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TAIF, 黑料社区: The Saudi national team won the Arab Diar Championship for West Asian U-19 teams, after defeating UAE 1-0 at the King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Taif Governorate on Friday night.
The team qualified for the final match after beating their Syrian counterpart 2-0, state news agency SPA reported.
Talal Haji scored the winning goal in the 43rd minute of the first half, bringing victory and gold medals to the team.
The UAE came in second and was awarded silver medals.
DUBAI: An impressive 1-1 draw by Al-Hilal against Spanish giants Real Madrid in the FIFA World Club Cup has drawn praise from football fans and media alike, with goalkeeper Yassine 鈥淏ono鈥 Bounou and captain Salem Al-Dawsari receiving particular attention.
Al-Dawsari caused a stir among the media, who recalled his heroics in scoring 黑料社区鈥檚 winner against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while Bounou was a key player for Morocco who reached the semifinals in the same tournament.
There was also recognition of the role played by Simone Inzaghi, the new Al-Hilal coach, who took over the reins following his departure from UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan.
鈥淔or Al-Hilal, many foreign players who now play for the club have experience at top teams and stages of tournaments, like Manchester City and World Cup semifinals,鈥 wrote the Washington Post after the encounter at Hard Rock Stadium in Washington.
鈥淚nzaghi has made a big step after guiding Inter Milan to two Champions League finals, now stepping out of his comfort zone.鈥
Al Jazeera said Real Madrid had labored to the 1-1 result draw against a spirited Al-Hilal and that 鈥淪imone Inzaghi鈥檚 men showed defensive grit and enough attacking intent to rattle their illustrious opponents.鈥
The BBC compared the Al-Hilal coach鈥檚 debut to that of opposite number Xabi Alonso, saying: 鈥淚nzaghi will likely be the more satisfied, with his unfancied Al-Hilal side impressing and threatening to deliver a remarkable result even without a prolific marksman of their own, given Aleksandar Mitrovic was ruled out through injury.鈥
It was on social media, however, that the impact of Al-Hilal鈥檚 performance reverberated most.
Many commenters highlighted the challenges posed by 33-year-old Al-Dawsari to Real Madrid debutant Trent Alexander Arnold, who was involved in one of the most high-profile transfers of the summer when he joined the Saudi club from Liverpool just weeks ago.
鈥淚 was raving about Salem Al-Dawsari during the Arabian Gulf Cup as one of the best players I have ever seen. An unbelievable talent and Real Madrid found that out for themselves,鈥 journalist David Rhys Williams wrote on X.
Seb Stafford-Bloor of The Athletic echoed the sentiments in his own tweet: 鈥淪alem Al-Dawsari is a super player 鈥 and he鈥檚 had an excellent half. Causing all kinds of problems down Real鈥檚 right.鈥
One user said: 鈥淭rent getting dunked on by Salem Al-Dawsari,鈥 while another commented: 鈥淭rent getting cooked by Al-Dawsari.鈥 Others posted memes of the Al-Hilal player鈥檚 success in the head-to-head battle.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois praised Bounou after a stoppage-time penalty save against Frederico Valverde secured a precious point for Al-Hilal.
鈥淔ede has a very strong shot but he does not look at the keeper. Bounou moved early and could reach it. Bounou is good at penalties,鈥 said Courtois.
Meanwhile Moroccan football account @MoroccanGrinta proudly tweeted: 鈥淧enalty in the 90th minute against Real Madrid? Not a problem when you have Yassine Bounou. The Atlas Lion delivers a masterclass and secures a crucial point for Al-Hilal.鈥
Sports News Africa posted a video of Bounou鈥檚 save and said: 鈥淲e鈥檒l let you watch yet another save from the best African goalkeeper in history against the GREAT Real Madrid. Yassine Bounou鈥︹
AUSTIN, Texas: Defender Chris Richards scored with a flick of the ball off a second-half free kick to lift the United States to a 1-0 win over 黑料社区 on Thursday night, sending the Americans on to the CONCACAF Gold Cuo quarterfinals.
Richards tracked the ball as it flew into the box on a curving free kick from Sebastian Berhalter in the 62nd minute to tap the ball with his left foot past 黑料社区 goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aquidi.
The win and the 1-1 draw between Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti in Group D鈥檚 other match Thursday in Houston, clinched a knockout berth for the Americans, who improved to 42 wins, one loss and five draws in group play. The US has won its group in 16 of 17 Gold Cups, and closes Group D play on Sunday against Haiti at Arlington, Texas.
US coach Mauricio Pochettino stuck with the same lineup that produced a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, the first time he made no changes in consecutive matches since taking over the program last October. But playing against No. 58 黑料社区, the 16th-ranked Americans showed little of the attack firepower they displayed against the No. 100 Soca Warriors.
The match saw few real chances on goal by either team. The Americans had just one shot in the first half. Richards鈥 speed to track back to cover for Alex Freeman鈥檚 mistake and block a shot kept 黑料社区 from a 1-0 lead.
Matt Freese got his second consecutive start in goal for the US and third in four matches as he appears to have displaced Matt Turner.
The Gold Cup represents the last competitive test for the Americans ahead of the 2026 World Cup. As co-host with Mexico and Canada, the US is an automatic qualifier for the World Cup.
The Americans limped into the Gold Cup on a four-match losing streak that included a 4-0 rout by Switzerland in their final tune-up. And with many of the top players either sitting out this tournament for personal reasons, injuries or playing in the Club World Cup, Pochettino selected a roster full of relatively untested and unproven players.
Missing the tournament for the US are regulars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Sergi帽o Dest,
AUSTIN: The Saudi national football team has touched down in Austin, Texas, and is now in the final stretch of its preparations for Thursday night鈥檚 highly anticipated Concacaf Gold Cup game against the United States at Q2 Stadium.
Arriving from San Diego late Tuesday, the squad was greeted by 黑料社区鈥檚 Consul General in Houston, Shafi Al-Otaibi. Saudi Football Federation President Yasser Al-Misehal extending his thanks to the consulate for their hospitality and the smooth coordination of arrival logistics.
Once settled, the Green Falcons got straight to work. Under the watchful eye of head coach Herve Renard, the team trained at St. Edward鈥檚 University. The session featured a mix of warm-ups, and a short game on half the pitch, before winding down with stretching routines.
Injury updates came from the sidelines, where Hassan Kadesh and Mohannad Al-Saad continued their recovery work individually, guided by the team鈥檚 medical staff.
黑料社区 will hold one final training session on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. local time, again at St. Edward鈥檚. The opening 15 minutes will be open to the media.
SAN DIEGO: 黑料社区鈥檚 national team have wrapped up their preparations ahead of their opening match against Haiti in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Monday.
Herve Renard鈥檚 side held their final training session on Sunday at the Performance Center in San Diego, ahead of Monday鈥檚 Group D clash at Snapdragon Stadium.
The session began with warm-up drills before moving into possession-based training and a half-pitch practice match. Players concluded with stretching exercises.
Midfielder Muhannad Al-Saad was absent from group training due to muscle discomfort in his thigh, team officials confirmed.
黑料社区 have been drawn in Group D of the regional tournament, where they will face the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and Monday鈥檚 opponents Haiti.
RIYADH: Saudi clubs made a strong impression in the latest global social media rankings for football teams, with Al-Nassr confirmed as the most-followed Arab club worldwide.
In a report published on Wednesday by the Football Observatory, a research group within the International Centre for Sports Studies, Al-Nassr, who finished third in the Saudi Pro League this season, ranked 16th globally in terms of followers, having amassed more than 62 million across platforms including X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
The club鈥檚 regional online dominance was widely attributed to the global appeal of star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed for the team in December 2022, and its rapidly growing fanbase.
Al-Hilal, this season鈥檚 runners-up in the league, ranked 24th, with 37.7 million followers, driven by strong social media engagement linked to success in continental competitions and a squad featuring a number of international stars.
Pro League champions Al-Ittihad took 49th spot in the rankings with 15.5 million followers, ahead of many European and American clubs, thanks to recent high-profile signings and domestic success. Al-Ahli ranked 66th with 10.7 million followers, their digital success bolstered by a recent return to the Saudi Pro League and a vibrant presence on TikTok and Instagram.
Several clubs in other Arab countries also appeared in the top 100, including Egyptian side Al-Ahly, who with 57.7 million followers ranked 18th globally and were the top African side, fellow Egyptian club Zamalek (45th, 17.2 million followers) and Moroccan team Raja Casablanca (59th, 12.3 million).
The researchers said the rankings reflected the growing global reach and digital influence of Arab football, with Saudi clubs in particular gaining ground on traditional powerhouses in Europe and the Americas such as Real Madrid, who topped the rankings with 473.7 million followers, Barcelona (2nd, 427.4 million), Manchester United (3rd, 233.6 million) and Flamengo of Brazil, the highest-placed South American team, who ranked 15th with 66.4 million followers.
