Alex Freeman, the USMNT’s 22-year-old right back, came on at halftime in Villarreal’s 3-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 1 of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League. Left winger George Bello, 24, started for Austria’s LASK in its 1-0 loss at AEK Athens. The post Americans Abroad: Freeman and Bello make UEFA Champions League debut appeared first on Soccer America.
Borussia Dortmund fans packed out the Westfalenstadion on Tuesday evening as Die Schwarzgelben kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a repeat of one of last season’s league phase matc...
Cristiano Ronaldo is facing another difficult moment with Al-Nassr after the club's first Saudi Pro League defeat of the season, with Kingsley Coman, Inigo Martinez and Joao Felix all set to complicate Ange Postecoglou's plans. Cristiano Ronaldo is facing another difficult moment with Al-Nassr after the club’s first Saudi Pro League defeat of the season, with Kingsley Coman, Inigo Martinez and Joao Felix all set to complicate Ange Postecoglou’s plans. The trio’s absences come at an awkward time for a team trying to respond quickly to its setback against Al-Ittihad. Al-Nassr had opened the campaign with four consecutive league victories before suffering a 2-1 defeat in Jeddah. Now, Postecoglou must find solutions without several important options while Ronaldo and his teammates look to get their title challenge back on track. Al-Ittihad made the perfect start against Al-Nassr, with George Ilenikhena opening the scoring after only four minutes. He doubled his tally in the 22nd minute after Houssem Aouar found him behind the visiting defense, leaving Ilenikhena to produce a composed left-footed finish. Al-Nassr eventually found a way back into the match before halftime through Angelo. Ronaldo played a major role in the goal with a brilliant first-touch lob that released Joao Felix, before the ball eventually reached Angelo, who fired home to make it 2-1. The visitors pushed hard after the break and created several opportunities to level the score. Ronaldo tested Predrag Rajkovic, while Felix also threatened, but the Al-Ittihad goalkeeper made five saves in the second half to preserve the home side’s advantage. The defeat ended Al-Nassr’s perfect start and left the club second on 12 points. Joao Felix adds another problem Felix will be unavailable for the next league fixture for a completely different reason. The Portugal international picked up his fourth yellow card of the season against Al-Ittihad, automatically triggering a one-match suspension. That means Felix will miss Al-Nassr’s meeting with Abha on Wednesday, September 9. His absence is particularly significant considering the forward has made an excellent start to his Saudi Pro League career, registering two goals and two assists in his first five league appearances. Felix’s frustration was also evident after the defeat, when he declined to give reporters a full interview and delivered a cryptic message about the league’s officiating. “I won’t speak to you, because if I do, I’ll expose this league,” Felix reportedly told the media. Joao Felix: “I won't speak to you, because if I do, I'll expose this league” pic.twitter.com/oMzsoQBvzO— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) September 5, 2026 When could Coman and Martinez return? While Felix is unavailable because of suspension, Coman and Martinez are dealing with injuries. According to Arriyadiyah, medical examinations carried out on Sunday confirmed that both players require at least seven days of rest, ruling them out of Al-Nassr’s next two league fixtures. Kingsley Coman of Al Nassr. Coman suffered a minor hamstring tear, while Martinez sustained a muscle strain accompanied by knee pain. As a result, both players are expected to miss the upcoming clash with Abha and the following Saudi Pro League fixture against Al-Khaleej. Coman’s 2026-27 Stats👕 Matches⚽ Goals🅰️ Assists🔝 Goal ContributionsAll competitions6000Saudi Pro League5000 The current expectation is that Coman and Martinez could return for Al-Nassr’s opening AFC Champions League Elite match against Al Ain next Tuesday, September 15. Their availability will depend on how they respond to the rehabilitation program prepared by the club’s medical staff, meaning the proposed return remains subject to their recovery. Inigo Martinez of Al Nassr celebrates with the Saudi Pro League Trophy The timing creates a significant selection headache for Postecoglou. Coman has featured in all five of Al-Nassr’s matches across competitions this season, although he has yet to record a goal o
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F09%2Fkylian-mbappe-10-6aa07d7a443a7569713466.jpg)