'A defeat that hurts': Messi says World Cup defeat to Saudi Arabia a 'very heavy blow'
Lionel Messi said Argentina's shock loss to Saudi Arabia was a "very heavy blow" but vowed the South American champions would bounce back from the defeat.
Saleh Al-Shehri Sport News
Argentina manager urges players to keep 'chin up' after stunning loss
Argentinian manager Lionel Scaloni said his players needed to refocus and look ahead to their next matches after their 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener in Qatar in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history.
World Cup shockwave as Saudi Arabia stun Messi's Argentina
Saudi Arabia stunned Lionel Messi's Argentina on Tuesday, beating the two-time winners 2-1 in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Saudi Arabia shock Messi’s Argentina at World Cup
DOHA: Saudi Arabia stunned Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Tuesday, beating the two-time winners 2-1 in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Salem Al-Dawsari hit a stunning winner to sink the red-hot favorites, bringing the South American side’s 36-match unbeaten run to a shuddering halt. The win was fully deserved after Saudi Arabia came from behind after Saleh Al-Shehri canceled out an early Lionel Messi penalty. Playing a risky high defensive line, the athletic Saudis rode their luck in the first half when three times Argentina had the ball in the net only to be denied by an offside call. But in a chaotic start to the second half, the Saudis swarmed all over Lionel Scaloni’s team and scored twice as the Arab nation beat the South Americans for the first time in five attempts. In a first half dominated by Argentina, it seemed only a matter of time before Saudi Arabia’s risky defensive tactics would cost them. That condensed the game into a sliver of green turf around the halfway line as the Asian side happily allowed Argentina’s back four to pass the ball among themselves. It seemed Saudi Arabia were facing a long afternoon after VAR intervened to award a penalty when Saud Abdulhamid wrestled Leandro Paredes to the ground in the box at a corner. Messi waited for goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais to dive to his left before cooly rolling the ball into the opposite corner. But if the Saudis felt aggrieved at the technology, it would later help keep them in the game.
Saudi Arabia stun flat Argentina to ignite World Cup
Saudi Arabia notched one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history with a 2-1 win over Lionel Messi's Argentina thanks to a scintillating second half comeback.
Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in stunning World Cup upset
LUSAIL, Qatar : Saudi Arabia produced one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history to beat Argentina 2-1 in their Group C opener with goals by Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari stunning the favourites on Tuesday.
Messi leads Argentina v Saudi Arabia in final World Cup quest
LUSAIL, Qatar : Argentina's 35-year-old captain and all-time top scorer Lionel Messi shrugged off some fatigue niggles to lead the line on Tuesday in the Group C opener against Saudi Arabia where he begins his last quest for an elusive World Cup trophy.
Saudi Arabia show World Cup ambition despite 1-0 loss to Croatia in Riyadh
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia may have lost 1-0 to Croatia in Riyadh on Wednesday as preparations for the FIFA World Cup came to an end, but this was the Green Falcons’ best performance of the year so far. The game should give them encouragement and confidence ahead of their meeting with Argentina in the opening game of Group C in Qatar on Tuesday. After a month of training camps, this was the sixth and hardest test for coach Herve Renard’s men, coming against a team that reached the final of the 2018 World Cup.