United Petrotrin Head Coach Marcos Tinoco says he predicts a very tough match on Saturday when his club tackles League leaders and defending champions San Juan Jabloteh in Round One Match Day Four of the Digicel Pro League at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
Jabloteh played three matches and are now with 9 points at the top of the table while United Petrotrin with a bye in Match Day Two played two matches and are in 3rd with 6 points, separated by Joe Public with 7 points.
“There are no result predictions for this match (against Jabloteh). We are both good teams and the result can go anyway. We will do our best and work hard for another win, and we expect Jabloteh to do the same,” explained Tinoco.
On Tuesday, Petrotrin trashed Police 4-0 at the Palo Seco Recreation Ground to register the biggest win by any club of the 2009 season thus far. However, Tinoco explains that the 4-0 score-line didn’t depict what really happened.
“When people hear a 4-0 score, they most likely believe that we dominated the match. But it wasn’t so. Police played a really tough match against us. It’s just that we created chances and finished those chances.”
Arnold Dwarika registered a double, Police defender Randy Harris netted an own goal and Gary Glasgow netted the fourth item close to the end.
Tinoco’s side was questioned during the pre-season because of the number of veterans included in their squad this season with names such as Dwarika, Glasgow, Cyd Gray, Aurtis Whitley(currently on the injury list), Stokely Mason and Nigel Pierre.
Tinoco held a lot of confidence in his players ahead of the 2009 season, and that confidence is only growing as he explains.
“I am enjoying it here,” said the Brazilian in his first season in Trinidad. “Our players like Arnold and others are committed one hundred percent and more. They are fit and have been committed to our program here at Petrotrin. We are a good team and the public knows what these guys can offer.”
“The board of directors at Petrotrin are giving me all that I need to perform my duties. They have given me my independency and that’s the right thing to do. So we at Petrotrin are very happy at the moment.”
Tinoco is no stranger to the Caribbean despite only landing the Petritrin job this year. He had visits to Trinidad on CONCACAF related meetings and was once the Head Coach of the Cayman Islands National Senior Team.
Tinoco also revealed that, in his opinion, the level of football in Trinidad and Tobago is the best in the region.
In other Petrotrin team news, midfielder Aurtis Whitley, yet to play for the Oilmen this season, has fully recovered from a right knee cartilage operationon which he did two months ago. According the Tinoco, Whitley is now working on his fitness before returning to the pitch.