Wind at the Right Moment: Riyadh and Al Hilal Share the Points in a Gusty Saudi Derby

Carneiro comments on the draw with Leader.

Wind and the game dynamics

The Uruguayan Daniel Carneiro, the head coach of Riyadh, spoke about the role wind played in their match against Al Hilal in the Roshn Saudi Pro League.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in the eighteenth round of the Roshn Saudi Pro League.

Carneiro said in his post-match conference, reported by the Saudi daily Al-Riydiah, that we were not lucky in some games, we could not score, maybe today luck was on our side, and the result is fair.

The match was played in a very ordinary way, and the referee stopped the game at the moment he should have.

He added that in the first half Al Hilal looked for a result, while the wind favored them, making long balls harder for us.

We had to defend, and we defended well, but our concentration wavered at the moment we conceded.

We knew the wind would be with us in the second half; our team advanced by about 20 meters, we equalized, and then Al Hilal threw everything forward, and we defended.

In the final minutes we suffered from a numerical disadvantage, and Al Hilal pressed hard, but our defense stayed solid and we earned a point. I am happy with the team's fighting spirit.

Defensive resilience and takeaway

Wind played a role as Riyadh and Al Hilal drew in the Roshn Saudi Pro League.

Punchline 1: If wind keeps dictating results, I will start charging it rent for the coaching office.

Punchline 2: And for the next match, the wind will demand a raise in its wind-wage — talk about market forces on the pitch.