ON A plane returning from a UEFA get-together, Leo Beenhakker turned to the England manager and said: "We'll make it difficult for you, Sven."
Beenhakker didn't use the phrase "we'll embarrass you", as was widely reported at the time.
He didn't need to. Sven got the message. Beenhakker's team, Trinidad and Tobago, were not at the World Cup simply to make up the numbers.
They were there on merit. And, as they proved against Sweden, losing a defender to a red card didn't prevent them from believing they could survive and they now face England with confidence undimmed.
Sven and his players paid close attention to the video of that game, and know they face a battle.
Particularly if they play at the low tempo that turned off so many supporters during their dreary opener against Paraguay.
Sven's reasoning on that one was that the win was more important than the performance.
He's right, but another slow burn tonight in tropical conditions will simply play into the tactical grasp of Beenhakker, who, like Sven, has done his homework.
He knows that Michael Owen is still fighting for full fitness.
He knows that Peter Crouch will be the target for a lot of England's ammunition.
And he knows that England's main dangerman, Steven Gerrard, won't be hovering around the 18-yard line as he does for Liverpool.
He can't do much about Crouch. The lanky striker consistently wins the ball in the air, but unless Owen finds some sharpness from somewhere, the bulk of the knockdowns will sail harmlessly on to defenders or bounce frustratingly into touch.
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