Thread for the T&T vs Saudi Arabia Game (9-Sept-2013).

[Flex]

As usual, any updates/scores, shout-outs, reports, predictions, views, etc, on the T&T vs Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the 9th of September 2013 will be posted here, this way, we can maintain the message board and not make it look too scrappy with un-necessary or related headlines and postings on game day.

For the internet users, you can follow the game at:

To be updated.

Possible Online Streams.

To Be Updated.

Possible TV Station.

To be updated.

Trinidad & Tobago Squad

Goalkeepers

Jan-Michael Williams (Central FC), Marvin Phillips (Point Fortin Civic Centre), Glenroy Samuel (Caledonia AIA).

Defenders

Sheldon Bateau (KV Mechelen), Justin Hoyte (Middlesbrough), Daneil Cyrus (W Connection), Robert Primus (FC Aktobe), Mekeil Williams (W Connection), Aubrey David (Caledonia AIA), Radanfah Abu Bakr (FC Vosto), Curtis Gonzales (Defence Force).

Midfielders

Kevan George (Columbus Crew), Andre Boucaud (Notts County), Lester Peltier (Slovan Bratislava), Kevin Molino (Orlando City), Densill Theobald (Caledonia AIA), Ataullah Guerra (Rovaniemen Palloseura), Khaleem Hyland (Racing Genk), Marcus Joseph (Point Fortin Civic Centre).

Forwards

Kenwyne Jones (capt) - (Stoke City), Willis Plaza (Song Lam Nghe).

Saudi Arabia/New Zealand Squad

Goalkeerpers
To be updated.

Defenders
To be updated.

Midfielders
To be updated.

Forwards
To be updated.

Updates to follow as we get more info, so keep checking back.

[dreamer]

Trinidad Express
UAE coach names squad to face T&T
Story Created: Aug 26, 2013 


Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams believes that the Soca Warriors are capable of putting on a good showing at the upcoming OSN Four-nation Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Central FC custodian said yesterday that the T&T players are eager to continue the run that saw them qualify for the Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals, which ended with a courageous performance against Mexico.

Williams is likely to be among the players named in the final squad by head coach Stephen Hart on Friday for the tournament, which T&T kicks off on September 5 against United Arab Emirates at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.

“I think we will hold our own in the tournament. It’s not a long competition but it’s two good matches for us and we are honoured to have been invited to it by the Saudi Arabia Association and OSN,” Williams told TTFA Media.

“Clearly it means that we’ve been doing something positive and teams are wanting to play us on the international stage. I’ve always said that we need to continuously be playing good international teams in order to have progress,” Williams added.

“Personally I would like to see us making use of these opportunities even if it’s away from home. I know the locals want to see the team play on home soil and I’m pretty sure the Association will be working towards that. We are coming off a decent showing at the Gold Cup and playing in tournaments like this one and against teams like these will be a major factor in our preparations for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers which will be in front of us before we know it,” the former W Connection ‘keeper noted.

Meantime, United Arab Emirates head coach Mahdi Ali has named Al Ahli’s goalkeeper Majid Nasser and Al Wahda striker Mohammed Al Shehhi in his squad to face T&T on September 5. Ali has selected 23 players.

UAE are preparing for the third round of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. They currently lead Group E with six points from two starts, ahead of Uzbekistan and Hong Kong.

Ali and his squad will gather at the Rotana Hotel, Dubai, on Friday, and head for Saudi Arabia on Saturday evening.

Ali said he was anticipating a strong showing at the OSN Cup.

“It’s a tournament that we will like to win of course. We will get the chance to play against a team like Trinidad and Tobago which does not happen often so it’s a good opportunity for us and we’re looking forward to the tournament,” Ali said.

[Tallman]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gW8IUlXlbAU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/gW8IUlXlbAU</a>

[dreamer]

Interesting rankings.

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html

Check out:
Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras
UAE and Saudi Arabia
Jamaica, T&T & Canada
New Zealand

We must be attentive to rankings and whom we must beat to control our ranking destiny. Trust meh, the opposition choses teams with rankings in mind.

[Big Magician]

hope and expect the unused players get a game or some good time in the SA game

Curtis "Boyo" Gonzales...Marvin Phillips...bleeder

keep playing boys....

[soccerman]

Interesting rankings.

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html

Check out:
Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras
UAE and Saudi Arabia
Jamaica, T&T & Canada
New Zealand

We must be attentive to rankings and whom we must beat to control our ranking destiny. Trust meh, the opposition choses teams with rankings in mind.

Panama all the way up to 40 now, good for them. I wonder what's the highest we ever ranked?

[Trinidogg]

Interesting rankings.

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html

Check out:
Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras
UAE and Saudi Arabia
Jamaica, T&T & Canada
New Zealand

We must be attentive to rankings and whom we must beat to control our ranking destiny. Trust meh, the opposition choses teams with rankings in mind.

Panama all the way up to 40 now, good for them. I wonder what's the highest we ever ranked?

Our highest rank was 25 in 2001

[soccerman]

Interesting rankings.

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html

Check out:
Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras
UAE and Saudi Arabia
Jamaica, T&T & Canada
New Zealand

We must be attentive to rankings and whom we must beat to control our ranking destiny. Trust meh, the opposition choses teams with rankings in mind.

Panama all the way up to 40 now, good for them. I wonder what's the highest we ever ranked?

Our highest rank was 25 in 2001

Thanks Hopefully we can build to get back there again!

[D.H.W]

ah watching we kits. We have rel designs boy, will all these training kits and designs be on sale?

[Tallman]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/-wqdruQwALI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/-wqdruQwALI</a>

[FireBrand]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/-wqdruQwALI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/-wqdruQwALI</a>

Trinis could fall een any dance and have ah good time.   Nice experience Warriors...Live it up!   

[Socapro]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/-wqdruQwALI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/-wqdruQwALI</a>

Very nice!!
A great experience for the team and glad they could experience some rich Arabian hospitality!! 

[Socapro]

Interesting rankings.

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html

Check out:
Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras
UAE and Saudi Arabia
Jamaica, T&T & Canada
New Zealand

We must be attentive to rankings and whom we must beat to control our ranking destiny. Trust meh, the opposition choses teams with rankings in mind.

Very good point Dreamer.

Based on our current 8th place ranking within CONCACAF we should be seeking regional home or away games against teams like Venezuela, Jamaica, Haiti, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico and USA currently ranked higher than us.
If we play them at home then we should seek to win or at least draw the game but if we play them away then we should still go for the win but settling for a draw is also a positive result.

Any CONCACAF opponents who are ranked below us like El Salvador, Cuba, Canada, etc; we must seek to beat them whether we play them at home or away because losing to these lower ranked teams might negatively affect our FIFA ranking.

[noize]

Does anyone have the game recorded so that it can be downloaded?

[Agent Jack Bauer]

Best village lime wit man.......need some belly dancers up in dey 

[KND2]

Nothing but man in the dance........

Pro footballers should not be eating street food
We did not pay Money to send you they to get the shittings

Knives and swords are also not a good look but I guess it is a fete match so we could take it easy

[Tallman]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/uMb6Yo--vlY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/uMb6Yo--vlY</a>

[Socapro]

T&T footballers received as guests at King’s Palace in Riyadh
T&T Express Reports
Story Created: Sep 7, 2013 at 9:16 PM ECT

Trinidad and Tobago’s senior footballers were back on the training pitch in Riyadh last night, a day after being received as guests of the Al Masmac Palace of King Abdul Aziz.
 
Skipper Kenwyne Jones and his teammates were invited to spend an evening at the Palace as the Saudi Arabia Football Federation hosted the competing countries from the OSN Cup, which comes to an end tomorrow with T&T facing Saudi Arabia in the third place playoff and New Zealand meeting United Arab Emirates in the final at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.
 
The Masmac is a clay and mud-brick fort, with four watchtowers and thick walls, founded on stone blocks, lying in the centre… of Riyadh. It was used by King Abdul Aziz from 1902 to 1938 when he moved his court to then newly-built Murabba Palace. The castle also encloses a mosque and a well. The roofs are covered with painted palm-tree, taramic and ethel wood, the communicating doors of the labyrinthine rooms and courtyards inside are of painted wood.
 
The Palace’s museum includes a display on many antique guns, costumes and agriculture artifacts and the T&T contingent was given a two-hour tour before being served dinner. Some of the T&T players including Radanfah Abu Bakr, Jan Michael Williams, Sheldon Bateau, Kevin Molino, Glenroy Samuel and Jones also engaged in some dancing with the Saudi Arabians to the music of Arabian drums.
 
“It was a really enjoyable experience,” Molino told TTFA Media as he also learnt of the news in Riyadh yesterday that Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad Aldulaziz of Saudi Arabia has vowed to help take Sheffield United back to the English Premier League after buying 50 per cent stake in the Blades’ holding company,
 
When you come to places like this, you are here to play football but you want to experience the culture a bit as well and we had a great opportunity to visit the Palace and learn more about the country and the people,” added the Orlando City midfielder who netted T&T’s third and equalising goal in the added on time against United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
 
Each member of the T&T delegation were later presented with gifts from the Palace before their return to the Holiday Inn Olaya.
 
Head coach Stephen Hart conducted a 90-minute training session last night under slightly cooler conditions than previous days.
 
There’s not been much recreational activity for the T&T team in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam’s two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina, and which remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas, holding more than 20 per cent of the world’s proven oil reserves.
 
“We haven’t had much to do other than training and preparing for the games,” said Peltier.
 
“But it’s a great experience being out here. I think we’ve done well as a team and we’re focusing on trying to get a good result tomorrow to finish off what will be a historic tour for us,” added the Slovakia-based player.
 
T&T will train once again today prior to tomorrow’s encounter against Saudi Arabia.

[Socapro]

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html

Btw folks the current FIFA Rankings of teams in this tournament are:-

New Zealand 57
Trinidad & Tobago 78
United Arab Emirites 84
Saudi Arabia 107

So as you can see the Saudis were quite calculated in which teams they invited to this tournament as if they win any games then they stand to benefit in their FIFA ranking because they would have beaten a team of a higher ranking in a tournament setting rather than in just a regular friendly game setting.

Our game against Saudi Arabia on Monday is a serious one as if we lose against them then we at risk of dropping a few places in our current FIFA Ranking of 78. I think we may need to beat Saudi Arabia handsomely on Monday to maintain our current FIFA Ranking or to even rise a few places.

[OutsideMan]

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html

Btw folks the current FIFA Rankings of teams in this tournament are:-

New Zealand 57
Trinidad & Tobago 78
United Arab Emirites 84
Saudi Arabia 107

So as you can see the Saudis were quite calculated in which teams they invited to this tournament as if they win any games then they stand to benefit in their FIFA ranking because they would have beaten a team of a higher ranking in a tournament setting rather than in just a regular friendly game setting.

Our game against Saudi Arabia on Monday is a serious one as if we lose against them then we at risk of dropping a few places in our FIFA Ranking of 78. I think we may need to beat Saudi Arabia to maintain our current FIFA Ranking or to rise a few places.

Very good point, Socapro. 

As a poster mentioned earlier in this thread, it was really no 'accident' that T&T was chosen to be a participant in this tournament.  It's pretty much well known that savvy national footballing nations chose some of their opponents in these invitational tournaments as a means of moving further up the FIFA rankings. 

[Socapro]

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html

Btw folks the current FIFA Rankings of teams in this tournament are:-

New Zealand 57
Trinidad & Tobago 78
United Arab Emirites 84
Saudi Arabia 107

So as you can see the Saudis were quite calculated in which teams they invited to this tournament as if they win any games then they stand to benefit in their FIFA ranking because they would have beaten a team of a higher ranking in a tournament setting rather than in just a regular friendly game setting.

Our game against Saudi Arabia on Monday is a serious one as if we lose against them then we at risk of dropping a few places in our current FIFA Ranking of 78. I think we may need to beat Saudi Arabia handsomely on Monday to maintain our current FIFA Ranking or to even rise a few places.

Very good point, Socapro. 

As a poster mentioned earlier in this thread, it was really no 'accident' that T&T was chosen to be a participant in this tournament.  It's pretty much well known that savvy national footballing nations chose some of their opponents in these invitational tournaments as a means of moving further up the FIFA rankings. 

It should now be quite clear why the Saudi Football Federation were so hospitable to our team yesterday and invited them for a night of leisure at the Palace.

They are hoping that their hospitality will detract our team from the seriousness of winning the game on Monday and that we may even do them a favour for being good host by not doing our utmost to win that game and the 3rd place prize on Monday.

In fact based on our current FIFA ranking we should have been aiming to be in the final against New Zealand while leaving the United Arab Emirites and Saudi Arabia to fight it out on Monday for 3rd place.

We seriously need to win that game against Saudi Arabia on Monday and should not regard that game as just a normal friendly. Losing that game can seriously damage our current FIFA Ranking.

[D.H.W]

All the teams were there not just our team. That event was pre planned way before Saudi Arabia got beaten by NZ.

Unless you saying a party Fri will distract all the teams for a game on Monday so Saudi will have a better chance to win. That sounds a little far out now.

[FF]

I don't know why ppl encouraging ignorance

[Tallman]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZiZ7-VLSG84" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZiZ7-VLSG84</a>

[de_redman]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZiZ7-VLSG84" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZiZ7-VLSG84</a>

Where dem fellas get those accents from  . It sounding like Arabic is their native language

[frico]

I read that Kevin Molino is Kevorn Cooper's brother and Kevin has played football for TT and Kevorn has played cricket for TT,i wonder if that has happened in any other country wher a similar thing has happened.

[BESBRAHN]

Hopefully a Molino start tomorrow and better defending from the air crosses into the box.

[Preacher]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZiZ7-VLSG84" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZiZ7-VLSG84</a>

Where dem fellas get those accents from  . It sounding like Arabic is their native language

"I get the opportunity and I make full advantage of it"   Where are these guys playing?   The twang threw me also.   

[Flex]

T&T go for third spot... Showdown with 'Saudis" in Riyadh.
By Shaun Fuentes (TTFA).

Trinidad and Tobago will try to reverse the results from their three previous meetings with Saudi Arabia when both countries clash in the playoff for third place at the OSN Cup 2013 at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh from 1145 am (T&T Time) on Monday.

The  “Soca Warriors” will be looking to maintain their solid showing from the previous encounter in which they recovered from a three-goal deficit to take the match to penalty kicks against United Arab Emirates which will face New Zealand in the final later on Monday.

“This match gives us another good chance to come together as a team for an international game and to see how well we put things into practice and perspective on the field of play,” head coach Stephen Hart told TTFA Media.

“We had a couple more days to settle in after the first match and with a couple more sessions in, it will be one of those games where we will try to start more positively and we would have known what to expect in terms of the conditions heading into the game itself.”

T&T have played Saudi Arabia three times before, losing 3-2 and 1-0 in 1994 and then 2-1 in Cannes, France in 1998 in a match the Saudi Arabians used as a warm up for the 1998 World Cup.

“We’ve had a chance to look at the Saudi Arabia team in the game against New Zealand and our preparations have been based around the game and the way we want to approach it,” said Hart.

“Of course we are building for our future engagements as well which is centered around the qualification for 2018 so we will try to maximize every opportunity to have a look at the players in our pool and at the same time try to put the best team on the pitch with the intention of finding the right combination,” Hart added.

Hart will however be without the services of left side defender Aubrey David who has been ruled out with an ankle injury while Curtis Gonzales will also miss the match with an ankle problem Both players sat out training on Sunday night as TTFA President Raymond Tim Kee witnessed the session after arriving earlier in the day. He also met with team and staff members at the Holiday Inn Olaya later on Sunday night.

Former Under 17 and Under 20 player Marcus Joseph made his competitive senior  debut against the UAE, starting on the left flank while Columbus Crew midfielder Kevan George also made his debut, coming on in the second half.

Hart will be pleased that the likes of Molino and Willis Plaza can provide him with options in attack while Slovak-based winger Lester Peltier was lively in the first match on his first return since the Caribbean Cup in December. The midfield duo of Ande Boucaud and Khaleem Hyland will no doubt want to perform  their roles well while defenders Radanfah Abu Bakr, Justin Hoyte, Sheldon Bateau and Robert Primus will be keen to ensure T&T does not have to come from behind again, at least not by three goals.

Saudi coach, Juan Ramon Lopez Caro said his team prepared well for the tournament and is keen to capture third place.

“We prepared hard for this tournament. It was disappointing to lose the first match to New Zealand but our players are still eager to do well. We will like to play a good match and to win it on Monday.  Trinidad and Tobago did very well to tie the game late (on Thursday) so I expect it to be an exciting game,” said Spanish coach who took over the job from Frank Rijkaard in 2012 after previous managing Real Madrid’s B Team as well as Racing Santander and Celta de Vigo.

T&T skipper Kenwyne Jones is well aware that the hosts will want to finish the tournament with a win.
“Definitely they will want to end the tournament with a victory because they are the host country but we also did not make the trip to just come here and play just for the sake of it. I think our current bunch of players are ambitious in terms of what they want to achieve in the game and that was demonstrated by the way we fought back to try and avoid the loss in the previous match,” Jones said.

“Every game is an additional cap and experience for us and we are working towards putting the country back into a respectable position on the world football map and a good result on Monday will obviously be boost to that effort,” said the Stoke City man who now has 57 appearances for T&T with ten goals to his name.

[frico]

I have listened to both Peltier and Molino twice and I cannot detect anything different with the way they speak,they both sound 100% Trinis.Two people suggested that something was wrong with their accents/twang,they sound no different from the interviewer S.Fuentes.