Cuba Chasing a Dream
For a team that was initially banned from attending the World Baseball Classic, Cuba finally made it, proved its quality against teams peppered with major league stars and now chases the dream of a triple crown.

"Two months ago, the Cubans were unsure the US Treasury Department would grant them a license so they could participate in the inaugural tournament. Now, they're one win away from accomplishing what 14 other teams were unable to do: win the whole thing," highlights MLB.Com.

The Cubans have now the chance of a rematch against the Japanese nine that beat the Caribbean aces 6-3 in Athens 2004, but as the Asians lost to Australia in the semifinals, there was no way of a payback.

Petco Park in San Diego provides now the stage for what the managers of both teams have predicted it´s going to be a great game.

"We know the Asians," Cuban manager Higinio Velez said. "We have played against the Asians, we know how the Asian teams play, and they´re great players. They put everything into the field, great effort, very similar to Latin American players," he told the press before the Korea-Japan game on Saturday night.

"They play hard, they have their tactics, they have their technique, and all I can say," he stressed, "is that you will have a wonderful game [Monday]."

For his part, Japan skipper Sadaharu Oh expressed: "One thing I can tell for sure is that we can show a great performance in Monday´s game against the Cuban team."

"Whether we win or lose," he continued, "we will play the game with a lot of heart and a lot of pride that we came to the final game of this [World Baseball Classic]."

In search of their dreams, the Cubans had to beat teams full of major league aces, like Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. They avenged earlier defeats against the Dominicans and Puerto Ricans.

Reaching the finals in international competition, MLB.Com recalls, is nothing new to the Cubans. Monday´s finals mark the 37th time they´ve advanced to the championship game, spanning years of Olympic participation, World Cups, Intercontinental Cups and now, the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

The last time Cuba finished lower than second in an international tournament was 1951, when the team placed third in the World Cup in Mexico.

The inaugural WBC was supposed to feature two powerhouse clubs full of major league aces in the final game, particularly the USA against either Venezuela or Dominican Republic. Yet, the tournament came down to a stunning surprise.

Cuba defeated the Dominican Republic, 3-1, in the semifinals, while the Japanese finally beat Korea on the third try in this tournament, 6-0, after losing two previous games against the Koreans.

All´s set at Petco Park for a stunning surprise final.