Al Nassr bulldozed Inter Miami FC 6-0.
It was a tale of two teams with altogether different mentalities. Al Nassr are in the middle of a mid-season break and ready to up the ante at the business end of the season. Inter Miami, on the other hand, have been going through their pre-season paces. All said and done, a six-goal defeat would be very hard for Lionel Messi & Co to digest.
Saudi Arabia’s defeat to South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup has sparked a debate here about whether a European coach is the best way forward for the country’s football. Local football fans believe that the national team head coach Robero Mancini’s ultra-defensive approach in the last quarter of the game was the reason for the defeat. Saudi Arabia were leading until 82 minutes, but South Korea came roaring back.
Al Nassr, however, stuck to their attacking brand of football and were taking the game to the opposition right from the outset. They went 3-0 up inside the first 15 minutes. Striker Talisca scored a hat-trick. Inter Miami were absolutely lacklustre.
Meanwhile, all the hype over a supposed ‘last dance’, a Messi versus Ronaldo face off, turned out to be a damp squib. Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t play the game, as he was out injured. Messi had a short cameo.
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And football fans from all over the world were heartbroken. They came here from the United States, Argentina, Mexico, Russia, Poland, Serbia, Egypt, Sudan, Japan and of course India to be a part of the mega event. Kids were even more enthusiastic and turned up in big numbers. Their parents didn’t tell them about Ronaldo’s absence until the game started. They didn’t get to see their hero. All they had to be satisfied with were a few sublime touches from Messi, a goal-bound attempt and a through ball from the little master.
(Ashish Pendse is in Riyadh, covering the trip exclusively for RevSportz)