Green Falcons prepare for Gold Cup quarterfinal with Mexico in Arizona
RIYADH: The Saudi football national team resumed training today in San Diego as preparations intensify for their upcoming quarterfinal match against Mexico in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The crucial showdown is set to take place this Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
On the field, head coach Herve Renard divided the players into two groups. The first group included those who started in the recent match against Trinidad and Tobago. They underwent recovery exercises at the fitness center.
The second group, consisting of the remaining players, held their training session at San Diego Wave facilities. The session began with warm-ups, followed by possession training, finishing exercises, and concluded with stretching routines.
In a positive development, Muhannad Al-Saad returned to full training with the group.
The national team will continue its preparations with a closed training session scheduled for Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. (San Diego time) at the Performance Center training grounds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
20 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Ronaldo Prefers Rest to Playing in Club World Cup After Renewing Al-Nassr Contract
Cristiano Ronaldo preferred to take a rest rather than play in the revamped Club World Cup, the Portuguese international said on Saturday after renewing his contract with Al-Nassr. The Saudi Pro League club announced on Thursday that Ronaldo had signed a two-year contract which would keep him at the club past his 42nd birthday. Speculation over the 40-year-old's plans intensified last month when FIFA President Gianni Infantino said discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the Club World Cup, despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify. "I had some offers to play in the World Cup but I think it didn't make sense because I prefer to have a good rest, a good preparation, because this season will be very long as it is the World Cup season at the end of the year," Ronaldo said in a video posted by Al-Nassr on X. "I want to be ready not only for Al-Nassr but also for the national team. So, this is why I decided to play the last game for the Nations League and not listen to anything," he added. "And of course, to be in this club, which I love". Ronaldo scored for Portugal in the Nations League final against Spain earlier this month which ended 2-2 before his side went on to beat the European champions on penalties. The Portugal captain said his aim in staying at Al-Nassr was to win a major trophy with the Riyadh-based side. "My goal, it's always to win something important for Al-Nassr. And of course I still believe in that" Ronaldo added. "This is why I renewed the two years more because I believe that I will be a champion in Saudi Arabia". Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in 2022 after leaving Manchester United as a free agent, has scored 93 goals in 105 appearances for them in all competitions. Ronaldo is also eyeing the 1,000-goal milestone in his career. He has scored 794 goals in club football and 138 for Portugal to take his tally to 932.
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia complete preparations ahead of Gold Cup quarterfinal clash with Mexico
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. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport 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.
Arab News
15 hours ago
- Arab News
Al-Hilal captain Al-Dawsari out of Club World Cup with hamstring injury
Al-Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari will miss the remainder of the Club World Cup with a hamstring injury, the Saudi club said on Saturday. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport 'Medical tests have confirmed that Salem Al-Dawsari has suffered from a hamstring injury. He will be undergoing a treatment and rehabilitation program that will last between four to six weeks,' Al-Hilal said in a statement via X. This means Al-Dawsari will miss Monday's round of 16 clash against Manchester City. Al-Dawsari played a pivotal role in Al-Hilal's campaign in the Club World Cup, after scoring the opening goal in the team's 2-0 victory over Pachuca on Friday in the third round of the group stage. The win against Pachuca secured the four-times Asian champions qualification for the last 16 after they finished second in Group H behind Real Madrid.
