Adelaide United left back Michael Maria eyes World Cup 2022 berth with Caribbean nation Curacao
He has helped a small Caribbean nation, a 10th the size of Kangaroo Island, make its global soccer mark. Now, Adelaide United’s Michael Maria is eyeing a World Cup 2022 berth with Curacao.
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Michael Maria was a raw youngster when a Dutch soccer great gave him his first taste of World Cup action on the small Caribbean island his parents were born.
The speedster had represented his native Holland at youth level, but made his senior international debut for Curacao in ex-Barcelona star Patrick Kluivert’s first game as coach.
Almost five years on, the qualifying campaign, which fell narrowly short, is driving the Adelaide United left back’s dream of a place at football’s showpiece event.
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“It’s a thing that I’ve never experienced before,” recalled Maria, of his maiden appearance in the 2-1 victory over Montserrat in 2015.
“But it’s something that you can be really proud of, because it’s such a great stage to play on.
“We’re a small island and we’ve achieved some big things.
“But it (the World Cup) is what we play for and it is possible.”
Maria helped Curacao, a former Dutch colony of 158,000 people, also get past Cuba, before a 2-0 aggregate loss to El Salvador ended its shot at Russia 2018 qualification.
The tropical paradise, which covers an area about a 10th of the size of Kangaroo Island, then claimed the 2017 Caribbean Cup and made the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals.
But he hoped to return to the globe’s 80th ranked team, which previously played under the Netherlands Antilles flag, for the start of Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers in August.
“If you look at the last World Cup, you had really small nations there so we can do it,” Maria, 24, said.
“If we didn’t lose our last game against El Salvador, we probably could have gone as well.
“But we have to stick together as a team.
“Since I’ve came here (Adelaide), I knew it was going to be really hard to be with them (Curacao) in the first half of the season.
“But now I’ve got to focus on being part of the national team again.”
He won the FFA Cup in October, six months after missing out on Dutch second-tier title celebrations with FC Twente when he left for US side Charlotte Independence.
Maria was relishing the challenge of adjusting to a “different” soccer culture in Australia, during his third stint with coach Gertjan Verbeek.
“Overseas it’s all about tactics and you play more football,” said Maria, who also worked under the Dutch manager at Vfl Bochum, in Germany, and at Twente.
Maria has settled with partner Denice in Adelaide, enjoying the warm climate and regularly taking in the views from their favourite spot, atop Mount Lofty.
The self-confessed “family guy” misses relatives in his homeland, but currently has mother Dyanne and father Ramphis visiting from Holland.
“It’s always hard to say in football.
“You’ve got to be careful, because it can go from zero to 100 real quick.
“We’ve had a little setback. But if we keep on going and being persistent like the last game (against Victory) ... with the guys we have, I think we will manage quite well.
“My goal is to become a champion of the league here.”