Curaçao ready for landmark World Cup opener against Germany

Curaçao are heading into their first World Cup match carrying excitement, national pride and the weight of a rare sporting milestone, with four-time winners Germany waiting in their opening game.

On Sunday, the Caribbean island of about 150,000 residents will set a new mark as the smallest nation to appear at the World Cup.

Coach Dick Advocaat has tried to steady the group through the build-up, encouraging his players to stay composed while taking in an experience none of them has had before.

"Just be yourself, and don’t be nervous," defender Shurandy Sambo said Advocaat told the squad shortly before they departed their Florida training base for Houston. "Of course everybody is excited, but just be yourself, show yourself, because this is the biggest stage."

The Curaçao camp has put in extensive preparation for the debut assignment. Germany, contesting the tournament for the 21st time, enter as strong favourites.

"We’ve watched a lot of clips of Germany. How they play, what they can do," Sambo said.

Advocaat believes the heavier burden rests with established sides such as Germany, saying Curaçao have "everything to win and nothing to lose" as they approach the fixture.

The coach said his team are capable of giving Germany a difficult night, even with the difference in size and pedigree between the nations.

"We are a minor, very small country compared to Germany and we’re going to make life very difficult for them," he said. "We’re going to be a very unpleasant team to play."

For Curaçao, the occasion goes beyond one match. The squad are carrying the hopes of a country that does not often get a platform of this scale in global sport.

Because of Curaçao’s close links to the Netherlands, the island is not treated as a separate nation at the Olympics. Its baseball talent has also long been visible internationally, but Curaçao-born players represent the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic.

"We are not here to just be here," midfielder Ar’jany Martha said. "We want to show ourselves and get good results."

Although Curaçao’s population is small, the players expect strong backing in the stands. Sambo said his relatives will be there, along with the families of 21 other squad members.

Defender Livano Comenencia said the unity in the group has been a major part of their run to this point.

"I (would describe us) as one big family," he said. "If you see us on the bus or outside the bus, in the hotel, we are always with music, always happy. Everybody is around each other."