"Saudi Green" loses friendly from Croatia

The Saudi national team lost to its Croatian guest with a goal in a friendly match today at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, as part of the preparations of the two sides for the FIFA World Cup, which will start Sunday in Qatar.

Although the host had chances to score in the two halves, Croatia scored at the end of the match through Andrei Kramaric (82).

Saudi striker Saleh Al-Shehri said after the match, which did not witness a large crowd, because it was held at noon, in a televised statement, "It was good to be close to the Croatian team, the last summer of the World Cup."

In turn, the head of the Saudi Federation, Yasser Al-Mishal, said, "We should not be overly optimistic, because Croatia did not want to reveal all its cards like we do."

Despite his advantage in the first half, the Saudi national team almost conceded a goal had it not been for the ingenuity of goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais, who brilliantly saved Mario Pasalic's ball, before the defense intervened and ended its danger (9).

An opportunity arose for Al-Akhdar when Mohamed Kanno aimed a powerful ball, which hit the defense and turned into a corner (14).

From a defensive lapse, the host almost opened the scoring when Saleh Al-Shehri turned around the ball and aimed it towards the goal, but the defense intercepted it and turned it into a corner (25).

Firas Al-Buraikan followed him with a powerful shot, which was blocked by goalkeeper Dominik Levakovic, and the ball returned to find Saud Abdul Hamid, who crossed it, but it made its way outside the field (28).

Al-Akhdar missed an opportunity when Yasser Al-Shehri played a cross at the head of Saleh Al-Shehri, who shot it just over the crossbar (38), then Saudi Arabia missed another opportunity when Saud Abdul Hamid played a cross that passed in front of Al-Shehri to lose its danger (42).

In the second half, substitute Haitham Asiri prepared a ball for Salem Al-Dosari, who faced the goal, but he played it over the crossbar (63).

Then Zlatko Dalic, coach of Croatia, involved national team captain Luka Modric, the star of the 2018 World Cup when he led his country to the runner-up position, but that did not prevent Al-Akhdar from threatening the Croatian goal when he deputized the post of goalkeeper Levakovic and blocked Mohamed Kno (72).

And from a quick attack, the Croatian team was able to score when Kramaric, the German striker of Hoffenheim, got a ball that penetrated deep and aimed hard to the right of Al Owais (82).

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