Cuban team and New York Cosmos to hold friendly match

New York Cosmos captain spoke on Monday in Havana about "special" friendly match that will take place on Tuesday.

The U.S. club will play against Cuban national team at the 'Pedro Marrero' stadium in the island's capital.

"It will be a very special meeting which has generated many expectations," said captain Carlos Mendes, 34, after a training session in Cuba's main football stadium which can hold 30,000 fans.

The New York team arrived on the Caribbean island on Sunday night in preparation for the friendly match which has given rise to great expectations amongst Cuban football lovers.

Included in the Cosmos team are former captain for Spanish side Real Madrid, striker Raul Gonzalez and also Brazilian midfielder Marco Senna.

Former Brazilian football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pele, 74, will also accompany the team after a prostate operation last month.

"The result (of the match) is important but we know that we will face a strong team therefore we have to wait and see what happens," said Mendes.

This will be the first sporting encounter between a Cuban and U.S. team since the historic announcement last December initiating talks to normalize relations between the two countries after half a century of clashes.

It is also the first time a U.S. football team has travelled to the Caribbean island since 1978 when Chicago Sting played against the Cuban national team.

The match forms part of a series of friendlies organized by the Football Association of Cuba (AFC) in preparation of their participation in the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONACAF) Gold Cup. The tournament will take place from July 7 to 26 in the U.S.

In the Gold Cup Cuba will play in group C against Mexico, Guatemala, and Trinidad and Tobago. Enditem