Pedro Faife

Pedro Adriani Faife Fernández (born January 1, 1984 in Zulueta) is a Cuban football player who once played for Miami FC in the USL First Division.[1]

Pedro Faife
Personal information
Full name Pedro Adriani Faife Fernández
Date of birth (1984-01-14) January 14, 1984
Place of birth Zulueta, Cuba
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Villa Clara
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2008 Villa Clara
2009 Miami FC 14 (0)
National team‡
2003–2008 Cuba 39 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 October 2009
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20 May 2009

Club career

Faife began his soccer career with his hometown team, Villa Clara, and played with the team until his defection to the United States in 2008, helping the team win the Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Cuba in 2004.

Faife defected from Cuba to the United States in 2008 in the hope of a securing professional career. Following his defection he trialed with several Major League Soccer clubs, including Chivas USA, but was not offered an MLS contract, and instead joined Miami FC of the USL First Division for the 2009 season.[2]

International career

Faife was a member of Cuba's under 17 and 23 teams and in 2003 made his debut for the senior Cuban National Team in a June 2003 friendly match against Panama. Faife subsequently made 35 appearances for the team over the next six years,[3] but is not expected to make any more appearances for the national team since his defection to the United States. He was part of the Cuban squad at the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and represented his country in 6 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.[4]

His final international was a September 2008 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Guatemala.

International goals
Scores and results list Cuba's goal tally first.[3]
NumberDateLocationOpponentScoreResultCompetition
120 May 2004Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba Grenada2-02-2Friendly match
212 December 2004Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba Martinique1-02-02005 Caribbean Cup

Personal life

Defection to the United States
Further information: List of Cuban soccer players who have defected to the United States

Faife defected to the United States when he disappeared from his hotel outside of Washington, D.C. before a CONCACAF 3rd round World Cup qualifier against the United States on 11 October 2008.[5]

References
  1. Dos futbolistas cubanos desertan en EEUU "Los futbolistas cubanos Reynier Alcántara y Pedro Faife.."
  2. The Cuban Connection
  3. "Appearances for Cuba National Team". RSSSF.
  4. Pedro Faife – FIFA competition record
  5. Cuban soccer stars Pedro Faife and Reynier Alcantara defect to America


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