German town gets Saudi royal treatment
By Martyn Herman
BAD NAUHEIM, Germany, June 4 (Reuters) - The tranquil German town of Bad Nauheim, 40-km north of Frankfurt, rolled out the red carpet for a royal guest when Saudi Arabia destroyed its local team in a one-sided World Cup warm-up on Sunday.
Prince Sultan Bin Fahad Bin Abdulaziz, president of the country's soccer federation, sat in a pitch-side marquee surrounded by a sizeable entourage as his side beat a representative team from the Wetterau region 15-0.
The cobbled streets of the town centre were splashed with the green of the Saudi flag while local restaurants offered traditional Arab dishes and music.
After experienced captain Sami al Jaber scored seven goals, the Saudi players showed their appreciation by handing out green soccer shirts to hundreds of local children inside the Waldstadion.
The football-mad Prince, son of the late King Fahad, has offered attractive cash incentives for the Saudi players, and Brazilian coach Marcos Paqueta said he liked to offer encouragement in the dressing room.
"He is very enthusiastic about the team and the tactics," Paqueta told reporters. "He talks to the players a lot and motivates them."
Paqueta, who was put in charge in December, was pleased with his side's build-up but labelled Sunday's victory nothing more than a training session.
"It gave some of the other players the chance to impress," he said. "We are ready for the World Cup, we face three very different matches."
The Saudis, who suffered a horrible 8-0 defeat by Germany in their opening match in 2002, will be desperate to avoid another shambolic start against Group H rivals Tunisia on June 14.
They also face Ukraine and Spain.
