LONDON: The scenes on the Saudi Arabia team bus as it left the Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi, Indonesia, on Monday night were those of pride and patriotism as the country’s Under-19s celebrated the execution of an ambitious plan. This month’s ultimate mission, however, is not yet complete.
The Kingdom’s Under-19 side had defeated Australia 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the age-group Asian Championships to confirm their place at next May’s U20 World Cup as one of the continent’s four best teams. On the journey back to the team hotel, players — with camera phones in hand — sang “We are all Salman” as they drummed their palms on whatever surfaces they could find.
It was a rare moment of release for a group of teenagers who had arrived in Jakarta with the weight of expectation to at least emulate the previous generation, which had qualified for the global championship by way of reaching the regional final. The convincing victory against the Young Socceroos allowed them to relax, but their focus must quickly return if they are to end a 26-year drought and bring the Asian trophy back to the Kingdom.
Hazem Al-Zahrani, the Al-Ittihad defender who was an unused substitute, said he and his teammates “strive to go to the World Cup as heroes,” while goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Shamrani said the feeling of qualification was “indescribable,” adding “we promise the masses to return to the country as heroes of Asia”.
Coach Khalid Al-Atawi, formerly of Al-Najoom, conceded his side had arrived with the objective of World Cup qualification. “We played to reach this goal, and we reached it,” he said. “I’m very happy that we will now participate in the World Cup. I congratulate the Saudi people and we are very fortunate to have the honor of representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Tomorrow’s semifinal opponents, however, are Japan, a country that is quickly becoming a thorn in the side of a Saudi Arabia team desperate for tangible success. In 2016, Sami Al-Najei and Abdulrahman Al-Yami shared the Golden Boot at the U19 Asian Championships, but it was the Japanese who lifted the trophy, beating the Young Falcons on penalties after a 120-minute stalemate in the final.
At August’s Asian Games, which is open to U23s, Saudi Arabia registered a squad made up entirely of players aged under-21. It is a tactic long adopted by Japan, who use the Asian Games as preparation for the U23 Asian Championships, which offer direct qualification to the Olympics. The Young Falcons impressed on route to the quarterfinals, yet it was the Blue Samurai again who ended their participation, beating them 2-1 in the last-eight.
Victory tomorrow would mean more than simply a place in the final.
Although South Korea and Qatar have also reached the semis, it is Japan and Saudi Arabia who are generally regarded as the two best teams at this month’s 16-nation tournament. Neither have dropped a point yet this month, recording a perfect record of four wins from four games, although free-scoring Japan’s goal difference is substantially more impressive. Al-Atawi nonetheless believes his team can go all the way.
“We are trying to do our best in every game,” he said. “In any game, we want to do more than the game before. In this competition, the team is improving from game to game, so we are looking forward to achieving the highest level we can. We are preparing these players for this competition. We hope we can perform well, and we are building step by step. The sky is our limit.”
The Young Falcons have reached the semifinals on four occasions since they beat South Korea 2-0 in the 1992 final, but have yet to claim the ultimate prize. This year’s squad have frightening pace and are technically excellent, with Al-Shabab’s Turki Al-Ammar in particular gaining attention with a series of eye-catching displays. Al-Atawi, however, refuses to single out players for praise, insisting instead on the importance of the collective.
“Turki is one of 23 players and I treat them all equally, but I think he will be a star in the future,” said Al-Atawi of the midfielder who opened the scoring against Australia to claim his second goal of the tournament. “I can guarantee though that we will see more stars come from these 23 players in the future.”
Young Falcons are only just getting started, says coach Khalid Al-Atawai as Saudi Arabia U-19s make World Cup
Young Falcons are only just getting started, says coach Khalid Al-Atawai as Saudi Arabia U-19s make World Cup
- Saudi Arabia U-19s beat young Socceroos to get to last four of U-19 Asian Championships.
- Young Falcons set to face Japan in last four on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia complete preparations ahead of Gold Cup quarterfinal clash with Mexico
- The Green Falcons held their last training session at Phoenix Rising Stadium in Arizona
GLENDALE, Arizona: Saudi Arabia’s national football team have concluded their final preparations ahead of their high-stakes quarterfinal encounter against Mexico in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Saturday.
The Green Falcons held their last training session at Phoenix Rising Stadium in Arizona, with head coach Herve Renard overseeing the workout.
The session featured warm-ups, passing drills, tactical routines, and stretching exercises as the squad fine-tuned their approach for the match at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
There was some positive news on the injury front, with defender Abdullah Madu rejoining full team training.
However, midfielder Hammam Al-Hamami was sidelined after suffering an ankle injury during Thursday’s session and did not take part in the final run-out.
Kick-off for the quarterfinal is scheduled for Saturday night local time, as Saudi Arabia look to book their place in the semifinals of the tournament for the first time since joining the Gold Cup as a guest nation.
Chelsea's Club World Cup travel plan derailed by group-stage slip-up
- Chelsea will now face Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium
- The detour means reorganising bookings and schedules at short notice
MIAMI: Chelsea are facing a logistical headache at the Club World Cup after finishing second in their group, forcing an unexpected trip to Charlotte for their last 16 match instead of staying in Miami, where the club thought they would be based for the knockout stage.
A club source told Reuters that travel, accommodation and training arrangements were all made with the assumption that the West Londoners would top Group D and play their round of 16 match at Hard Rock Stadium.
Instead, after a 3-1 loss to Brazil's Flamengo and only managing second place despite a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis in their final group stage fixture in Philadelphia, Chelsea will now face Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium.
The detour means reorganising bookings and schedules at short notice, but the club still intends to return to its Miami base after the match, adding more miles to an already hectic itinerary.
If Enzo Maresca's side reach the quarter-finals, they will return to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face the winner of the all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo.
Norris maintains upper hand on Piastri in Austrian GP practice
- Russell, seen by many as vulnerable at Mercedes if Verstappen arrived, was third ahead of Piastri
- Verstappen also pitted with his car’s floor receiving attention
SPIELBERG BEI KNITTELFELD, Austria: Lando Norris continued his pace-setting dominance in free practice at the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday by outpacing Australian McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to set the fastest lap.
The Briton, who is seeking to erase memories of his nightmare in Montreal where he collided with the championship leading Piastri, clocked a best lap of one minute and 4.324 seconds.
Piastri was 0.118 seconds off the pace.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
“In these temperatures, the McLarens at high speed are going to be very difficult to match,” admitted Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
Wolff again confirmed interest in Verstappen, but added Russell, victorious in Canada two weeks ago, had been “splendid” and “has done a great job this year.”
Norris, fastest on Friday, was soon in command with a 1min 5.412sec lap and by the midway mark he had trimmed that to 1min 4.888sec with Hamilton second, three-tenths adrift.
Russell, seen by many as vulnerable at Mercedes if Verstappen arrived, was third ahead of Piastri.
With 20 minutes remaining, Piastri pushed with too much speed into Turn Nine and swept through the gravel, a moment that required a visit to the pits.
Verstappen — whose ‘orange army’ of supporters boosted the size of the crowd — also pitted with his car’s floor receiving attention.
He was 11th on the time-screens as Norris improved his best lap to 1:04.324, a five-tenths cut to go seven-tenths clear.
With 10 minutes to go, Piastri found the pace to go second, 0.118 behind Norris before Verstappen went third ousting Leclerc to fourth ahead of Hamilton.
Baniyas impress on opening day of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship
- Al-Jazira in second place, MOD UAE third
ABU DHABI: Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club seized an early lead on the first day of the fourth round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which was held on Friday at Zayed Sports City’s Mubadala Arena.
The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation-organized event drew strong competition from local clubs, with competitors across youth, adult, and master divisions. Al-Jazira claimed second place, while MOD UAE rounded out the top three.
Yousef Abdullah Al-Batran, board member of the UAEJJF, praised the generosity of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, in doubling the championship’s prize money.
He said the move reflected the UAE leadership’s commitment to the development of top-level sports, especially jiu-jitsu, which has become the country’s national sport.
Al-Batran said: “The fourth round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship is especially important. It marks a key moment in the competition and gives us a chance to evaluate club performances and how well the athletes are prepared to continue their success in the upcoming stages.”
Jasem Al-Marzooqi, the CEO of the Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Center, who was attending the event, affirmed that the strong organization of the event reflected the UAE’s ambition to position itself as a leading global sports destination.
He said: “The championship is progressing with every round. Both the technical and organizational levels show how successful the overall system is, giving athletes the ideal environment to grow and excel.”
Igor Lacerda, the coach of the Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club’s youth team, said: “This round once again confirms the incredible progress the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship is making across the board. It gave us as coaches extra motivation.
“We focused our preparations on the mental and tactical aspects, and we are working to make the best use of our athletes’ capabilities. From the start of the season our goal has been clear: to strongly compete for the title. We believe this path requires consistent performance and discipline.”
Bouchaib El-Idrissi of Morocco, who was representing Baniyas, took gold in the men’s masters’ brown/black belt 62 kg division, and said: “This achievement means a lot to me, especially since I faced an opponent in the final who was 20 years younger.
“This championship is a unique platform for athletes of all ages to showcase their talent and chase their goals. I sincerely thank the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the organizers for the tremendous effort they put into delivering such a professional event and creating a competitive environment that matches our ambitions and pushes us to give our best.”
4Aces, inspired by Reed and Warner, top both leaderboards at LIV Golf Dallas
- Both players shot 5-under 67s at Maridoe Golf Club, emerge as co-leaders on individual leaderboard
CARROLLTON: Teammates Patrick Reed and Harold Varner III fed off each other to lead the way during Friday’s first round of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.
They will hope to do the same on Saturday.
Reed and Varner each shot 5-under 67s at Maridoe Golf Club to emerge as co-leaders on the individual leaderboard, while also helping the 4Aces to a commanding advantage in the team competition.
It was a dominating day for the 4Aces, with captain Dustin Johnson contributing a 2-under 70 that included chip-ins for a birdie and an eagle on his first two holes. It was the kind of performance reminiscent of the 4Aces’ dominance during the inaugural 2022 LIV Golf season when they won four consecutive regular-season tournaments, then claimed the season-ending Team Championship.
The 4Aces won twice in 2023 but nothing since, and their only individual win was Johnson’s victory last year. Friday’s fast start presents an opportunity to reinforce their status as one of the league’s big dogs.
At 9-under as a team, they are six shots ahead of Crushers GC, who have won the last two tournaments and have the hometown support with captain Bryson DeChambeau being a local resident. The Crushers were the only team on Friday in which all four players shot par or better.
“The biggest thing is to keep the throttle down,” said Reed, among the league’s best players without a LIV Golf win. “Even though we have a lead now, (we will) start tomorrow as if everyone is even par and try to go win the day as a team and build on the lead.”
On a course that became more difficult throughout the day, Varner had the only bogey-free round through 17 holes. Although his tee shot on his last hole, the par-4 ninth, left him with an awkward lie, he managed to find the green — but then three-putted for the only blemish on his card. Even so, it was his best round, relative to par, this season.
“I’ve been hitting it unbelievably this whole year and I just happened to make a couple of putts today,” said Varner, who has six top-20 finishes this year. “I don’t think there’s like a genie in a bottle or anything like that but I felt like I was going to play well.”
Reed’s round was highlighted by a chip-in eagle at the par-5 second, allowing him to keep up with Varner in a threesome that also included teammate from 4Aces Thomas Pieters, the team’s leading points producer this season, who shot a 3-over 75.
“Harold is out there playing some solid golf, hitting some quality golf shots,” said Reed, who has five top-three finishes in his LIV Golf career. “It’s always nice when you’re seeing that because you can feed off of it. Obviously it was a bonus chipping in there for eagle.”
Varner did not even think the eagle was his teammate’s best chip of the day. He cited Reed’s third shot at the par-5 13th from an awkward lie out of the greenside rough 30 yards from the pin.
Varner said: “He chips it, somehow shimmies it through the rough, misses the bunker and it goes to four feet — and he misses the putt. But it was the best chip, best shot I saw. It will be the best shot in all of golf on this golf course this week, without a doubt.”
The closest pursuer to the individual co-leaders is Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm, whose 4-under 68 included an eagle at the par-4 sixth. His strong iron play allowed him to overcome an off-day with his driver, as he hit just five fairways.
Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer is solo fourth. He had a share of the lead until a double bogey on his final hole left him shooting 69. His seven total birdies on Friday led the field.
“Definitely (it) hurts to finish the way I finished with a double bogey,” Ancer said. “(It) just felt like I just lost a little bit of concentration on that par 3. Other than that, I felt great.”
Reed, Varner and Rahm will be in the final group off the first tee on Saturday. Rahm has been the league’s most consistent player since joining LIV Golf prior to last season, but is looking to start turning his top 10s into wins. Meanwhile, Reed and Varner are hoping to turn this weekend into a 4Aces’ party.
Varner said: “The team camaraderie in the locker room, I think we’re having a lot of fun. Maybe too much fun.”
TEAM SCORES
LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season now involves all four scores counting in every round in the team competition (click here for more on the new format). Here are the results and scores for each team after Friday’s round one of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.
1. 4ACES GC -9 (Reed 67, Varner III 67, Johnson 70, Pieters 75)
2. CRUSHERS GC -3 (Lahiri 70, Casey 71, DeChambeau 72, Howell III 72)
3. LEGION XIII E (Rahm 68, McKibbin 71, Hatton 74, Surratt 75)
4. FIREBALLS GC +2 (Ancer 69, Puig 70, Garcia 75, Ballester 76)
5. STINGER GC +3 (Oosthuizen 71, Schwartzel 72, Burmester 74, Grace 74)
T6. IRON HEADS GC +6 (Kozuma 72, Jang 74, Lee 74, Na 74)
T6. MAJESTICKS GC +6 (Westwood 72, Poulter 73, Stenson 73, Horsfield 76)
8. HYFLYERS GC +9 (Tringale 72, Ogletree 73, Steele 75, Mickelson 77)
T9. RANGEGOATS GC +10 (Campbell 73, Schniederjans 74, Watson 75, Uihlein 76)
T9. CLEEKS GC +10 (Bland 70, Kaymer 73, Meronk 77, Rottluff 78)
11. SMASH GC +15 (McDowell 70, Kokrak 73, Gooch 79, Koepka/Carrera 81)
12. RIPPER GC +16 (Herbert 75, Leishman 75, Smith 75, Jones 79)
13. TORQUE GC +17 (Pereira 72, Muñoz 76, Niemann 78, Ortiz 79)
Wild Cards: Kim 75, C. Lee 80
