De Armas listed absent for Cuba's game with Canada

Washington Post/

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Cuba has listed midfielder Yosmel de Armas as absent Monday night against Canada in the CONCACAF men’s Olympic qualifying tournament.

De Armas played Saturday night in a 4-0 loss to El Salvador, but was listed as not present for the final game in the Group A round-robin tournament.

CONCACAF had no immediate comment.

Cuban soccer players have a history of defecting during tournaments in North America.

Two players went missing from the Cuban women’s team for its final game at an Olympic qualifying tournament in January in Vancouver. Seven members of the men’s Under-23 team defected during a CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Tampa, Fla., in 2008, and men’s national team player Yosniel Mesa defected last year after a game in Charlotte, N.C., during the CONCACAF Gold Cup.