Ronaldo missed the AFC Champions League?
Can Ronaldo win the title in his debut season with Riyadh Victory? At present, this goal seems to be getting further and further away. In the Saudi King's Cup semi-final that ended early this morning, Riyadh Victory faced the weak league team Mecca United, which had been playing with ten men for nearly half the game, and failed to break through, losing 0-1 and missing the final. In addition, Riyadh Victory is three points behind the league leader Jeddah United with one more game played, and it is highly likely to end up empty-handed in all four competitions.
Two months ago, Ronaldo had fond memories of facing Mecca United when he scored a hat-trick in the league, with two goals in each half, causing a wave of admiration. However, now facing the same opponent they had defeated with four goals not long ago, Riyadh Victory seemed to have no solution. Not only was Ronaldo unable to score, but the team has also been shut out for three consecutive games, which is a surprising contrast.
In fact, after a 5-0 away win against Al-Hassa Justice on April 5, Riyadh Victory fell into a strange state. The team's overall cooperation was unsatisfactory, and they wasted countless opportunities. They first drew with Al-Fayha, then lost to Riyadh Crescent, and their title hopes took a nosedive. During this process, head coach Rudi Garcia was dismissed, and turmoil seemed inevitable.
In the Saudi King's Cup semi-final against Mecca United, Riyadh Victory was not at a disadvantage, and Ronaldo could not be said to be not trying hard. However, their luck seemed to be slightly off. In the match, Ronaldo had six shots, two on target, one hit the crossbar, missed one scoring opportunity, made two key passes, won six of ten duels, and made two dribbles. Although these statistics are not outstanding, they are far from mediocre. However, his performance was a reflection of the current situation at Riyadh Victory - they had the ability and opportunities but could not grasp them, and the way they lost was "inexplicable."
As a result, a lackluster Riyadh Victory with no luck could only lose, and Ronaldo, after scoring in three consecutive games, had to accept a three-game goal drought. A harsh reality lies ahead - Ronaldo may end up empty-handed this season. They have already been eliminated from the Saudi Super Cup, now they are out of the Saudi King's Cup, and with six games remaining in the league, they are trailing by three points with one more game played, making their title hopes extremely unfavorable.
Of course, football is not a game purely about probability, and anything can happen before the end of the league. With Ronaldo's never-say-die attitude in adversity, he will not surrender early and will lead the team to fight until the last moment. After being eliminated from the Saudi King's Cup, Riyadh Victory has only six league games left this season. To win the championship and qualify for the AFC Champions League, they must do their best and wait for fate to smile upon them. Can the President, who has saved his team countless times, become the savior once again?