 3-2 in the 75th minute.

"There was no reason to do this in a game like this," he told reporters.

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"We were already irritated with the disallowed goals and when he allowed Romario's goal we decided to leave the game."

Cuba, whose only World Cup appearance was in Italy in 1938 when they lost 8-0 to Sweden in the quarter-finals, are spending ten days in Brazil to prepare for their next matches in the qualifying competition for 2006.

They face Costa Rica over two legs next month.

Thirty-eight-year-old Romario, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994, scored twice with Fabio Bala adding the other goal for Fluminense, who are seventh in the Brazilian championship.

Lester More and Gisbel Morales replied for the Caribbean islanders.

The match was played at a barracks at the foot of Rio de Janeiro's Sugar Loaf mountain.