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New Netherlands coach Xavi Hernandez vowed on Tuesday to bring back the attacking soccer philosophy that the Oranje are famous for, believing that this will bring the team out of the doldrums in terms of results. “If we play good football… taking the initiative, dominating the game, playing in an offensive way… we will be […] The post ‘Here to win’: Xavi vows to restore pride in Dutch soccer appeared first on Soccer America.
After being subbed off in Al Nassr's epic SPL comeback, Cristiano Ronaldo issued a three-word message to his teammates. Cristiano Ronaldo experienced one of his stranger nights in an Al Nassr shirt on Tuesday, watching from the bench as his 10-man squad mounted a dramatic second-half rally after he was subbed off at halftime. Following the thrilling Saudi Pro League victory, the Portuguese legend took to social media to send a crisp three-word message to his teammates. For the first time in the 2026-27 season, Cristiano Ronaldo was named to the starting XI by head coach Ange Postecoglou for Tuesday’s match against Al Ettifaq. However, the opening half proved disastrous after goalkeeper Bento was sent off, leaving Al Nassr down a man before goals from Ondrej Duda and Alvaro Medran put the hosts ahead 2-0 going into the break. Postecoglou made a bold tactical shift at the half, taking off Ronaldo in favor of midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari to bolster the team’s defensive structure. The gamble paid off immensely, as Sadio Mane shifted centrally to cut the deficit in the 74th minute before Abdulelah Al-Amri netted the equalizer, setting the stage for Mane to seal the improbable 3-2 victory in the 90th minute. After watching the thrilling sequence unfold from the sideline, Ronaldo posted his immediate reaction to the result across his social media channels. “WHAT. A. COMEBACK!” he wrote on his Instagram story, accompanying the text with an image of his teammates celebrating in a huddle on the pitch. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Instagram story. (@cristiano) In the post-match press conference, coach Postecoglou explained his reasoning for making the change, stating he “believed the players coming on could make an impact“. The fixture against Al Ettifaq marked Ronaldo’s second appearance of the young campaign, following a 28-minute substitute appearance against Al Riyadh. A halftime substitution, an odd experience for Ronaldo Since arriving in Saudi Arabia in late 2022, Ronaldo’s tenure at Al Nassr has been defined by durability and elite conditioning, routinely playing full matches while suffering very few fitness setbacks. Consequently, a halftime tactical exit with his club trailing on the scoreboard represented a rare event for the superstar forward. Prior to Tuesday, the only other occasion Ronaldo had been subbed off at halftime in a Saudi Pro League match came in April 2024 against Abha Club. On that night, however, the Portuguese star had already scored a first-half hat trick and provided an assist, leading then-coach Luis Castro to rest him with Al Nassr holding a commanding 4-0 halftime cushion in an eventual 8-0 rout. Ronaldo was visibly frustrated heading into halftime with Al-Nassr down 0–2.He was subbed off at halftime. pic.twitter.com/aYRpiWdHI5— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 25, 2026 During Tuesday’s match against Al Ettifaq, Ronaldo’s disappointment was evident on the touchline as Postecoglou set a strong precedent by withdrawing him with the team trailing. The decision comes as Ronaldo continues to build match fitness, having rejoined squad activities less than two weeks ago before missing Sunday’s training session following a promotional trip to Paris.
Xavi was officially unveiled as the Netherlands' new boss on Tuesday, and he intends to bring a new energy to the team during his tenure. The post ‘I’m a winner’ – Xavi relishing the pressure of Netherlands role appeared first on SoccerNews.
Xavi Espart has been one of the finds of Barcelona’s pre-season and early matches so far, with the Spanish teenager impressing one and all.Everyone knew that he was extremely talented and had Hansi ...
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