RIYADH: Ramon Diaz praised his Al-Hilal side’s character after they failed to secure a positive result at home in the first leg of the 2017 AFC Champions League final.
The Riyadh giants were held to a 1-1 draw against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in front of 60,000 fans at the King Fahd International Stadium. They were stunned after just seven minutes as Rafael Silva swept home on the rebound following Salman Al-Faraj’s failure to clear the Brazilian’s initial effort properly.
“We had a slow start to the game, and conceded an unexpected goal, but I was impressed by the players’ reaction after the goal,” Al-Hilal coach Diaz said after the game.
Indeed, the Al-Hilal players did not let the frustration of going behind get to them. Instead, Diaz’s men had 70 percent possession in the first half and pounded the Japanese goal with attack after attack, but with limited success.
An 18th-minute injury to star midfielder Carlos Eduardo further complicated things for the hosts as Diaz was forced into an early substitution and introduced Nawaf Al-Abid for his first game after a lengthy injury layoff.
Striker Omar Khribin was particularly wasteful as the hosts created numerous chances and repeatedly found space behind Urawa’s defence. But despite the side’s inefficiency in front of goal, Diaz remained positive as he lauded his players’ attacking intent.
“If we didn’t create chances, that would have been a real concern, but we were clearly the better side and created multiple chances,” said the Al-Hilal boss.
One man who ensured the hosts did not score the goals their possession perhaps deserved was Urawa goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa. The 31-year-old was forced into multiple last-ditch saves in the opening half, and he admitted his defenders were not on their day, leaving him exposed to face a series of Al-Hilal chances.
“Football is a team sport,” reflected Nishikawa. “Today, our defence was not perfect, but that is football. As a team, it is your duty to help one another and in games like this you have to be there to make key saves.”
Manager Takafumi Hori echoed his goalkeeper’s words as the performances of some Urawa players were brought into question, particularly that of left-back Tomoya Ugajin.
“It happens that in football matches you can go through difficult times, like what we saw against Al-Hilal. We were under pressure and sometimes a player doesn’t handle that pressure well. But we work as a team and sometimes other players have to carry their teammate if he is not playing well.”
Al-Hilal may have dominated possession throughout and created chances, but their only goal of the game came in the final minutes of the first half as Khribin got on the end of a misfired Salem Al-Dawsari shot to control and slot past Nishikawa. The Syrian’s strike was his tenth goal of the AFC Champions League season on the same day he was named in the three-man shortlist for the 2017 Asian Footballer of the Year award.
The second half saw a notable drop in intensity as Al-Hilal players suffered the effects of a physically demanding, robust playing style adopted throughout the opening period. Diaz looked to bring on fresh legs as he introduced striker Mukhtar Fallatah to partner Khribin up front. The former Al-Wehda striker was making his Al-Hilal debut in the competition under unenviable circumstances and Diaz was quick to admit it may not have been the ideal setting for the 31-year-old to make his bow.
“I am pleased with his overall performance,” said the Al-Hilal boss. “He has been training well and came in at a difficult stage of the match. I think he did well.”
The result leaves the Riyadh giants with the uphill task of trying to get an away goal in Saitama next week. A goalless draw will be enough for the Japanese side to lift their second AFC Champions League title.
Wasteful Al-Hilal held to a draw by Urawa Reds
Wasteful Al-Hilal held to a draw by Urawa Reds
Grit and gratitude: Saudi Arabia’s first pro cyclist is making moves
- Moroj Adil is inspiring a new era in Saudi cycling
Saudi Arabia’s first pro cyclist, Moroj Adil, is an athlete on the move, her trajectory set firmly on an upward path. The past two years have been a transformative journey for the 26-year-old from Makkah, one marked by determination, resilience and many firsts.
In 2022, inspired by the Tour de France Femmes and Giro d’Italia Women, Adil made a bold decision: She wanted to become a professional cyclist. The challenge? She didn’t know how to ride a bike.
“I already decided that I want to be a pro cyclist,” Adil recalled. “When you have this idea in your mind, or when you think about something and start to look at everything around you, things just start to happen to you.”
Her resolve was unwavering: “I was thinking about what it would be like, and I was really worried about the idea. How could I start this professional journey and take a step forward into a cycling career?”
But Adil didn’t just dream; she acted. In 2022 she joined a cycling group in Jeddah and showed up without a bike and no real experience. She borrowed the group’s bike and, by the end of that first outing, she was a cyclist.
Eager to put her new skills to the test, Adil entered her first races. An early challenge was the 2022 NEOM Titan Desert Race, a grueling 400 km mountain bike stage race that takes place each November during the NEOM Beach Games. With a rookie’s spirit but limited experience, she showed up with a downhill bike that was completely unsuitable for the course. She was disqualified for missing the time cutoffs but remained undeterred.
Adil set her sights on being involved in the AlUla Tour, the Kingdom’s largest cycling competition, in January 2023. She reached out to the Saudi Arabian Cycling Federation and offered her help for the professional men’s event. She was warmly welcomed and, during the event, had the opportunity to ride with members of the Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s WorldTour Pro team, the Jayco-AlUla men’s team, and the Saudi National Cycling Team.
“I was the only Saudi girl during that ride,” she said. “When I saw these professional riders, I got more excited. I told myself, ‘One day, you’re going to be part of that team. You will ride with them as one of them.’”
Adil’s dedication paid off when she was invited to a team training camp in Spain and subsequently signed a contract with Liv AlUla Jayco’s Continental Team, a stepping stone to the Women’s WorldTour Team. A move to Girona, Spain for the 2024 season solidified her status as a professional athlete.
With her first year as a pro drawing to a close, Adil describes her routine as “eat, sleep, cycle.” She admits the transition was tough but rewarding.
“The first season was so fun, full of learning, making mistakes, and growing from them,” she said.
“When you have a rider who started cycling two years ago, racing with and against cyclists who have been riding since they were seven or eight years old, it’s kind of hard. While everyone else is putting in 100 percent effort, I have to put in 1,000 percent.”
Yet Adil embraces the challenge: “I was enjoying this kind of struggle and challenge, and that’s what makes cycling fun.”
With her second NEOM Titan Desert Race fast approaching — it starts on Nov. 18 — Adil is hopeful and determined. Despite disqualification in 2022, she placed second last year and is eager for another podium finish.
“When you’re on the podium once, you crave that feeling of winning. I’m aiming to always be one of the top riders in this race,” she said.
Reflecting on the year past, Adil is grateful for the support of her team and feels it is a responsibility to give it her all in the race: “The hard work I’ve done with the team throughout the year has paid off. They opened so many doors for me. This is the least I can do to give back.”
And looking ahead, Adil has big plans.
“One of my goals is to take full advantage of being on the Continental team,” she said. “It means I have more chances to make mistakes and learn. I’m not looking forward to making mistakes, but to gain experience so I can take my performance to the next level.”
Having embraced the steep learning curve, Adil is preparing for new challenges. Next season, she will move to Belgium to train in harsher weather and improve her racing in new conditions.
“Last year, I struggled with the wind. Belgium and the Netherlands will be the best places to work on that,” she said, adding that her journey so far had been transformative: “The biggest thing I’ve learned is that whatever you think about yourself becomes your reality. Be careful about your thoughts. What you believe can come true.”
Her dreams and dedication go beyond personal victories, as Adil hopes to inspire the next generation of Saudi cyclists. She is also optimistic about the growth of women’s cycling in the Kingdom.
“Everything has a first time, and I hope I’ve opened the door for others,” she said. “This year, the women’s racing calendar is expanding, and the peloton is getting bigger.”
She says young Saudi women are also reaching out to her, curious about her life as a professional cyclist: “They’re asking about cycling as a career, not just as a hobby. It makes me so happy. I hope we see more professional Saudi riders, both men and women.”
• Dawn Barnable is the founder and host of The Mettleset Podcast, a platform dedicated to women in sport from across the region.
With a gamble in Greece, England recover without Harry Kane for 3-0 win
- Carsley’s brief tenure with England as a caretaker coach after the departure of Gareth Southgate has been under a cloud of scrutiny since that first-ever defeat to Greece
- Watkins led England’s forward-leaning formation, justifying the selection with a goal in the seventh minute
ATHENS: This time, Lee Carsley’s gamble paid off.
In a surprise move, England’s interim coach left captain Harry Kane on the bench for the Nations League match against Greece on Thursday and the youthful team eased to a 3-0 win in Athens.
It was a far cry from a month ago when Carsley boldly picked a team featuring no recognized strikers — Kane was injured on that occasion — and full of midfielders, only for England to lose 2-1 to Greece at Wembley Stadium.
Carsley’s brief tenure with England as a caretaker coach after the departure of Gareth Southgate has been under a cloud of scrutiny since that first-ever defeat to Greece. Yet he’ll hand the reins to Thomas Tuchel at the end of the year with his reputation somewhat restored and the future suddenly looking more positive for the national team.
Indeed, looking to the future is the reason he chose Ollie Watkins over Kane for this match.
“This team needs to try and create leaders and one way to do that is give them opportunities,” he said of the decision to pick Watkins in a team that also included a debut for Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones.
Watkins led England’s forward-leaning formation, justifying the selection with a goal in the seventh minute when he tapped in a cross from 22-year-old winger Noni Madueke — another unexpected starter.
Jude Bellingham had a hand in the second goal in the 78th, sending in a shot that hit the post before the ball deflected off Greece goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos and into the net. Jones flicked the ball in for 3-0 five minutes later.
“There were a lot of positives,” Carsley said. “I see the quality the players have got and you’re now seeing what they are capable of. ... When you see the team, you might have thought it was a gamble — you know, a risk — but I’ve got real confidence in these players.”
Kane came on for Watkins in the 66th minute and Carsley said he expected the captain to start on Sunday when England hosts Ireland, seeking a win to finish top of the group and secure promotion back to the top tier of the Nations League.
“He was absolutely fine,” Carsley said. “I think it’d be fair to say he wants to play every game like all top players do. I think he understands it’s important that other players experience that kind of experience we had tonight. He’s a great example to the rest of the players.
“It was brilliant for Ollie to get a goal,” Carsley added. “It’s important that if we’re going to put these players in a position where we are going to win the World Cup, these players need as many experiences as they can. It was no slight on Harry.”
The Greeks went scoreless despite convincing spells in attack, with coach Ivan Jovanovic conceding that England had found its form to halt a run of four successive wins for his team.
“England is a better team for sure, they have higher quality, but the result could have been different,” Jovanovic said. “I have no complaints with the effort the players put in, their runs and their challenges, but we were a notch behind them. England was very good, very good, and we were below the level we can play at.”
Sinner stays perfect and Fritz also advances to the semifinals at ATP Finals
- Sinner was already assured of a spot in the last four before his match against Medvedev but still extended his winning streak to nine matches
- Sinner is playing at home for the first time since it was announced before his US Open title that he tested positive in two separate drug tests this year
TURIN: He’s got a stranglehold on the No. 1 ranking. He’s unbeaten this week and hasn’t dropped a set. And his home Italian fans can’t get enough of him.
Things couldn’t get much better for Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals so far — despite an ongoing doping case that likely won’t be decided until early next year.
Sinner and US Open finalist Taylor Fritz advanced to the semifinals on Thursday at the season-ending tournament for the year’s top eight players.
Sinner won the round-robin group after a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 2020 champion Daniil Medvedev; and Fritz advanced in second after rallying past Alex de Minaur 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Sinner was already assured of a spot in the last four before his match against Medvedev but still extended his winning streak to nine matches. Sinner beat Fritz in the US Open final in September for his second Grand Slam title.
“I hope this match gives me confidence for the semifinals, where I’m hoping to raise the level,” Sinner said. “But honestly, I’m happy with the level I’m playing at right now.”
Last year, Sinner lost the final to Novak Djokovic, who pulled out injured this year.
Sinner is playing at home for the first time since it was announced before his US Open title that he tested positive in two separate drug tests this year.
A decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September and a final ruling in the case is expected in 2025.
“I have been in this position three times already. Three times we had the hearing. Three times (went) my way,” Sinner said. “Of course, it’s not a position where I like to be in. But I’m going to work together with everyone, like I did before, then we see what comes out. I’m very positive of how it’s going to be.”
Sinner’s explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger. The spray was given to Naldi by Sinner’s physical trainer, Umberto Ferrara.
Sinner fired Naldi and Ferrara and now Ferrara has been hired to work with Matteo Berrettini, Sinner’s Davis Cup teammate.
“I saw them in Montecarlo the day before I came to Turin. Umberto is a really good trainer and I’m sure he’ll do a great job for Matteo, who has had a lot of physical issues in the past,” Sinner said.
Medvedev, who won one of three matches, and De Minaur, who didn’t win any, were eliminated.
Alexander Zverev leads the other group ahead of Casper Ruud, Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev.
Sinner took the edge in his career meetings with Medvedev at 8-7 — after Medvedev swept their first six matches.
“He’s in full confidence right now,” Medvedev said. “I watched his practice before the match — barely misses a shot and he hits strong. Many times a lot of players that don’t miss a lot, at least they don’t hit strong. He can hit strong — very strong, probably one of maybe top three, four, five hitters on tour, and doesn’t miss.”
Fritz improved to 4-5 in his career against De Minaur and could pull level next week in a quarterfinal matchup between the United States and Australia at the Davis Cup Finals.
“I feel like he typically plays better in the team environment. I also feel like I play better in the team environment,” Fritz said. “It’s still going to be a nightmare to play him next week, too.”
Messi, Vinicius have frustrating nights as Argentina lose and Brazil draw in World Cup qualifying
- Argentina will remain on the top of the 10-team round robin competition with a 22 points in 11 matches, Brazil are provisionally in third place in the standings with 17 points
- Argentina played at Paraguay with the hosts having banned local fans from wearing any Messi shirts in the home crowd
ASUNCION: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior had frustrating nights in South American World Cup qualifying.
While Messi could not help his team avoid a 2-1 defeat at Paraguay, Vinicius Junior missed a second-half penalty as Brazil was held to a 1-1 draw at Venezuela on Thursday.
Argentina will remain on the top of the 10-team round robin competition with a 22 points in 11 matches, Brazil are provisionally in third place in the standings with 17 points.
The 11th round of South American World Cup qualifying will continue on Friday with second-place Colombia visiting Uruguay and the bottom two teams in the standings, Peru and Chile, facing off in Lima.
An anti-Messi message
Argentina played at Paraguay with the hosts having banned local fans from wearing any Messi shirts in the home crowd. TV footage of the match in Asuncion showed that the vast majority of the local crowd was wearing Paraguay’s red and white colors, with no Messi shirts visible in the local broadcasts.
Messi had few opportunities to touch the ball during the first half, but saw Lautaro Martinez open the scoring in the 11th minute with a crossed shot. The goal was allowed after a video review.
Paraguay scored the equalizer with a bicycle kick by Antonio Sanabria in the 19th minute, shortly after defender Gustavo Gomez hit the bar with a header.
The hosts continued to apply pressure, and gave the Argentine star some heavy marking. Messi showed he was upset with Brazilian referee Anderson Daronco for not sending off Paraguay’s Omar Alderete for his aggressive tackles.
It was Alderete who scored Paraguay’s winner with a header in the 47th minute, which puts Paraguay back in contention for a spot in the next World Cup.
“We came to a hard place where the national team always struggled,” said Martínez. “We have to correct a lot of things we did wrong in this match, but generally speaking we are playing well. We are still in the lead, and we have to look forward.”
A disappointing night for Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior is still without a goal in six matches of World Cup qualifying.
He had the chance to score a potential winner after he earned the penalty in the 67th minute but his low spot kick was saved by goalkeeper Rafael Romo and the Brazil forward then shot wide from the rebound.
Brazil had the best chances in the first half, with Vinicius hitting the post once after dribbling three Venezuelans and shooting from the edge of the box. But it was Raphinha who opened the scoring from a free kick in the 43rd minute.
Venezuela brought on 21-year-old Telasco Segovia at halftime and the substitution had an immediate effect as he equalized in the 46th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.
Venezuela went down to 10 men in the 89th minute after Alexander Gonzalez was sent off for hitting both Gabriel Martinelli and Vinicius Júnior in the face.
The irrigation system then came on two minutes before the final whistle at the Monumental Stadium in the city of Maturin, 500 kilometers (310 miles) west of the capital Caracas, which angered Brazil players.
“When we don’t win I leave the pitch a bit disappointed, we deserved to win this one,” Raphinha said after the match. “But it is an important point playing away, we are working hard to win the next one at home.”
Los Angeles is on the clock for 2028 Olympics with focus turning to delivery and planning next year
- The commission visited the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the Long Beach Convention Center, waterfront and Marine Stadium during its first trip to Los Angeles in two years
- In 2025, the Games plan, the venues and competition schedule, medal event program and athlete quota will be finalized
LOS ANGELES: The International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission wrapped up a three-day visit Thursday to check out selected venues and track the progress of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“We’re four short years away,” said Casey Wasserman, LA28 chairman and president, who noted the Los Angeles Games are 1,338 days from opening on July 14, 2028.
The commission visited the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the Long Beach Convention Center, waterfront and Marine Stadium during its first trip to Los Angeles in two years.
“The venues are absolutely spectacular,” said Nicole Hoevertsz, a member of the International Olympic Committee and chair of the Coordination Commission for LA28. “I’m going to highlight this every single time that I come to the city that you have no construction to do, that you have world-class venues. They know very well how to organize big events and big sporting events.”
In 2025, the Games plan, the venues and competition schedule, medal event program and athlete quota will be finalized, which in turn will drive transportation, security and ticketing plans.
In 2026, the LA organizing committee will “get into some of the fun stuff,” Wasserman said, which includes opening up ticketing and hospitality options to the public, organizing the torch relay, creating a mascot, Cultural Olympiad and volunteer program.
“We cannot wait to host the world,” he said during a news conference on the campus of UCLA, which will host the athletes’ village.
Wasserman doesn’t anticipate any issues working with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who was in office in 2017 when Los Angeles won its bid to host and signed federally binding documents for the government to deliver security and transportation for the Games.
“Our conversations with the federal government always involve talking to folks from every party, that’s the nature of the world we live in in this country,” Wasserman said. “One side doesn’t get to dictate everything. It requires cooperation and coordination. We’ve had great success with both Republican and Democratic administrations, and we have no doubt that will continue.”
Wasserman and the LA organizing committee visited Paris to get an up-close view of how the French capital staged the recent Summer Games.
“We spent most of our time touring the back of the house while the competition was going on,” he said. “That’s where we will learn a lot and see a lot. Producing an event on the field of play I think we have a pretty good handle on. What makes the Olympics unique is everything else.”
Cricket is among the new sports at the 2028 Games, as are flag football, lacrosse and squash. A cricket venue doesn’t currently exist in Los Angeles.
“If we can find a place for cricket in Los Angeles, in the region, we will,” he said. “If not, it’s incumbent upon us to find the best place to produce the best cricket tournament.”
Softball and canoe slalom have already been moved 1,300 miles east to Oklahoma City.
“These Games are incredibly focused on LA and Southern California and being responsible and making hosting the Games fit our city and our community as opposed to fitting our city to host the games,” Wasserman said, “which is the mistake that has been made in the past and the promise we have made to the city and the community not to make going forward.”
