Soca Warriors' captain: Saudi Arabia game was a learning experience

SOCA Warriors captain Aubrey David said his team can learn many lessons from their 3-1 friendly loss to Saudi Arabia at the Al Shabab Club Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 17.

The game was the first game in coach Dwight Yorke's tenure after he assumed coaching duties of Trinidad and Tobago's men's football team on November 1.

Despite the loss, the 34-year-old David, who has over 80 senior caps for the Soca Warriors, saw the exercise as a fruitful one as many of the team's untested players were able to get a taste of international football against a worthy opponent.

"It was good to see the hunger and the passion the players showed. Obviously, it was basically a local squad so it's good to see the players getting that experience and to showcase their talent on this level," David said, in a video shared by TT Football Association (TTFA) media on December 20.

"It was good for them to see and experience these games so they could see what international football is all about and what it takes to stay at the international...we always know they have talent, but they have shown it now on the international stage and can give them more confidence."

The veteran centre-back said there were things the team needed "to learn from and improve on," but he was pleased with the grit and fight shown by the group despite the many challenges they faced in the game.

The Soca Warriors conceded a first-half penalty and went into the halftime break trailing 1-0 after Reon Moore had a goal disallowed for offside. The hosts took a 3-0 lead by the 88th minute. And after the Soca Warriors hit the post a couple of times, they grabbed a consolation in stoppage time through defender Jamal Jack.

David said debutants Jariel Arthur and Wayne Frederick II were among the players who stood out, alongside versatile defender Jesse Williams.

"This experience is one we need to learn from because there are games we're going to be playing away from home and we're going to be getting that type of treatment. It's just for the players to learn from it and know that when we're playing away from home, we're not going to get any favours," David said.

"It was good to see the fight...it's just to continue to learn from these experiences and these lessons."

The 20-year-old Frederick II, who was drafted as the second overall pick by Colorado Rapids in the 2024 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, was delighted for the call-up. Frederick II thanked Yorke and his coaching staff for the guidance they gave him along the way.

"It was a great experience, coming out here to a place I've never been to. It's amazing," Frederick II said. "It's a blessing to get that opportunity and playing against players of that quality and getting minutes is an experience I'll never forget. I'll cherish it forever."

As he looks ahead to pre-season in roughly a month's time, Frederick II is keen to make himself a part of Yorke's plans for the continuation of the Fifa 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

"I'm going to take what I've learned here into the season and hopefully establish myself more there so I can get more opportunities to come back here and play for the country and help us qualify for the (2026) World Cup."