Rumour: Paqueta fired - “not true”

That would really suck if they let him go. It’ll actually piss me off more because they already F***ed it up for Al-Hilal by taking him in the first place.

Posted from  United States

Saudi football federation is a bunch of monkies. Its not the coaching thats the problem, its the whole system, the players, the training and the mentality.

Posted from  United States

The Saudis are not health concious. In America, the best of players maintain a healthy diet which given a complete advantage over others.

The culture in Saudi is such, that people don’t place much weight for gyms. How many of the players actually work out? None

Posted from  United States

Shahed, I don’t agree with you comments. I think it’s ridiculous to say or think Saudi players are not health conscious. I remember going to Al-Ahli club from our school. I was there for at least 4 hours and I saw the Ahli players running in the track for at least that long without any break. Internally players go through a lot more stuff than what’s being displayed outside. They have fitness experts, doctors monitoring the players and goal keeping coach. I don’t know anything about now. Health-wise, all SA players are very fit. According to the sports commentators that I have noticed (I am not making it up), SA players are very strong athletically. Top officials in AFC even like the SA team and they even say it publicly. One thing I can agree with you guys is the mental factor. SA players are mentally challenged when they play against Europeans. I think the head of AFC even said, SA’s problem is the mentality, but technically they are truly among the top teams in the world. They should play more and more often against the top teams to overcome the fear.

Now you can not judge or blame the players for everything. And, don’t compare them with the general public. In that regard I agree average SA guys are not health conscious at all. Winning comes from our desires to win, not from finding excuse to blame any cause or someone. This attitude shift needs to happen at all levels, official, players, general population and even fans!

Go around to other teams’ blogs, see how many people are talking bad about their team, official or anything. If you don’t like anything about the team, fine, talk about it constructively, don’t insult the team. At this stage, they don’t deserve it!

Posted from  United States

Saeed,

Thanks for your comments. I didn’t realize that my comment of “not being health concious” could turn out to be an insult. The truth is, I was expanding on earlier comment left by john who mentioned “The saudi players are lazy eating kabsa all the time.” This might be true. I believe, we eat with no concern for health ( NOT TRUE FOR ALL PEOPLE - such players as you have indicated)

But thanks for your insight of the ahli club (that’s probably why they are doing well in the King’s Cup! good training for the last few years!)Do you think, that running the track is enough to be a good player? I was pretty sad during the World Cup 2002, when Saudi Arabia lost against Germany. What shocked me most was the huge size of Germany players compared to Saudi players?

When I was in Saudi, I paid little attention to my body strength, but realized upon coming to America you could achieve larger “biceps and triceps” by working out at the gym.

So, are the Saudi players doing anything to increase their upper body mass (body strength)?

I think the boundary between insult and constructive dissatisfaction is vague and hard to predict. In this instance, I didn’t think it was insult, but you have found it an insult. Its good to know, its an insult, so in the future I will be careful.

Posted from  United States

Hi all, does anyone know where can I get the Saudi football shirt they’ll be wearing at the world cup? Would be grateful if anyone knows as i haven’t seen it around. (p.s. i am in london)

Posted from  United Kingdom

Hey Nadya,

http://www.uksoccershop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=439&products_id=3405

this is a good website, if you are in uk.

Posted from  United States

But I would prefer this website, as you could put your name on the jersey.

http://www.worldsoccershop.com/shop-by-country-saudi-arabia-saudi-arabia-national-team-saudi-arabia-2006-home-soccer-jersey.html

Posted from  United States

I would like to take up the ‘health’ issue discussed above. I myself had some sort of doubt regarding health and stuff of the saudi players particularly after the germany game. Well, the fact is that players could be shorter (in height) naturally/genetically. It’s very hard to analyze what actually is the problem. There are several things I would like to say in this regard. There is the physical aspect - which is dependent on the players’ diets, work-out routines and lifestyle. By lifestyle, I mean, when they sleep, when they wake up, when they have their meals etc. There is the mental aspect. I don’t know what factors could affect the players in this arena - but one can’t be sure that there’s a problem in this area. But one key reason could be lack of foreign exposure. Remember how lightly other teams used to take African teams. The scenario is much different today. A key reason for this is the growing presence of Arfican players in Europe and elsewhere. I strongly think that players should be free to move wherever they like. Remember the time (just a few months before the 2002 world cup) when there were offers for Nawaf-al-Temyat from Italy’s Brescia and other clubs. There were offers for Sami also. What happened in the end? There was too much interference in this process from ‘various’ sources… the ‘interference’ lasted long enough that the national team’s disastrous performance in the 2002 world cup halted any other potential offers. We have to get mixed with the rest of the footballing world to achieve the level that others have.
Another thing I would like to say is that our team seems to be very moody and highly unpredictable. That’s all I have to say for now. I used to maintain a website on the Saudi national team. I even used to update news on it. But now it has become an archive, literally. I don’t get time to update it. The address is http://geocities.com/saudiarabiansoccer.

Posted from  India

Ok unfortunately if you watch the saudi team play this idea of fitness and training to capacity is untrue. They are slow, unprepared, barely run and enjoy lazing about when not having the ball. The saudi lifestyle infects the players and its negative. I remember against some team obeid al dosari (i think thats him) played for the first 20mins before actually making a run for it only to injure himself in 2002. Thats ridiculous but not surprising given the size he was. He was carrying a butt-load in his trunk (if u get what i mean).

The other players are just too thin and lanky without power to tackle/go for the ball. Its not about fitness only, they have to be strong physically.

Posted from  United States

Hey shahed, about the saudi jersey. the website in the UK says that the shirt will be available on april 10, and the worldsoccershop website says it will be available in june

do u know of a place i can get it online in america this month?

thanks

Posted from  United States

Hey Shahed thanks a lot for the links

Posted from  United States

hey guys, does anyone know what number Yasser is playing in?

Posted from  United States

Yasser wears the number 20 jersey!

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/photos/ksa.html?i=0&d=1

Posted from  Saudi Arabia