The Saudi Arabian U-20 women's national team launched its training camp today in Jeddah, which is scheduled to run until February 21. This gathering is part of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's plan for age-group national teams, aimed at raising the players' technical and physical readiness and ensuring the continuity of training programs to develop young national talent.

List of young women called up for the Green Team

The national team's coaching staff called up a list of 24 players to join this important camp, which included a selection of rising talents from Saudi clubs, namely: Dima Sheikh, Al-Jawhara Turki, Sara Nayef, Layan Amir, Aseel Ahmed, Tulin Al-Ghamdi, Mawada Al-Maghribi, Maria Baghfar, Joan Al-Nassar, Maha Al-Badrani, Reem Shadi, Miral Daghistani, Jude Al-Amoudi, Lulu Abdullah, Lama Thamer, Rimas Ahmed, Zahra Talib, Dana Al-Dahyan, Yasmin Malibari, Zainab Reda, Lamar Wael, Heba Ohashi, Malakout Al-Salem, and Kenzi Alaa.

Context of developing women's football in the Kingdom

This training camp is an extension of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's ongoing efforts to develop women's football, which has witnessed significant progress in recent years. These initiatives align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which prioritizes the sports sector and empowers women across various fields, including competitive sports. The launch of the Saudi Women's Premier League and the First Division League has contributed to the emergence of young talents who require continuous development through the national teams.

The strategic importance of Jeddah camp

The Jeddah camp is of particular importance as it focuses on the under-20 girls' category, which is considered the primary feeder for the senior women's national team. Through these camps, the federation aims to build a strong competitive base that ensures the sustainability of talent and prepares a generation capable of representing the Kingdom in upcoming regional and continental competitions, whether in the West Asian Football Federation championships or the Asian qualifiers.

Technical Program and Objectives

The training camp schedule includes a comprehensive and intensive program, with the coaching staff focusing on precise technical and tactical aspects, as well as improving the players' fitness levels. The staff also places great emphasis on fostering harmony and understanding among the players, who come from different clubs, contributing to improved team performance and preparing the national team in the best possible way for upcoming official and friendly competitions.

Portuguese coach José Gomes, manager of Al-Fateh's first football team, confirmed his team's complete readiness for the upcoming match against Al-Nassr in the 22nd round of the Saudi Professional League. Gomes's remarks came during a press conference held on Thursday, where he spoke with both confidence and realism, describing the match as "normal" in terms of the players' mental preparation, despite his full awareness of the opponent's strength.

Gomes told the media: “Al-Nassr is a very strong team with outstanding players capable of making a difference at any moment. Therefore, we must maintain our balance and tactical discipline, especially regarding our defensive and offensive strength against an opponent of this caliber.” The Portuguese coach stressed the importance of capitalizing on even half-chances, adding: “The players must have a high fighting spirit and focus on winning duels and physical challenges, because Al-Nassr is a strong team in every position and doesn't leave much space.”.

In discussing tactical options and player deployment, Gomez addressed the role of Marwan Saadane, explaining: “Marwan Saadane is primarily a defensive midfielder, but he has frequently played as a center-back and excelled in those positions. Sometimes circumstances necessitate changing positions to serve the team's best interests.” He concluded by emphasizing that the main objective is to secure the three points and maintain complete focus throughout the 90 minutes.

This match is of paramount importance in the context of the league title race this season. Al-Nassr enters the game in second place in the Roshan League standings with 49 points, just one point behind leaders Al-Hilal. A victory is therefore crucial for Al-Nassr to maintain pressure on the top spot and avoid dropping any points that could jeopardize their title aspirations. This stage of the league is decisive, as the competition intensifies among the leading clubs in the later stages of the season.

On the other hand, Al-Fateh, currently in tenth place with 24 points, aims to improve its position in the standings and move away from the mid-table and towards the top spots. Al-Fateh, the historic league champions of 2013, are known for their ability to upset the big teams, especially when playing at home in front of their fans. This match comes at a time when the Saudi league is experiencing tremendous development and unprecedented global interest, raising the level of competition and making every match a "top" in its own right, as there are no longer vast margins that guarantee results in advance.

Al-Fateh Stadium is scheduled to host this fiery encounter at 8:30 pm next Saturday, amid great public anticipation to see what Gomez’s plans will yield against the star-studded squad of Al-Nasr Club.

Recent Spanish press reports have revealed important developments concerning the future of Marc Casado, the young midfielder in the ranks of FC Barcelona, ​​in light of the difficulties he is facing in securing a starting position in the star-studded Catalan team.

Desire to participate and the challenges of Barcelona

According to the Spanish newspaper AS, published on Thursday, Casado, one of the most prominent graduates of the renowned La Masia academy and currently with the first team, is actively seeking more regular playing time. This comes amidst fierce competition in Barcelona's midfield, where the player finds himself caught between established stars and the coach's numerous tactical options.

The 22-year-old faces great difficulty in establishing himself as a permanent starter, given the presence of key players such as Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, in addition to the rise of other young talents such as Marc Bernal, which reduces his chances of appearing in the way he aspires to in order to develop his footballing level.

Roshan League: A global destination for young talents

In a related development, the player has shown considerable openness to the idea of ​​moving to the Saudi Professional League during the upcoming summer transfer window. This openness comes despite European interest in his services, specifically from English club Chelsea, who are closely monitoring the player's situation.

This trend reflects a significant shift in the global perception of the Saudi league, which is no longer just a destination for seasoned stars, but has become a magnet for promising young talents. Casado, who was previously linked to Al-Ittihad, hopes to replicate the success of his compatriots Aymeric Laporte and Gabri Vega, who both played professionally in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the league's growing competitive and financial appeal.

Casado's numbers and an uncertain future

In terms of statistics, the player has participated in 24 matches this season, contributing one assist, for a total of 1092 minutes played. Despite these appearances, the player's ambitions extend beyond a substitute or rotation role, making a move to the Roshan League, which offers a highly competitive environment and consistent playing time, a strong possibility in negotiations during the upcoming transfer window.