Captain Saad Al-Shehri , the technical director of the first football team of Al-Ettifaq , expressed his mixed feelings towards his team’s performance despite achieving an exciting victory over Al-Kholoud, in the match that brought the two teams together as part of the seventeenth round of the Saudi Professional League.
In the post-match press conference, Al-Shehri openly expressed his complete dissatisfaction with the players' performance during the first half. The Al-Ettifaq coach attributed this relative decline in performance to the team's relentless schedule of matches, which had taken a physical and mental toll on the players in the first half.
Second half tactics and the secret to a comeback
Al-Shehri explained the tactical shift that led the team to turn the tide, clarifying that the match was essentially divided into two completely different halves. He pointed out that the first half did not live up to expectations, while the second half witnessed a technical resurgence that relied primarily on utilizing the flanks, resulting in increased attacking effectiveness and the success of scoring two crucial goals that secured the three points.
A series of positive results and technical stability
Speaking about the team's progress, Al-Shehri highlighted the technical stability enjoyed by Al-Ettifaq, noting a remarkable statistic that underscores the team's improvement: they have suffered only one defeat in their last 10 matches, against Al-Khaleej. Al-Shehri commented, "We have faced strong teams and delivered impressive performances, and we hope to continue this run of positive results to bring joy to our fans.".
Competition context of the Roshan League
This victory comes at a crucial time in the Saudi League, which is witnessing unprecedented and fierce competition this season, given the presence of a host of international stars and the improved level of all clubs. Saad Al-Shehri is one of the most prominent national coaches, having previously led the Saudi Olympic team to continental success (the AFC U-23 Asian Cup), giving him the necessary experience to handle the pressures of the league and turn around difficult results.
It is worth noting that Al-Ettifaq team succeeded in turning their early goal deficit against Al-Kholoud into a valuable victory with a score of (2-1), raising their points tally to 29, occupying the sixth position in the Roshan League standings, which enhances their chances of competing for advanced positions and securing a place in the safe areas away from the calculations of relegation or the lower positions.
