Juan Antonio Pizzi said Saudi Arabia "are ready" to take on Germany tonight and has challenged his Green Falcons side to raise their game against the world champions.
Saudi Arabia conclude their comprehensive warm-up program — this will be their ninth match of the year — with a tough-looking assignment against Joachim Louw's in Leverkusen. The last time the two nations met, at the World Cup in 2002, Germany ran out 8-0 winners. A drubbing is the last thing the Green Falcons need with less than a week until the tournament starts, but Germany are not firing on all cylinders. They have not won any of their last five matches and have lost the last two, against Brazil and, more surprisingly, against Austria. But Pizzi still feels the Germans are a major force to be reckoned with.
"For us, it’s an honor to play against Germany, one of the best national team in the world," Pizzi said in a video published on the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's Twitter page. "It is highly expected to win the World Cup. We conclude the preparations with this friendly game. We are ready, and we are well prepared for this game. We will have a good game hopefully and we have the honor to play with this team."
The football federation have not been afraid to pitch the Green Falcons against high-calibre opposition. This will be their third straight game against a side ranked in the world's top 20, following on from games against Italy and Peru.
"The game against Germany is very important because the German national team has excellent players on the individual and collective levels," said Pizzi. "They have a coach who has been with the team for a long time and has many achievements. Hopefully, we will be up to the level."
The game could divide the loyalties of Oliver Kahn. The German won 86 caps for his country and went to four World Cups, but he is now employed on a consultancy basis in the Kingdom.
"Oliver Kahn is working with the Saudi Football Federation," said Pizzi. "He is preparing the goalkeepers of the Saudi Pro League. We respect him and thank him for all his help."
Saudi Arabia relishing friendly game against ‘World Cup favorites’ Germany
Saudi Arabia relishing friendly game against ‘World Cup favorites’ Germany
- Green Falcons play in Leverkusen tonight
- Coach Pizzi says Germany are 'one of the best national team in the world'
Apathy and anger cloud US team a year out from World Cup
- Kasey Keller: I think it is the most embarrassed I have been for the US national team in a long time
- There were thousands of empty seats in Nashville for the Switzerland defeat after poor turnouts for March’s games in Los Angeles
MIAMI: A run of four straight losses, including a 4-0 hammering from Switzerland on Wednesday, has left Mauricio Pochettino and his US team feeling the wrath of critics a year out from the World Cup they will co-host.
The US head into their opening game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday having lost on home soil to Panama and Canada in the Nations League in March before friendly losses to Turkiye and the debacle against the Swiss.
“I think it is the most embarrassed I have been for the US national team in a long time,” said Kasey Keller, who played in goal for the US 102 times between 1990 and 2007.
While there were plenty of American fans venting similar feelings on social media after the loss, what will perhaps be more concerning for the US Soccer Federation is supporters voting with their feet and not attending games.
There were thousands of empty seats in Nashville for the Switzerland defeat after poor turnouts for March’s games in Los Angeles.
“There’s just a sense of apathy around the United States men’s program and I don’t think that’s a hot take,” former striker Taylor Twellman told NBC Sports.
Alexi Lalas, a star of the US team the last time they hosted a World Cup in 1994, has built a career in ‘hot takes’ for Fox Sports but even he was struggling to fire himself up for a Star Spangled rant after the latest disappointment.
“I’m having a hard time even conjuring up that and that makes a little sad. In the past when I was angry at what was going on, I felt compelled to express it and now they are not even worth that, not worth me expressing how disappointing this is right now,” he said on his podcast ‘State of the Union’.
Pochettino has been forced to field a largely second string squad in this month’s games with the likes of Tim Weah and Weston McKennie on Club World Cup duty with Juventus while captain and talisman Christian Pulisic has opted to take some rest along with some other members of the first choice squad.
That latter decision prompted fierce criticism from some ex-players, including Landon Donovan, the country’s all-time joint top scorer who during commentary of Portugal’s win in the UEFA Nations League hit out at the absentees.
“[Ronaldo is] 40 years old. He’s played a long-ass season. He’s tired. He’s out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can’t help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It’s pissing me off,” he said.
That led to a sarcastic reply on social media from Pulisic’s father Mark who posted a reminder of Donovan’s own ‘sabbatical’ from the US team.
But there is also pressure mounting on Pochettino, the Argentine former Tottenham Hotspur manager, who was appointed to the US role in September.
The coach said he would take the blame for the showing against Switzerland where the US were 4-0 down by halftime.
“It’s my responsibility the choice of the starting 11. I wanted to give minutes to certain players, but we were never in the game,” the Argentine said.
While Pochettino’s job may be safe, some are wondering if he might not need some assistance.
“It looks like he doesn’t know the team, it looks like he doesn’t scout the players, has no idea of the pieces he has at his disposal,” said former USA forward Hercules Gomez on You Tube.
“The US Soccer Federation, why not place somebody who has some experience with the player pool to help Pochettino out because it looks like he has no idea who his players are? With a World Cup on home soil that is a disaster,” he added.
The US will co-host the World Cup with Mexico and Canada.
25 years after Tiger’s romp, a huge fan, Chase Johnson, is US Open’s only player of Black heritage
- A quarter-century after Woods made history, Johnson is not trying to be the next Tiger, only trying to show what can happen for a young player with a good work ethic and a love of the game
- Johnson’s path was literally inspired by Woods. He recalls watching the 15-time major champion not as one of his first golf memories, but one of his first memories of anything
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania: One of the first memories for the last man to make the field at this year’s US Open was watching Tiger Woods.
In that respect, Chase Johnson has plenty of company. In another, he has none.
On the 25-year anniversary of Woods’ historic dismantling of Pebble Beach in the US Open — a milestone win that some thought might puncture golf’s stereotype as a sport for rich, white men — Johnson is the only player of Black heritage in the 156-man field at Oakmont.
That’s hardly the only valid storyline for the 29-year-old former standout at Kent State who:
• Adopted a cross-hand chipping style to avoid the shanks.
• Beat players like Max Homa and Rickie Fowler in qualifying to earn an alternate’s spot that eventually got him in the field.
• Made a whirlwind trip from qualifying in Ohio to the US Open in Pennsylvania with detours to Arizona for a tournament, then to Michigan to celebrate his fiancee’s birthday.
But neither does Johnson shirk from his position at the national championship this week.
He is the 2025 season points leader on the Advocates Professional Golf Association, a nonprofit tour that promotes diversity in golf. He landed there after short stints on the Korn Ferry Tour. He also plays on the developmental PGA Tour Americas circuit.
A quarter-century after Woods made history, Johnson is not trying to be the next Tiger, only trying to show what can happen for a young player with a good work ethic and a love of the game.
“We’re going to keep on working on it, but hopefully I can continue to build my platform and build that platform for other players to just continue to grow the game,” Johnson said.
Diversity has been a work in progress for golf for ages — one that took on new meaning when Woods burst on the scene with his Masters win in 1997, then backed it up in 1999-2000 with four straight major victories, including the 12-shot win at Pebble Beach.
Two years ago, when not a single Black player qualified for the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club, USGA president Fred Perpall, who is Black, said it was a disappointment and he found it hard not to wish “we could just press the magic wand” to make those numbers look better.
On the eve of the first round at Oakmont, with Perpall’s term coming to an end, he and CEO Mike Whan touted some encouraging signs: Of the 24 million Americans who said in a recent survey that they’re “extremely interested” in playing golf, 24 percent are Black and Hispanic. Perpall said the USGA’s 2-year-old US National Development Program will be the pathway for America’s elite for the next 100 years.
“It’s not going to be a fast road,” Perpall said of the effort to make golf more diverse. “I mean, we didn’t get here overnight. We will not get out of here overnight. But if you get down to the junior level and you get down to the elite junior level, I think you’re going to see a lot more diverse game than you see out there” at country clubs and at Oakmont this week.
Johnson’s path was literally inspired by Woods. He recalls watching the 15-time major champion not as one of his first golf memories, but one of his first memories of anything.
In the Woods video game Johnson played as a kid, the game gave “trophy balls” as prizes. Johnson’s father, Mel, gave out “Daddy Trophy Balls” as rewards to motivate his kid.
Like Woods, Johnson is mixed race. His father his Black and his mother, Cheryl, is white. The entire family, along with fiancee, Katie Howarth, will be on hand for either two or four rounds this week.
“I was a little shocked with my dad’s response” upon finding out he had qualified, Johnson said. “He was like: ‘This is amazing. It’s Father’s Day weekend. I couldn’t ask for anything more.’ I was like, ‘I think we could think of one thing by Sunday that we could get for you.’”
Nothing wrong with dreaming big.
But in the game he’s playing, a victory might also look like a couple of young kids seeing someone who looks like them playing at the US Open — then picking up a club themselves.
“I want to see what he does with this platform,” Johnson’s coach, Kyle VanHise, said in a 2023 profile in Golf Digest. “The amount of people he’s going to help and influence will be incredible. Who is the one kid that, because he met you, his life was changed forever?”
Esports World Cup Foundation and Amazon announce partnership to bring esports to mainstream audiences
RIYADH: The Esports World Cup Foundation announced a strategic three-year collaboration with Amazon Ads on Tuesday, combining the Esports World Cup’s premier esports and gaming event with Amazon’s full-funnel advertising and entertainment services.
The world cup will be held in the Saudi capital Riyadh from July 7 to August 24.
The partnership hopes to deliver unprecedented fan experiences and expand the tournament’s global reach, and will unlock new fan experiences across Twitch, Prime Video, Alexa, and Wondery.
Both organizations collaborated last year on the inaugural Esports World Cup, which featured the launch of the Esports World Cup Hub on Amazon.sa and Amazon.ae.
“Esports is redefining how a new generation consumes entertainment – always on, always accessible, and deeply social,” said Mike McCabe, Chief Operating Officer, at the Esports World Cup Foundation.
“With Amazon, we are bringing esports into everyday digital lives for millions of people around the world -- whether you’re catching highlights on Prime, or a livestream on Twitch, or asking Alexa for updates – creating an immersive, multimedia experience that’s shaping its place in global culture.”
As part of the collaboration, EWCF and Amazon Ads will work together to extend the reach of the Esports World Cup across key locales, including the United States, Europe, Brazil, Mexico, the Middle East and North Africa, Turkey, India, and Canada.
Rayan Karaky, Managing Director, EMEA & Southeast Asia at Amazon Ads, said,“ We are excited to continue our collaboration with EWCF to shape how Esports is experienced globally. Our collaboration will power immersive fan experiences across multiple touchpoints and create exceptional value for brands.”
The collaboration will offer new opportunities for brands to connect with the next-generation global esports audience through Amazon’s suite of advertising solutions.
The Esports World Cup 2025 will feature 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries, competing in 25 tournaments across 24 games for a record-breaking $70+ million prize pool.
Al-Nassr lead the way as Saudi teams score big in global football social media rankings
- Riyadh side ranks 16th globally in terms of followers, with more than 62m across platforms including X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube
- Other Saudi clubs in top 100 include Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli; teams from other Arab nations include Al-Ahly and Zamalek of Egypt, and Moroccan side Raja Casablanca
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’s 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’s 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.
Hattan Alsaif returns for 2025 PFL MENA 2 in Riyadh
- Saudi amateur will face three-time Lebanese MMA champion Nour Al-Fliti
- Welterweight champion Omar El-Dafrawy to face Daniele Miceli in main event
RIYADH: The Professional Fighters League on Wednesday announced the full card for PFL MENA 2, to be held at Riyadh’s Green Halls arena on Friday, July 4.
In the main event, 2024 PFL MENA welterweight champion Omar “God First” El-Dafrawy (13-5-0) returns to the city of his title win to face 2024 PFL Europe welterweight finalist Daniele “The Cyborg” Miceli (13-6-0) in the SmartCage.
The co-main event features a welterweight clash between Kuwaiti Mohammad Alaqraa (7-1-0) and Palestinian Omar “187” Hussein (11-6-0). Alaqraa, a 2024 PFL MENA finalist and current division leader, is seeking redemption after suffering the first loss of his professional career in last year’s finals. Hussein, a former PFL Europe standout, is aiming to hand Alaqraa a second defeat and make a strong statement on the Middle Eastern MMA scene.
In a highly anticipated bantamweight quarterfinal bout, Algeria’s Mokthar “Le Kabyle” Benkaci (24-9-0) will face Lebanon’s Marcel Adur (19-7-0). Both fighters are known for their explosive striking and finishing power, making this a strong contender for the most thrilling bout of the night.
Local favorite Hattan Alsaif (AM 3-0-0) returns to the SmartCage for what is likely to be another exciting amateur showcase. The rising Saudi talent faces her toughest opponent yet in Nour Al-Fliti (AM 1-1-0), a three-time Lebanese MMA champion and IMMAF Asian Championship silver medalist.
Rounding out the card, Abdulaziz Bin Moammar (AM 1-0-0) will represent the Kingdom in a catchweight 160 pound showcase amateur bout against Egypt’s Hassan Ahmed (AM 3-1-0).
