The 2,500 to 1 Long Shot

Curaçao, a small ilsand nation in the Caribbean Sea, has an incredible opportunity to make history by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup . With odds of 2,500 to 1, Curaçao is considered a long shot, but the island is filled with excitement and support for their national team, the Blue Wave.

The odds of Curaçao winning the FIFA World Cup are 2,500 to 1, longer than those for any country in the tournament's history. But already they are champions of sorts. Because never has such a small country, both by population and size, qualified for the finals.

A Village Like No Other

Curaçao has a population of 158,000 – not far off that of Oxford – and is 38 miles long and up to eight miles wide.. It's part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, albeit strictly self-governing, and sits 40 miles off Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea near two other Dutch islands, Aruba and Bonaire.

The opening of the Queen Juliana Bridge in 1974 in its charming capital,Willemstad, was a big deal and, so, too, was the day in 1634 when the Dutch arrived and built the fort, the walls of which still stand.

Football Fever

But now it's gone football crazy. Billboards proclaim 'one island, one dream'; 'the wait is over' and 'the day has come'. The whole island is over the moon, Gary – and rightly so.

When Curaçao plays mighty Germany in its opening match on June 14 in Houston, every man, woman and child – plus, I dare say, the resident iguanas, of which there are many – will be glued to TVs supporting the Blue Wave, as the team is known.

The Gorre Family's Special Connection

Magali Gorre, the mother of Kenji Gorre,the team's speedy winger, has special reasons for feeling elated. Mrs. Gorre's husband – Kenji's father – is Dean Gorre, the team's assistant coach.

'We don't have a chance on paper – but the ball is round, so anything can happen,' says Mr. Gorre, a former professional footballer.

Supporting the Blue Wave

The island is like a village and yet we will be participating at the greatest sporting event on earth, says Magali Gorre.

Mark Palmer visited ahead of the FIFA World Cup, in which the Curaçao team are playing.

The island has exquisite beaches, inspired restaurants and exotic bird life – including the Venezuelan troupial, known as the turpial, which has a bright orange underbelly and white swatches on its wings.