Soccer-No looking back for Advocaat as he steers Curacao through turbulent World Cup buildup

Curacao coach Dick Advocaat said he wants to ​put behind him a tumultuous period in ​which he was rehired just weeks ‌before ​the Caribbean island team make their World Cup debut. The 78-year-old former Netherlands coach was at the helm in November when Curacao became the ‌smallest country to qualify for the World Cup but gave up the post in February because his daughter was seriously ill.

Yet Advocaat returned last week after his successor Fred Rutten quit amid alleged pressure from ‌players following two matches in charge in March when Curacao lost to both China and Australia ‌in World Cup warm-up games. Advocaat named a 26-man squad on Monday and in an online interview with reporters on the island, he said he had no desire to look back over events so close to kickoff of the tournament in Canada, ⁠Mexico ​and the U.S.

"I don't ⁠feel like looking back, we all have to move forward. I leave the talking to the media," said Advocaat, who will ⁠become the oldest man to coach at a World Cup when Curacao play their opening Group E game ​against Germany in Houston on June 14. "Next Monday we will gather in Noordwijk (in the Netherlands), and ⁠the focus will be entirely on playing football."

Advocaat's squad had no changes from the last one Rutten picked. They play against ⁠Scotland ​at Hampden Park on May 30 and then travel to Curacao for a match in front of home fans against neighbours Aruba on June 6.

After that the squad head to Boca Raton, ⁠where their base camp is located, and will also play Ecuador and the Ivory Coast at the ⁠World Cup. "We have proven ⁠that we are difficult to beat," Advocaat added. "But the opponents in this group are of a different quality, of course. We know it will be ‌very difficult, but ‌nothing is impossible." (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; ​Editing by Toby Davis)

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