5 things we learned from Saudi’s 0-0 draw with Honduras in Abu Dhabi friendly

5 things we learned from Saudi’s 0-0 draw with Honduras in Abu Dhabi friendly
Saudi drew 0-0 with Honduras in a friendly match in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night. (Supplied)
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Updated 31 October 2022
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5 things we learned from Saudi’s 0-0 draw with Honduras in Abu Dhabi friendly

5 things we learned from Saudi’s 0-0 draw with Honduras in Abu Dhabi friendly
  • A win and four draws in the last five matches show the Green Falcons are a tough team to beat, but lack of goals will concern coach Herve Renard

Saudi Arabia continued their preparation for the 2022 World Cup with a 0-0 draw against Honduras in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Herve Renard’s team continue to be stubborn at the back but lacking in attack.

Here are five things we learned from their latest outing.

1. Cutting edge still absent

The result takes Saudi Arabia’s unbeaten run to five games after two draws against fellow World Cup participants Ecuador and the US in September and then last week’s win over North Macedonia and draw with Albania. While that won’t do the team’s confidence any harm, this was a game that the Green Falcons should have won.

Honduras were not only without some of their regular starters, who are in action for their clubs, but also played the second half with only 10 men as Ivan Lopez was red-carded just before the break. Despite the man advantage (the Central Americans actually had another player and the coach sent off late into added time), the Saudis could not breach the Honduras defense. While there may be five games unbeaten, just two goals scored in seven games — and one of those a penalty — suggests that Saudi Arabia’s best hope in Qatar is their defense.

2. Time for the secrecy to end

This is the third game in a row in which coach Herve Renard has tried to keep his World Cup cards close to his chest in order to deprive Argentina, Mexico and Poland of a chance to see his team, players, tactics and formation. The one downside of having more preparation games than anyone else is that other teams can get a good look at how you are doing, but in this case, opposition scouts and analysts will likely have spent more time looking at the qualification campaign for Qatar 2022. 

It is difficult, however, for Saudi Arabian fans to feel the excitement as the World Cup draws closer when there is such a veil of secrecy surrounding the last three games. The first two games were experimental with the line-ups changing after an hour. The Honduras one was a little more conventional, and it should mean that the next game, against Iceland later this week, is open to all and that fans can go and support their heroes and generate some of that World Cup fever.

3. Al-Malki return shows his character

When Abdulelah Al-Malki headed to Japan for a February World Cup qualifier, he must have been in the best of spirits. He had just joined Al-Hilal from Al-Ittihad, was looking forward to the FIFA Club World Cup and was an integral part of the Saudi Arabian team that looked well on course for a place at the World Cup.

Then he was tackled midway through the first half and picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury. It was devastating, and the initial prognosis was that he would be out of action for nine to 12 months. Now, though, the defensive midfielder is back and playing for the national team.

He may not have played any competitive football since that Japan game but has slotted back into action smoothly and still has the old energy and composure on the ball. Renard is a big fan of the 28-year-old, and his return to fitness could be one of the stories of the World Cup.

4. Injury situation getting better by the game

As well as Al-Malki, the list of absentees is shrinking, and arranging so many games has at least given coach Renard multiple chances to provide a number of the injured players with some much-needed minutes on the pitch, though it has perhaps contributed to the lack of intensity so far.

As well as the captain and the defensive midfield lynchpin Salman Al-Faraj, there are others coming back. Salem Al-Dawsari is also growing fitter after his appendix operation and is starting to look like his old self.

Saleh Al-Shehri had scored in the previous two games and Yasser Al-Shahrani is also back in the team. It is expected that Sultan Al-Ghannam and Nasser Al-Dawsari will join the training camp this Thursday, and if they can also get back into top condition by the time the opening World Cup clash with Argentina comes around, the Green Falcons are going to be close to having their full strength squad available in Qatar.

5. Results no longer important

With a win and four draws in the last five games, results are OK, and with Iceland coming up in the next few days and then Panama after that, it is time to try and put some serious pressure on the opposition and find something of a scoring groove. At this stage, a loss or two don’t really matter, but there is still a little time to try and find that cutting edge going forward and take a few risks.

Saudi Arabia have shown that they can keep things tight at the back, with just one goal conceded in the past five games and just three in the last eight, but if the full-backs can try and get forward a little more and if the midfield can play a little higher up the pitch and try and win the ball back closer to the opposition’s goal, then more chances may be created. 

It is unfortunate that it is not easy to arrange tests at the moment against stronger opposition, as most teams are full of players active in their domestic leagues, but the final warm-up game against Croatia in Riyadh should see a team that wants to attack. That leaves, against Iceland and Panama, a chance in the next two games to pile on the pressure and for players to get goals.


’Eiffel Tower’ lights up quiet suburb in Chinese city of Asiad host Hangzhou

’Eiffel Tower’ lights up quiet suburb in Chinese city of Asiad host Hangzhou
Updated 22 September 2023
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’Eiffel Tower’ lights up quiet suburb in Chinese city of Asiad host Hangzhou

’Eiffel Tower’ lights up quiet suburb in Chinese city of Asiad host Hangzhou
  • Tianducheng is a quirky relic of the country’s turn-of-the-century craze for everything foreign
  • The tower is one of many replicas of Western architecture that dot the country where developers once looked to Europe and North America for inspiration

HANGZHOU: As decorative fountains frame a view of the Eiffel Tower and a fashionable young woman walks a poodle nearby, you might mistake China’s Tianducheng neighborhood for Paris — if not for the concrete towers in the distance and Chinese signs on every shopfront.

Built in the 2000s, the residential area lies on the outskirts of Hangzhou, the city hosting around 12,000 athletes for the Asian Games that open on Saturday — a key stop for many of the world’s top athletes before the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Tianducheng is a quirky relic of the country’s turn-of-the-century craze for everything foreign.

Apartment blocks decorated with the City of Light’s iron balconies and mansard roofs flank a “boulevard” where motorized delivery tricycles zip past a braised duck-head stall.

Pensioners clutching plastic bags of groceries pause to take in the sights under a grey sky, while weathered horse statues rear up from a fountain that could have come out of the Jardin du Luxembourg.

Once advertised as a luxury community and a venue for French cultural festivals, Tianducheng languished for years with unfilled shop units and uninhabited apartments before Hangzhou’s booming tech industry brought eager buyers to its leafy avenues.

The tower is one of many replicas of Western architecture that dot the country where developers once looked to Europe and North America for inspiration, including a British-inspired Thames Town in Shanghai and a subtropical Interlaken in tech hub Shenzhen.

And in Jujun, a 2001 development in outer Beijing that literally translates to “Orange County,” McMansions complete with parched lawns bring a slice of Southern California to the Chinese capital.

They are relics of a bygone era, with China’s communist leaders clamping down on “bizarre,” foreign-inspired structures in recent years.


Nagelsmann named coach of Euro 2024 hosts Germany

Nagelsmann named coach of Euro 2024 hosts Germany
Updated 22 September 2023
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Nagelsmann named coach of Euro 2024 hosts Germany

Nagelsmann named coach of Euro 2024 hosts Germany
  • Germany fired Flick with the national team struggling, the German football association (DFB) fearing another embarrassing performance in a major tournament
  • Former Bayern Munich boss Nagelsmann has signed a deal until the end of next July, allowing the 36-year-old to leave after Euro 2024

MUNICH, Germany: Julian Nagelsmann has been given nine months to revive flailing Germany ahead of hosting Euro 2024 after being named as the sacked Hansi Flick’s successor as national team coach on Friday.
Germany fired Flick with the national team struggling, the German football association (DFB) fearing another embarrassing performance in a major tournament, this time as hosts at next year’s European championships.
Former Bayern Munich boss Nagelsmann has signed a deal until the end of next July, allowing the 36-year-old to leave after Euro 2024.
“We have a European Championship in our own country — that’s something special,” Nagelsmann said in a statement.
“I have a great desire to take on this challenge.”
Nagelsmann said he signed the short-term deal “to keep the Euros in focus” but insisted he “would not rule out” an extension.
Flick, who became the first coach in Germany history to be sacked, had won just four of 17 matches leading up to his dismissal and took the team to a disappointing group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The four-time world champions were also knocked out in the group stage at the 2018 World Cup in Russia under previous boss Joachim Loew.
DFB president Bernd Neuendorf called Nagelsmann “an outstanding coach” and said: “We are convinced (he) will ensure that the national team inspires its fans and that the Euros are also a sporting success.”
Flick was sacked after a humiliating 4-1 friendly loss to Japan in Wolfsburg in early September.
Nagelsmann, who also succeeded Flick as Bayern coach, has been jobless since he was sacked by the German champions in March.
DFB sporting director Rudi Voeller called Nagelsmann “an absolute football expert” and said he had “proven himself at a very young age for a head coach.”
Voeller took the reins on a “one-off” basis for Germany’s 2-1 win over France in Dortmund, but said his main task was to find a permanent successor.
Nagelsmann said the victory over France was “the beginning” of the team’s journey to Euro 2024.
Benjamin Glueck and Sandro Wagner have been appointed as Nagelsmann’s assistants.
Nagelsmann was seen as a rising star after impressive spells at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, before getting the top job at Bayern.
Nagelsmann was mentioned as a possible candidate for a number of top club vacancies over the summer, being linked with English sides Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Paris Saint-Germain.
Nagelsmann told a press conference he would focus on a playing style which was “easy to implement,” saying: “Especially in difficult moments, it’s important to give players something they can grasp.”
Nagelsmann spoke out for the first time about his “painful” Bayern exit.
“What hurts most in a separation like that is that it is painful to sit in front of the TV and watch your team in the Champions League, but know that you aren’t able to help them and work with them,” he said.
The Bavaria native, who became the youngest coach in Bundesliga history when he took over as head coach of Hoffenheim aged 28, added: “For me as a person, Julian Nagelsmann, I don’t define myself by the job.
“There can be phases where it doesn’t go perfectly. That’s part of the job. But I know when I lie down in bed in the evening, there’s other things that define me, not just the job as a football coach.”
Nagelsmann said he was “looking forward” to meeting his former Bayern players in the national team setup again.
“I really enjoyed working with those players.”
Nagelsmann also confirmed Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who Flick named as captain to replace the injured Manuel Neuer, would keep the top job.
“I’m extremely convinced of Ilkay as a person and as a player.”
Germany’s next assignment is a tour to the United States in October, playing friendlies against the USA and Mexico.


Pakistan open to welcoming Mohammad Amir to World Cup squad — chief selector

Pakistan open to welcoming Mohammad Amir to World Cup squad — chief selector
Updated 22 September 2023
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Pakistan open to welcoming Mohammad Amir to World Cup squad — chief selector

Pakistan open to welcoming Mohammad Amir to World Cup squad — chief selector
  • Fast bowler retired from international cricket in 2020 citing discrimination, ‘mental torture’
  • Chief selector says if Amir to be considered for World Cup is willing to play domestic cricket

ISLAMABAD: Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said on Friday Pakistan was ‘open’ to the possibility of welcoming former fast bowler Mohammad Amir back into the squad ahead of the World Cup if he consistently performed well in domestic competitions.
Amir announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 28 in December 2020, claiming he could no longer play in an atmosphere where he did not feel welcome in the national team.
Amir, who was jailed in 2011 for his part in a spot-fixing scandal, served three months in prison and a five-year ban from all forms of cricket before returning to the Pakistan squad in January 2016.
The left-arm bowler excelled in limited-overs cricket after that, helping Pakistan to the Champions Trophy title in 2017, but was dropped from the squad to tour New Zealand in 2020.
Questioned about the chance of Amir returning to the squad for the upcoming cricket World Cup starting next month in India, the chief selector said “the doors are open for everyone, including Amir.”
“Aamir is a great cricketer and he had decided to retire,” the official said.
“If he wants to play for Pakistan, the doors are open for everyone. If he comes back and plays first-class cricket and performs well, he will definitely be considered … I have said this before, neither the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) nor the selection committee closes the door [of opportunity] for anyone.”


In an interview with a local news channel when he retired, Amir said he had been “mentally tortured by the team management, subjected to frequent taunts, and felt deliberately sidelined.” 
Asked if he was leaving the sport altogether he said: “No, I’m not going away from cricket. If you have seen the atmosphere here and the way I’ve been sidelined, I got a wake-up call when I was not selected in the 35-man squad,” Amir had told Samaa TV.
“I don’t think I can play cricket under this management. I think I should leave cricket this time. I am being tortured mentally. I don’t think I can tolerate any more torture now.
“I’ve experienced a lot of torture from 2010 to 2015. I was away from the game and sentenced for my mistake. I’m being tortured again and again...”
Amir, who has 259 wickets across all formats, had retired from test cricket in 2019 to focus on the white-ball game.
He was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers in the 2019 50-overs World Cup in England with 17 wickets as they missed out on a semifinal spot.
 


LIV Golf Jeddah to stage regular season finale next month

LIV Golf Jeddah to stage regular season finale next month
Updated 22 September 2023
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LIV Golf Jeddah to stage regular season finale next month

LIV Golf Jeddah to stage regular season finale next month
  • Individual and team titles, and 2024 league spots all on the line at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from Oct. 13-15

JEDDAH: LIV Golf makes its highly anticipated return to Royal Greens Golf & Country Club here from Oct. 13 to 15, when the league’s 2023 regular season will reach its conclusion and set the stage for the Team Championship — and the future for many golfers.

The event marks the 13th tournament of the league’s first full season. There are 13 major winners who will compete in King Abdullah Economic City, including 2023 PGA Championship winner and 2023 US Ryder Cup Team selection Brooks Koepka, 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith, World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, 2020 US Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau, and two-time major winners Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer.

There will be much to play for amongst those atop the individual standings. Those further down the standings face a battle to secure their future, with players ranked 45 and below in the “Drop Zone” at season’s end facing relegation and losing their LIV Golf status for next year.

Smith currently leads the individual standings with 170 points after wins in London and Bedminster. In-form American Talor Gooch (149), a three-time individual champion this season, is in hot pursuit of the Australian. They are followed by seven contenders including 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah winner Koepka, 4Aces GC captain Johnson and Crushers GC captain DeChambeau, who shot a sensational 58 at LIV Golf Greenbrier earlier this year.

Those who finish in the top 24 in the overall standings will lock-in their position in the LIV Golf League for next season. Players finishing in the “Open Zone,” positions 25 to 44, however, may face trade or release by their respective teams. Meanwhile, those finishing in positions 45 and below sitting in the “Drop Zone” will be relegated and automatically qualify for the league’s promotional tournament, where they will have the opportunity to earn their spot back for the 2024 season.

Aside from the individual race, each player in the 48-man field has good reason to make their scores count, as the final team standings following LIV Golf Jeddah will determine seeds one to 12 for the LIV Golf Team Championship in Miami the following week, with the top four teams receiving first-round byes.

Through 11 events, 4Aces GC — featuring Johnson, Reed, Peter Uihlein and Pat Perez — sit atop the team standings with 172 points after wins in Adelaide and London. Torque GC, featuring Chilean stars Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira, Colombian Sebastian Munoz, and Spanish rookie David Puig, trail closely behind with 163 total points following wins in Orlando, D.C., Andalucia and Greenbrier.

The all-South African Stinger GC featuring major champions Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Dean Burmester, currently sit in third place with 156 points. DeChambeau’s Crushers GC (146 points), including Paul Casey, Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri, hold a three-point edge in fourth place over RangeGoats GC (143 points). They boast five top-three finishes this season thanks to standout performances by Gooch, Harold Varner III, Thomas Pieters, and captain Watson.


Stunning Kante winner sees champions Al-Ittihad beat Al-Fateh and return to Saudi Pro League summit

Stunning Kante winner sees champions Al-Ittihad beat Al-Fateh and return to Saudi Pro League summit
Updated 22 September 2023
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Stunning Kante winner sees champions Al-Ittihad beat Al-Fateh and return to Saudi Pro League summit

Stunning Kante winner sees champions Al-Ittihad beat Al-Fateh and return to Saudi Pro League summit
  • 2-1 home victory means the Jeddah club leapfrogs Al-Hilal, who drew 1-1 with Damac, at the top of the table

Champions Al-Ittihad returned to the top of the Roshn Saudi League after a 2-1 comeback win over Al-Fateh at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday night.

Marwane Saadane gave the visitors the lead after 30 minutes, before Al-Ittihad’s Brazilian star Romarinho equalized eight minutes later.

French World Cup winner N’Golo Kante gave the reigning champions the lead in stoppage time of the first half with a stunning strike, and there would be no addition to the scoreline in the second half.

The 2-1 win leaves Al-Ittihad top of the table with 18 points from seven matches, one more than Al-Hilal, who drew 1-1 with Damac. Al-Fateh remain on 11 points in seventh place.

Saudi Pro League history was made in stoppage time of the match when Ittihad coach Nuno Santo introduced 16-year-old Talal Haji for Romarinho, making him the youngest footballer to play in the competition since the adoption of its current system in the 2008-2009 season.