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Saudi Arabia v Ukraine
Saudi Arabia isn't taking Ukraine's dismal World Cup debut as a sign it will be an easy opponent when the teams meet today.
Ukraine lost 4-0 to Spain in its first Group H match and will be looking to key players Andriy Shevchenko and Andriy Voronin to come back with big performances.
"It is a strong team and will be a hard opponent for us," Saudi Arabia coach Marcos Paqueta said on Friday.
"In addition to Sheva, this boy Voronin is excellent. He's fast and dangerous and we have to watch him," he said.
Paqueta was previously quoted as saying "Ukraine is a weak team and we have to make the most of the troubles they are facing."
Speaking on Friday after a training session in Hamburg, the venue of today's match, Paqueta denied that he made any such comments.
"Maybe it was a translation error by the interpreters, but I never said that. Of course they're an excellent squad," Paqueta said.
After Saudi Arabia's 2-2 draw with Tunisia, a win against the Ukraine would help meet Paqueta's goal of a spot in the second round. The Saudi camp believes Ukraine is an easier opponent than group leader Spain.
"It's a very important match for us and we have to do everything we can to win it. The first 15 minutes will be crucial," Paqueta said.
The Saudi soccer federation was so pleased with the team's performance against Tunisia that it gave the players a US$27,000 win bonus.
"The players played their hearts out and were very committed. They tried their best and we appreciate their efforts. In the end, a win wasn't to be, but that's football," said Prince Sultan bin Fahd, head of the federation.
The team has no serious injury worries, although Asian player of the year Hamad al-Montashiri, a key defender, and influential midfielder Khalid Aziz trained separately on Friday, both complaining of knee problems.
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