They are paying the consequences of the lack of leaders, players with good technique and confidence in the youngsters. In Italy, Lamine Yamal and Musiala would probably play in Serie B to gain experience. And that can't be.
Mohamed Meite scored his first Pro League goal to put Al-Taawoun ahead late in the first half, wriggling away from Mohammed Mahzari and firing home at the near post.
"He brings a lot to the table, is carefree, has a playful wit. I'm always of the opinion that it should be based on performance - no matter if someone's 17, 18 or 25. It should also be based on character: Does he fit into the team? In that case, age doesn't matter."
It pains me that a figure like Lamine had to go through that. The image Spain has projected is not the one I know. It's a disgrace. Lamine didn't deserve what he went through.
The ongoing discussions regarding future structural changes to the game, such as the introduction of new tournaments (eg. Fifa Club World Cup), further intensify this challenge. These changes have the potential to significantly reduce the downtime available to elite players, affecting their recovery and overall well-being.
"I am a Muslim, alhamdulillah. Yesterday at the stadium, the chant 'whoever doesn't jump is a Muslim' was heard. I know it was aimed at the opposing team and wasn't something personal against me, but as a Muslim, it is nonetheless disrespectful and intolerable."
You can never truly be at ease when you aren't winning. Sometimes things come up, things you thought you had already overcome, and a negative result makes you realize that you haven't. We haven't yet reached the place where we want to be.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held the draw on Wednesday to determine the quarterfinal pairings, a day after announcing that the western zone playoffs that were postponed because of the war in the Middle East have been rescheduled for April 13-14 in Jeddah.
