LONDON: Make no mistake, this is an important season for the Saudi Pro League, not just on the pitch, but off it as well.
From the 14 clubs that took part last campaign, there are now 16 vying to win the title, qualify for the AFC Champions League or perhaps just avoid relegation from a league that has plenty of ambition.
Off the pitch the target, set by authorities, is that the league will be one of the top 10 in the world by 2020 with bigger attendances and a higher international profile.
“At the moment, there are clearly many leagues around the world — particularly in Europe — that are more established than our league,” Luai Al-Subaiey, the General Secretary of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF), told Arab News earlier this month. “But … the Saudi league has great potential.”
Just this week the General Sports Authority announced that the Saudi Pro League was the 19th most valuable in the world. That is partly due to teams being allowed to sign eight foreign players as opposed to six last season — all have done their best to fill that quota.
Al-Nassr, third last season, spent the most on bringing in Nigeria
international Ahmed Musa for $18.6 million. The former Leicester City winger arrived in Riyadh to be greeted by hundreds of fans at the airport. The same was true of the other big signing of the summer as Omar Abdulrahman arrived in the capital to sign for champions Al-Hilal.
The 26-year-old joins the champions for a season-long loan from the UAE’s Al-Ain, a deal that cost a reported $15 million, the second most expensive loan deal in football history.
Al-Subaiey believes that the foreign stars can only be a good thing for the league.
“Has Omar Abdulrahman added to Al-Hilal?” he asked. “Of course. For the fans, these players bring excitement, and for the clubs and their league, these players bring a higher profile and greater attention.”
Other internationals such as Andre Carrillo and Christian Ramos of Peru have joined Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr respectively, with both those clubs looking to make strong title challenges.
Al-Ahli will be out to have a say in the destination of the league trophy. The Jeddah club missed out on the league by a point and are one of six clubs, over a third of the league, to have a South American coach in charge.
Al-Ettifaq, Al-Fayah, Al-Nassr and Al-Wehda have done the same with Al-Ittihad hiring Ramon Diaz, the Argentine fired by Al-Hilal in February despite the team being top of the table. If Diaz can turn around Al-Ittihad’s fortunes after a disappointing ninth last season, it would be an amazing accomplishment.
Portuguese and Romanians are also well-represented in the dugouts. Saudi bosses are conspicuous by their absence. There have been concerns that something similar will happen in the teams with eight foreign players allowed, but at least new regulations stipulate that in the reduced squads of 28, five places must be reserved for locals aged 23 or under.
It is to be hoped that such rules will allow young talents such as Haroune Camara, who impressed at the Asian Games where Saudi Arabia reached the last eight, get plenty of playing time. The tournament showed that there is potential, as did the this summer’s World Cup.
If these exciting foreign imports combine well with promising young local talents, then both on and off the pitch the Saudi Pro League could enjoy a great year.
Big signings and grand vision give edge to new Saudi Pro League season
Big signings and grand vision give edge to new Saudi Pro League season
- Saudi Pro League vision is to be one of the top 10 leagues in the world by 2020.
- Clubs have splashed the cash in a bid to get their hands on the league trophy this year.
Wagner puts on a late show as Magic stun Lakers
- Wagner, 23, finished with 37 points, 11 assists and six rebounds to lead the Magic scoring
- San Antonio Spurs improved to 8-8 for the season after scrapping to a 126-118 win over the Utah Jazz
LOS ANGELES: German international Franz Wagner drained a three-pointer with three seconds remaining as the Orlando Magic ended the Los Angeles Lakers’ unbeaten home record with a dramatic 119-118 victory on Thursday.
Rising star Wagner took full advantage of wayward Lakers shooting from the free throw line in the closing seconds of a see-saw battle at the Crypto.Com Arena to give Orlando a hard-fought win.
Wagner, 23, finished with 37 points, 11 assists and six rebounds to lead the Magic scoring, with older brother Moritz adding 19 from the bench and Jalen Suggs scoring 23.
The in-form Lakers, who had gone into Thursday’s encounter on a six-game unbeaten streak, were left ruing some wasteful shooting from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, where they made just three of nine attempts.
The Lakers had looked poised to close out the win after opening up a four-point lead with 27 seconds remaining at 118-114.
But Franz Wagner closed the gap to 118-116 with a driving layup, and then Anthony Davis missed two free throws to give Orlando a glimmer of hope with 19 seconds remaining.
Wagner then punished the Lakers profligacy, coolly knocking down a step-back three from 26 feet to give Orlando what turned out to be the winning lead.
Davis led the Lakers scorers with 39 points while LeBron James finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Rookie Dalton Knecht added 17 points.
Orlando improved to 10-7 while the Lakers slipped to 10-5 and are now fourth in the Western Conference.
In other games, the San Antonio Spurs improved to 8-8 for the season after scrapping to a 126-118 win over the Utah Jazz.
Utah had seemed poised to claim only their fourth victory of the season after surging into a 20-point lead in the second quarter against a Spurs side missing the injured Victor Wembanyama.
But San Antonio erupted for 75 points after half-time to outscore Utah by 24 points and snatch victory.
Harrison Barnes led San Antonio’s scoring with 25 points and 10 rebounds while rookie Stephon Castle and Zach Collins added 18 points each on a night when eight Spurs players finished in double figures.
Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points for Utah, who slipped to their fourth straight defeat.
In Charlotte, Brandon Miller produced a flurry of scoring in overtime to finish with a career-high 38 points as the Hornets defeated the Detroit Pistons 123-121.
Miller rattled in eight overtime points to help Charlotte claim a win which improves their season record to 6-9.
The Toronto Raptors (4-12) upset the Minnesota Timberwolves, winning 110-105.
Egypt’s El Dafrawy riding momentum into PFL MENA
- The 29-year-old will face Kuwait’s Mohammad Alaqraa on Nov. 29 for the Welterweight title honors
RIYADH: Egyptian Welterweight standout Omar El Dafrawy is heading into the first PFL MENA Championships in Riyadh on Nov. 29 with plenty of momentum.
The 29-year old comes in off the biggest win of his career, a stunning upset victory over title favorite and Middle Eastern MMA icon Jarrah Al-Selawe at the PFL MENA Playoffs back in September.
Now he is set to meet a familiar foe in Kuwait’s Mohammad Alaqraa, this time for the inaugural PFL MENA Welterweight Championship.
Apart from a spot in the championship bout, the win over Al-Selawe has given El Dafrawy a massive confidence boost, one he will need when he steps inside the SmartCage to face the undefeated Alaqraa.
“I don’t fear any fighter, whether it’s Alaqraa or anyone else,” El Dafrawy said. “I’ve defeated the best fighter in the Middle East in just three minutes, so stepping inside the SmartCage is something I’m completely used to.”
While that may sound somewhat arrogant, El Dafrawy maintains none of that stems from his huge win over two-division champion Al-Selawe.
“There’s no arrogance after beating Jarrah, who was a top contender for the title,” he said. “I’m a fighter who strictly follows the game plan set by my coaching staff, that’s how I beat Jarrah.”
While Alaqraa was victorious in their first meeting back in 2023, El Dafrawy claims it will be a different result second time around.
“I am a completely different fighter from the one Alaqraa faced in our first bout,” he said. “Back then, I wasn’t mentally ready and was going through some difficult personal circumstances. Now, the situation is entirely different, and I’m ready to give my best in the finals. I hope Alaqraa does the same.”
With a championship on the line and a possible pathway into the PFL’s million-dollar global tournament, the stakes are definitely higher in this matchup.
“Alaqraa doesn’t know who he’ll be facing on Nov. 29. I’ve become a completely different fighter with many surprises. No matter how much he studies my previous fights, he won’t be able to predict what I’ll do,” El Dafrawy added.
“He’ll see for himself in the cage.”
The complete PFL MENA Championships fight card:
PFL MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat (5-0) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-2)
PFL MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (7-0) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (12-6)
Amateur Women’s Atomweight Bout: Hattan Alsaif vs. Lilia Osmani
PFL MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (11-1) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (15-3)
PFL MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (6-1) vs. Georges Eid (10-4)
Showcase Fights:
Lightweight MENA Showcase: Mansour Barnaoui (21-6) vs. Alfie Davis (17-4-1)
Heavyweight MENA Showcase: Slim Trabelsi (7-0) vs. Abraham Bably (5-0)
Featherweight Global Showcase: Jesus Pinedo (23-6-1) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (19-4)
Featherweight Global Showcase: Asael Adjoudj (8-1) vs. Jose Perez (9-1)
Middleweight Global Showcase: Costello van Steenis (15-3) vs. Joao Dantas (7-1)
Michael Thorbjornsen and Maverick McNealy share lead in PGA Tour finale
- The RSM Classic is the final tournament of the year, and the focus is on the top 125 — this is the final year the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings earn card
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Georgia: Michael Thorbjornsen is over his knee surgery and shed the brace in time to post an 8-under 64 on the Plantation course Thursday and share the lead to par with fellow Stanford alum Maverick McNealy at the season-ending RSM Classic on the PGA Tour.
McNealy had an 8-under 62 on the Seaside course at Sea Island, which was more exposed to the chilly wind that ripped through the Golden Isles.
Thorbjornsen wasn’t the most prominent player with knee issues and a brace. Ludvig Aberg, the No. 5 player in the world, had not competed since the Tour Championship, taking time off for meniscus surgery and returning to the site where he tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record.
That record appears safe, at least from him. Aberg’s flawless swing looked strong as ever. It was the short game — chipping and putting — that held him back in his round of 73 at Seaside.
“It was hard. Obviously, it was a rough day,” Aberg said. “It was a lot of rust I felt like, but I also felt like the good was pretty good but the bad was really bad. A little bit of everything today, but all in all, pretty happy to be back playing golf again.”
Ditto for Thorbjornsen, who earned a card as the top-ranked player in PGA Tour University. He was going along well until he felt a pop in his knee while getting ready for the Black Desert Championship in Utah in early October.
He thought he could walk it off until he could hardly walk at all. It turned out to be sprained ligaments in his left knee, which required time off instead of surgery. He returned without missing a step, thankful to no longer be wearing a thick brace.
“It’s actually kind of funny, I was practicing with Ludvig a little bit back in Sawgrass and we both had like matching left knee braces,” Thorbjornsen said. “It was a little embarrassing. I think this is my third day playing without the brace on, so it feels good.”
The RSM Classic is the final tournament of the year, and the focus is on the top 125 — this is the final year the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings earn cards.
The PGA Tour put together Zac Blair (No. 123), Joel Dahmen (No. 124) and Wesley Bryan (No. 125). Bryan had a 70 on the Plantation, Dahmen damaged his hopes with a 73 and Blair came in with a 72.
The other key number is to finish between No. 51 and No. 60 in the FedEx Cup, which would earn spots in $20 million signature events at Pebble Beach and Riviera early next year.
McNealy has done enough to secure those spots. He was more interested in how swing changes are taking effect, and he had some impressive moments. McNealy chipped in from behind the 15th green for eagle. What got his attention were two shots that led to par considering the strong wind on the exposed Seaside course.
He started on No. 10, which during practice was a driver over the bunkers and a sand wedge to the green. With the wind, he couldn’t cover the bunkers and was left a 5-iron to the green.
“Just had to hit two great shots in the middle of the green,” he said.
On his closing hole, the ninth, he faced a hard wind off the right.
“I just steepened left and was able to hit the window (of his target) and spin that ball a little bit left-to-right to hold the wind, and that’s a shot I wasn’t very comfortable with six months ago,” McNealy said.
Andrew Novak, coming off a runner-up finish in Bermuda, had a 7-under 65 on Plantation. Given his location a week ago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where gusts came close to 50 mph, he felt Sea Island was a breeze.
“Today wasn’t as windy as Bermuda and I felt like I could get after some putts and got some to go in,” Novak said.
Arsenal, Man City and Bayern advance to Women’s Champions League quarterfinals
- Arsenal, Bayern and City join Chelsea, Lyon and Real Madrid in the quarterfinals
- Two-time defending champions Barcelona routed Austrian champion St. Polten 4-1
LONDON: Arsenal, Manchester City and Bayern Munich all advanced to the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals with with two games to spare on Thursday.
Late substitute Lina Hurtig scored the winner in Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Juventus in London.
Khadija Shaw scored twice for City in a 2-1 win at Swedish club Hammarby. City stayed perfect in Group D with four victories and reached the last eight for the first time since 2021.
Bayern Munich was held 1-1 at Vålerenga in Norway and still earned a quarterfinal berth after Juventus’ loss.
Arsenal, Bayern and City join Chelsea, Lyon and Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.
Two-time defending champions Barcelona routed Austrian champion St. Polten 4-1. The Catalan club trails City by three points in their group and is in a strong position to advance.
Bayern tops Group C with 10 points, Arsenal has nine followed by Juventus (3) and Vålerenga (1).
Back to winning
Man City responded to their first loss of the season, 2-0 at Chelsea in the Women’s Super League on Saturday.
Still without injured star Vivianne Miedema, Shaw took charge, proving her scoring instincts after half an hour.
The forward scored from inside the penalty area with a deflected shot that flew over goalkeeper Anna Tamminen to frustrate more than 20,000 noisy fans at the Stockholm Arena in the Swedish capital.
Ellen Wangerheim equalized soon after the interval from close range to rejuvenate the crowd but Shaw struck again to restore the lead just minutes later.
This time, she delivered a powerful right-footed finish from the edge of the area.
Bayern and Harder contained
Bayern dominated possession but could not translate it into goals until the 75th minute. It had to rely on substitute Jovana Damnjanovic, who gave the visitors a late lead after connecting on a pass from Giulia Gwinn.
The Norwegians, who have retained their domestic title, equalized in the 88th on Elize Thorsnes’ header following a corner.
Pernille Harder, who found the back of the net five times for Bayern in the previous three games, could not do it again on Thursday and was substituted.
Hurtig’s night
Hurtig came on with 10 minutes remaining and made her presence immediately felt with several headers.
She finally made the breakthrough with a minute remaining in regulation, tapping in from close range after Juventus’ poor clearance of a low cross by Stina Blackstenius.
Hurtig won the Italian title with Juventus in 2021 and 2022 before joining the Gunners.
Juventus seemed to learn a lesson from its 4-0 loss to Arsenal last week as its defense held firm till Hurtig’s arrival.
Putellas scores her 200th Barcelona goal
In an 11-minute span in the first half, Francisca Nazareth netted twice and 18-year-old Vicky Lopez scored once to put Barcelona in control.
Nazareth’s double was followed by Lopez hitting the third with a shot high into the net for her first Champions League goal.
Alexia Putellas made it 4-0 in the second half, finishing a fast attack that tore apart the defense in Vienna. It was her 200th goal for Barcelona and the 100th the club scored in the Champions League’s group stage.
Valentina Madl, an 18-year-old forward, netted a consolation goal for the hosts.
Barcelona have scored 20 goals in its past three games and can still become the first club to win its group in all four years since the introduction of the format.
Ohtani, Judge are unanimous choices for MLB MVP awards
- Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani captures the National League MVP award
- His second MVP award in a row and third in four years after winning the American League version in 2021 and 2023
NEW YORK: Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge were named unanimous choices for Major League Baseball’s 2024 Most Valuable Player awards on Thursday.
After a historic campaign that ended with his first World Series title, Ohtani captured the National League MVP award, his second MVP award in a row and third in four years after winning the American League version in 2021 and 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels.
“I take this MVP as I’m just representing the Dodgers,” Ohtani said through a translator. “It was a complete team effort. I wouldn’t have been able to receive this award if it weren’t for my teammates.”
Ohtani became only the second player in MLB history to have captured MVP awards in both leagues after Frank Robinson, who won the 1961 NL MVP with Cincinnati and the 1966 AL MVP with Baltimore.
Ohtani was the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
The 30-year-old Japanese standout and Judge, who won the 2022 AL MVP, each received all 30 first-place votes from a media panel.
It was only the second time both MVPs were unanimous selections after last year when Ohtani won in the AL and Ronald Acuna Jr. in the NL.
Ohtani is the first designated hitter to capture an MLB MVP award. He won the past two in a dual role as a pitcher and batter but spent this season recovering from an injury that kept him off the mound.
Resuming his pitching role in 2025 is a goal, Ohtani said.
“My focus is just to get back healthy, come back stronger, get back on the mound and then show everybody what I can do,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani, who signed a record 10-year deal worth $700 million with the Dodgers last December, sparked the team’s run to the World Series crown, beating the Yankees in the best-of-seven final.
“The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series, which we were able to accomplish,” Ohtani said. “The next goal is for me to do it again.
“Right now I’m in the middle of rehab and working out and getting stronger and I’m looking forward to next season so we can run it back.”
Ohtani had a .310 batting average with an NL-best 54 home runs and batted in 130 runs while stealing 59 bases over 159 regular-season games.
“I didn’t have specific number goals, but I did want to improve my stolen base numbers,” Ohtani said.
“I don’t strive going into the season to get the MVP award. I was more focused on being one of the guys with the new team.”
Ohtani became the leadoff hitter in the batting order midway into the campaign to spark improvement for the club at the plate.
“I didn’t really change my approach,” he said. “It was more staying within my same game plan, trying to be aggressive on the bases and just do the best I could.”
Judge, a 32-year-old American slugger, batted .322 with 122 runs scored, 36 doubles, 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks in 158 games this past season – leading MLB in homers, walks and runs batted in.
“It means a lot,” Judge said of a second MVP trophy. “It’s a lot of hard work in the off-season, a lot of ups and downs during the season.
“I wouldn’t be in this position without my teammates, all the coaching we had this year – it’s such a blessing.”
The Yankees’ World Series loss to the Dodgers is already inspiring Judge’s efforts for next season.
“It makes you want more,” Judge said. “It makes you wake up early and get things going already in the off-season to put yourself back in that position and change the outcome next year.”
