Iván Prieto González defects after his World Cup defeat and stays in the United States.

Politics and sports marked the match between Cuba and the United States, Ivan Prieto Gonzales decides to stay after the defeat

After being eliminated in the World Baseball Classic by the national team This Sunday in Miami, the Cuban team arrived on Monday at Havana without one of its players.

Ivan Prieto Gonzalez, a 26-year-old receiver, has left his home country, as confirmed by Major League Baseball officials to Bob USA Today's Nightengale.

#EstadosUnidos | The catcher of the team that #Cuba that participated in the #WorldBaseballClassic (World Baseball Classic), Iván Prieto González, defected from the concentration before the team left the United States for Cuba.

📸 @MLB pic.twitter.com/72hQEUYuj5

— Diario La Gaceta (@DiarioLaGaceta) March 21, 2023

The president of Cuba met with the team and congratulated the players for his arrival, but did not comment on the desertion.

Cuba lost to the United States 14-2 in Sunday's semifinal. The team of USA, one win away from becoming a two-time Classic champion World Cup Baseball will face Japan in the final Tuesday in Miami.

Ohtani and Japan Vs Trout and USA in the most important game in baseball: The World Classic Final. 7 pm ET in Miami.

Be happy! pic.twitter.com/A8aSp9NK6r

— Enrique Rojas/ESPN (@Enrique_Rojas1) March 21, 2023

Miami's historic baseball game between the United States and Cuba has been seen strewn with protests and people have also been arrested for going out to The court to protest against the government of the Caribbean island.

Thousands of Cubans and people of island descent flocked to the Miami's LoanDepot Park on Sunday to watch the game between the United States and Cuba, which ended with a crushing 14-2 victory for the United States. United. It was a clash where politics and sport were Inseparable

🇯🇵🔥 JAPAN IS IN THE FINAL OF THE WORLD CLASSIC.

Team Samurai achieves victory over Mexico in the 9th inning and qualifies for the third time in its history to the final of the World Classic.

USA 🇺🇸 vs 🇯🇵 JAPAN

pic.twitter.com/dxydmQ3snP

— El Clásico ⚾ (@MayoresShow) March 21, 2023