Saudi goal disallowed in scoreless draw with Australia

Saudi goal disallowed in scoreless draw with Australia
Saudi Arabia’s Saud Abdulhamid heads the ball during the 2026 AFC World Cup qualifier against Australia at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 14, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 14 November 2024
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Saudi goal disallowed in scoreless draw with Australia

Saudi goal disallowed in scoreless draw with Australia
  • Green Falcons thought they had won in the 93rd minute when Sultan Al-Ghannam rifled home from just inside the box
  • Mitch Duke clashed heads with goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar who came out to clear the ball, but VAR showed the infringement was outside the box

MELBOURNE: Saudi Arabia had a goal disallowed in added time in a scoreless draw with Australia, a result that did neither side any favors in their bid to qualify for World Cup 2026.
Despite several chances in front of a sold out AAMI Park in Melbourne, the breakthrough both teams desperately needed never came.
The Saudis and their new French coach Herve Renard thought they had won in the 93rd minute when Sultan Al-Ghannam rifled home from just inside the box.
But the flag went up, with one of his teammates offside.
“We had some good opportunities but we have to go give our opponent credit. First half we didn’t play very well,” said Socceroos coach Tony Popovic.
“We were not very good with the ball while they were sharp and energetic.
“We improved significantly in the second half, which is good,” he added.
“Overall, it’s a point and we move forward but certainly we can improve.”
The stalemate played into the hands of Group C leaders Japan and opened the door for Bahrain to leapfrog them as Asian qualifying reached the halfway mark.
Australia and the Saudis both have six points, four behind table-toppers Japan who can stretch their lead further when they meet Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday.
Bahrain, on five points, host China later in Riffa and will move into second spot if they win.
Just the top two seal their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America, with third and fourth forced into another round of Asian qualifying.
Australia must now lift themselves for a difficult trip to Bahrain next week, while Saudi Arabia travel to Indonesia.
Popovic made just one change from the team that drew with Japan in Saitama last month with Standard Liege midfielder Aiden O’Neill in for Luke Brattan.
Renard, who was appointed a fortnight ago in place of Roberto Mancini, swung the axe with just four survivors from their last match, a goalless draw with Bahrain.
Both sides started at a frenetic pace and in a big moment on 12 minutes the referee awarded Australia a penalty after Mitch Duke clashed heads with goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar who came out to clear the ball.
But VAR showed the infringement was outside the box.
The first decent effort did not come until the 27th minute when Saudi midfielder Nasser Al-Dawsari whipped in a shot from a tight angle. Goalkeeper Joe Gauci saved at the near post.
Gauci made another crucial stop on the cusp of half-time, charging off his line to pluck the ball off the feet of Feras Albrikan in a one-on-one situation.
Australia had the brighter second half, creating far more chances with Riley McGree and Duke whipping in shots that were blocked.
They had a glorious opportunity with seven minutes left when substitute Brandon Borrello beat the offside trap.
But instead of shooting he opted to pass and the chance was wasted, before the last-minute drama with the disallowed goal.


Forest condemn Amorim’s Man Utd to second straight defeat

Forest condemn Amorim’s Man Utd to second straight defeat
Updated 47 sec ago
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Forest condemn Amorim’s Man Utd to second straight defeat

Forest condemn Amorim’s Man Utd to second straight defeat
United were rocked again at the start of the second half by Morgan Gibbs-White, and Chris Wood made it 3-1
Bruno Fernandes struck a fine shot from just outside the box to give United hope

MANCHESTER: Nottingham Forest condemned Manchester United to their second straight Premier League defeat on Saturday, beating Ruben Amorim’s men 3-2 at Old Trafford.
The visitors took the lead in the second minute through Nikola Milenkovic but Rasmus Hojlund levelled.
United were rocked again at the start of the second half by Morgan Gibbs-White, and Chris Wood made it 3-1.
Bruno Fernandes struck a fine shot from just outside the box to give United hope just after the hour mark but it was not enough.
Amorim started his United reign last month with a draw followed by two wins but predicted the club would “suffer for a long time” as he battled to improve their fortunes.
Reality is now starting to bite after a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in midweek followed by the Forest reverse at home.
Milenkovic left United goalkeeper Andre Onana rooted to the spot in the second minute, powering home a header from a corner — the third straight goal United had conceded from a corner.
The home side were level in the 18th minute after Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels could only parry Alejandro Garnacho’s shot and Hojlund steered home.
Forest made another lighting start to the second half, when Gibbs-White let fly with a swerving shot from distance that beat Onana.
Forest extended their lead in the 54th minute when Wood took advantage of more uncertainty in the United defense to head home.
Fernandes pulled one back after patient play from Amad Diallo, who laid it off to the United captain, who whipped it into the back of the net.
The win lifts Forest to fifth in the Premier League table but United are languishing in 13th spot and Amorim is facing a huge task.

Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International

Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International
Updated 07 December 2024
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Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International

Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International
  • American 20-year-old Caleb Surratt and Cameron Smith of Australia push Niemann all the way in thrilling finale at Riyadh Golf Club

RIYADH: Chile’s Joaquin Niemann produced a masterclass of golf under the highest pressure to scoop the $1 million winner’s prize in the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers tournament on Saturday for his second win in the Kingdom this year.

Niemann needed two holes of a play-off to secure the title when he birdied the 396-yard par four 18th for the second time in a row while Caleb Surratt, from 10 feet, and Cameron Smith, from seven, both narrowly missed their putts for a three. The trio had all birdied the first play-off hole, also the 18th, minutes earlier.

The play-off win, which follows his triumph in the LIV Series Jeddah event in March, also secured the The International Series Rankings first prize for the 26-year-old Niemann from Santiago, whose magical chip from light rough to three feet finally secured this important victory.

Surratt, 20, who was chasing his first professional victory and shot a final-round 66, ensured it was no easy cruise for Niemann, who converted six birdies in his final round 67 for a four-round 21-below par total of 263.

However, both Surratt and Niemann surprisingly bogeyed their 72nd hole, the 18th, to allow Smith into a play-off following the Australian’s best-of-the-day 62 earlier on Saturday.

Smith, the 2022 Open Champion, had earlier written off his chances of being in the final mix when he spoke to media, but had not reckoned on uncharacheristic errors on the final hole by the leading duo, which saw Surratt’s tee shot finding water and Niemann’s drive landing in thick rough.

After the drama, champion Niemann praised Golf Saudi, the organizers of the event and responsible for the growth in popularity of the sport in the Kingdom, which produced a record five local players in this year’s event.

Niemann said: “I’m seeing golf developing here in Saudi Arabia thanks to Golf Saudi and it’s great to see them taking the game to the next level here. I’m delighted to be part of that and seeing kids here, too, watching us play is a good sign for a bright future.”

Meanwhile, Peter Uihlein had started the day in pole position to finish The International Series Rankings in top spot but the sure touch that had earned him victory in the previous event in Qatar and had taken him into contention after three rounds here completely deserted him when it mattered most on Saturday.

The American dropped three strokes after the turn, suffering a disastrous double bogey six at the 11th having bogeyed the previous hole, and tumbled to joint 29th overall after a three-over 74, 13 under par overall.

It left him second behind Niemann in The International Series Rankings with New Zealander Ben Campbell in third place following his fourth position in Riyadh thanks to a closing 64 for 20 under par overall.

John Catlin, another American, was also in the winner’s circle at the conclusion of the event for finishing top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, which he had secured prior to this tournament where he finished joint 34th at 12 under par following a closing round of 65.

The leading Arab finisher was amateur Adam Bresnu of Morocco, who strung together highly creditable rounds of 66, 68, 67 and 66 to finish at 17 under overall for a share of sixth place.


Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis

Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis
Updated 07 December 2024
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Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis

Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis
  • Flick disagreed with the referee’s decision to grant a penalty

BARCELONA: Coach Hansi Flick was sent off for protesting a penalty decision and Barcelona was held at Real Betis to 2-2 in La Liga on Saturday.
Flick disagreed with the referee’s decision to grant a penalty following a video review when Betis forward Vitor Roque fell in the area following a brush with Frenkie de Jong.
Giovani Lo Celso converted the 66th-minute penalty to level the score after Robert Lewandowski put the visitors ahead in the 38th.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored from a pass by Lamine Yamal to put Barcelona back in front in the 82nd, but Assane Diao struck in injury time to secure the draw for Betis.
Barcelona have dropped points in four of the last five rounds. The league leader are five points ahead of Real Madrid, which has two games in hand.


Man City drop more points after draw with Crystal Palace

Man City drop more points after draw with Crystal Palace
Updated 07 December 2024
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Man City drop more points after draw with Crystal Palace

Man City drop more points after draw with Crystal Palace
  • It could have been worse for City after Palace led twice

LONDON: Manchester City’s Premier League title defense took another blow after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Four-time defending champion City ended a seven-game winless run on Wednesday by beating Nottingham Forest, but dropped more points with the draw at Selhurst Park.
It could have been worse for City after Palace led twice.
Pep Guardiola’s team are fourth in the standings and eight points behind leader Liverpool, which have a game in hand after their derby with Everton was postponed due to a storm.
Aston Villa were fifth after winning against last-placed Southampton 1-0, and Brentford beat Newcastle 4-2.


Gabriel Bortoleto targets F2 championship crown in Abu Dhabi ahead of F1 graduation

Gabriel Bortoleto targets F2 championship crown in Abu Dhabi ahead of F1 graduation
Updated 07 December 2024
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Gabriel Bortoleto targets F2 championship crown in Abu Dhabi ahead of F1 graduation

Gabriel Bortoleto targets F2 championship crown in Abu Dhabi ahead of F1 graduation
  • The Brazilian driver will race for Kick Sauber in Formula 1 next year

ABU DHABI: The 2024 FIA Formula 2 season has been one of numerous twists and turns, with championship contenders coming and going. Heading into this final weekend at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, there is a clear two-horse race between one driver confirmed to graduate to Formula 1 in 2025, and another with sights on his own promotion.
Similar to his 2023 rookie title success in Formula 3, Gabriel Bortoleto’s consistency was key to his elevation up the drivers’ standings, despite a challenging start to the year. The Invicta Racing driver, who will race for Kick Sauber in F1 next year, suffered three consecutive retirements in the Jeddah feature race, and both Australia outings due to collision damage and mechanical failure, stunting his early momentum.
Bortoleto’s response was impressive, however. Feature race wins in Austria and Monza in Italy, the latter a stunning last-to-first comeback victory, propelled the Brazilian driver into title contention. He is the in-form driver on the grid, and will look to follow in the footsteps of Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri in immediately following his FIA F3 crown with the F2 title before focusing on his F1 debut.
Bortoleto’s closest challenger for the F2 title is Frenchman Isack Hadjar. The Red Bull junior driver has experienced contrasting fortunes to his rival, with four feature race wins — more than any driver — and looked to be racing towards the title earlier in the year. But the Campos driver only accumulated points in three of the last 10 races before the long break, ahead of the final two weekends in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Should he return to form this weekend and claim the crown, he will certainly have staked his claim for his own F1 graduation with Red Bull sister team RB.
The Italian PREMA Racing squad, typically contending at the top of the Teams’ Championship and producing numerous F1 drivers, has struggled to get the best of the new FIA F2 car introduced in 2024. Its two drivers, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman, both headed for F1 next year, have been unable to fully demonstrate their abilities.
Antonelli’s two feature race wins, and Bearman’s two sprint race wins, are the grand total of the team’s success in 2024. The team will hope to sign off its season on a positive note this weekend, however, much like last year when Frederik Vesti took Sprint Race victory at Yas Marina Circuit.