It’s all or nothing for Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors as they face Saudi Arabia in a must-win 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group D showdown at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada this evening. Kick-off is at 7 p.m. (T&T time).
T&T are searching for their first win and improved form in the competition. They opened their Gold Cup campaign with a heavy 5–0 defeat to the United States, followed by a fortuitous 1–1 draw with Haiti on Thursday—a match in which the Haitians missed a potentially game-winning penalty. Defender Justin Garcia emerged as the hero, scoring late to snatch a vital point for the Soca Warriors.
Saudi Arabia, Gold Cup invitees, are eyeing a second victory in their debut tournament appearance after edging Haiti 1–0 in their opener. Saleh Al-Shehri has been the lone scorer for the Green Falcons thus far. Despite the result, Haiti were widely considered the more impressive side.
This high-stakes encounter marks the first-ever meeting between the two nations at the Gold Cup, although they have clashed six times previously in international friendlies in Saudi Arabia.
The most recent match came on December 17, 2024, when newly appointed T&T head coach Dwight Yorke began his tenure with a 3–1 defeat in Riyadh.
Yorke hinted that the Saudis could face a more motivated T&T side today.
“That was a friendly, this is about trying to advance to the quarter-final,” Yorke said, at yesterday’s pre-match news conference.
“Despite the defeat against America, and the point against Haiti, we still in with a chance to qualify,” Yorke said. “At the end of the day, we know what is required, that is three points.”
Bottom of Group D with just one point and an inferior goal difference, T&T must win to have any chance of advancing to the knockout stage. They will also need the United States to either beat or draw with Haiti in the group’s other match.
Yorke expects to face a highly experienced Saudi team, filled with players competing in the increasingly competitive Saudi League.
He also noted his own familiarity with Middle Eastern culture and believes that instinct will guide him.
“First of all, I live in the Middle East. I have lived in Dubai for the last six years,” stated Yorke, who has visited Saudi Arabia several times.
Despite the less-than-ideal start, Yorke remained hopeful that his players would give everything to reach the Gold Cup quarter-finals. Yorke admitted that the Gold Cup performances have been an eye-opener. He acknowledged that some decisions went in T&T’s favour against Haiti.
“We could have easily lost the game,” Yorke said.
“In football you need a little bit of luck. It gives us a little bit of impetus going in, a little bit of encouragement in that there is till the possibility of qualifying (for the knockout round),” he said. “There is a lot on this game beside the negative behind the other two games, and you got to move on quickly because that is what tournament (football) brings.”
Yorke also hoped to see a sharper start against Saudi Arabia.
“I would like us to play more on the front foot. We get off to relatively slow starts,” former T&T captain Yorke said. “We seem to finish well, but we need to start better.”
Veteran goalkeeper Marvin Phillip agreed.
“We need to start from the first minutes,” stated the shot-stopper, who urged his team-mates to work hard throughout the 90 minutes. “We know what we have to do tomorrow; go out there as a team and get that result.”
Historically, Saudi Arabia lead the all-time series with four wins, one draw, and one defeat. Their first meeting on May 8, 1994 ended goalless, but the Saudis claimed a 3–2 win less than a month later in New Jersey.
Former T&T senior men’s national team coach Angus Eve scored twice from the penalty spot in that match.
T&T’s only win in the meetings came in September 2013 in Riyadh—a 3–1 triumph under then head coach Stephen Hart, with Kenwyne Jones scoring twice and Andre Boucaud adding another.
With a place in the quarter-finals on the line, the Soca Warriors will need to summon that same spirit and composure today—and hope that elsewhere, the United States can also do them a favour.
