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Fede Valverde has hailed former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo for the rapid "progress" of the Saudi Pro League.

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Ronaldo first megastar to shift base to Saudi ArabiaNeymar & Karim Benzema followed suitValverde lauds Ronaldo for football revolutionGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese forward sent shockwaves across the world when he announced his decision to sign for Al-Nassr after the 2022 World Cup. His move to the Middle East ignited an influx of superstar signings in the Saudi Pro League over the summer, which included Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema and Brazilian forward Neymar, at Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal respectively.

Valverde had the fortune of sharing the dressing room with both Ronaldo and Benzema at Real Madrid. The Uruguayan midfielder hailed Ronaldo as a pioneer for the development of the game in the Middle East.

AdvertisementWHAT VALVERDE SAID

Speaking to reporters, Valverde said: "I think there’s been a lot of progress with the players who have come here. For example, Cristiano, who started all this. It shows what they want to do and to have players of that quality is important."

Getty Images THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Pro League continues to be a popular attraction among players for the hefty wage structures and even Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is being linked to a move to Riyadh. However, Valverde also made it clear that even a blank cheque would not convince him to choose Saudi at this point in his career as he is enjoying his stint with Los Blancos.

"It is really impossible for me to go to the Saudi League," he added to . "No chance. 10, 20 or 30 million will not change my life. I'm at Real Madrid, the best club in the world. I love my life in Madrid, the same goes for my family and that's it."

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

The transfer bandwagon to Saudi Arabia shows no signs of stopping and it is expected that it will only grow in the next few years. Michael Emenalo, the Saudi Pro League director of football, has insisted that they are still pursuing a deal for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe, despite the forward rejecting a move in the summer transfer window. If they manage to pull off the Salah and Mbappe signings it will undoubtedly be another major coup for Saudi Arabia.

Here's where you can watch Orlando City vs LA Galaxy in the MLS on TV or stream it live.

LA Galaxy goes to the Exploria Stadium to face Orlando City in Major League Soccer on Saturday, doing so on the back of its first win of the season.

Oscar Pareja's men, on the other hand, enter the weekend on a three-game losing streak at home and will be aiming to snap the skid.

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Orlando City's home form has continued to deteriorate in the new season, losing 3-1 to DC United last weekend. Since its 1-1 draw against Tigres UANL in the second leg of their CONCACAF round-of-16 match, Pareja's men have lost three consecutive games at the Exploria Stadium, falling to Charlotte FC, Nashville, and DC United.

Orlando City has now lost three of their first eight games while winning three and drawing two to earn 11 points and sit ninth in the Eastern Conference table, level on points with DC United and Philadelphia Union.

On the other hand, Los Angeles Galaxy finally earned its first win of the season last Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Austin FC at Dignity Health Sports Park.

Veteran striker Javier Hernandez and former Barcelona player Riqui Puig scored second-half goals to give the hosts a comfortable win and send Austin to a third consecutive away defeat.

Despite last weekend's victory, Galaxy has had a terrible start to the season, sitting second-from-bottom in the Western Conference rankings, three points ahead of Sporting Kansas City.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about where to watch the game on TV and how to stream it online.

Orlando City vs LA Galaxy date & kick-off timeGame:Orlando City vs LA GalaxyDate:April 29, 2023Kick-off time:7:30 pm ET Venue:Exploria Stadium

Orlando City and LA Galaxy face off at the Exploria Stadium on April 29. The kickoff for the game is set for 7:30 pm Eastern Time (ET).

AdvertisementWhere to watch Orlando City vs D.C. United on TV & how to stream it

Fans in the United States & across the world can watch MLS with Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

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USN/AApple TVCheck out GOAL's soccer on U.S. TV guideTeam news & squadsOrlando City team news and squad

Orlando City has Michael Halliday unavailable for selection. It is in defence where they have impressed thus far, and Pareja should certainly deploy an unaltered back-four featuring Kyle Smith, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson and Luca Petrasso.

Orlando City possible XI: Stajduhar; Smith, Schlegel, Jansson, Petrasso; Martins, Araujo; Ojeda, Pereyra, Angulo; Enrique

Position Players

GoalkeepersGallese, StajduharDefendersSalim, Schlegel, Jansson, Williams, Carlos, Petrasso, Santos, Smith, MidfieldersAraujo, Cartagena, Martins, Thorhallsson, Rivera, Pereyra, Loyola, Mohammed, McGuire.ForwardsOjeda, Gonzalez, Angulo, Torres, Kara, Enrique, Lynn.LA Galaxy team news and squad

LA Galaxy will miss Jonathan Bond who is still undergoing treatment for a troublesome shoulder. Douglas Costa and Martin Caceres are back in the squad having completed their bans.

LA Galaxy possible XI: Klinsmann; Calegari, Caceres, Neal, Aude; Brugman, Delgado, Puig, Boyd; Joveljic, Hernandez

Position Players

GoalkeepersKlinsmannDefendersCalegari, Caceres, Zabaleta, Neal, Leerdan, Mavingana, Edwards, Coulibaly, FerkanusMidfieldersPuig, Alvarez, Boyd, Brugman, Perez, Delgado, Rodriguez, Rosell, SaldanaForwardsHernandez, Jovelic, CostaENJOYED THIS STORY?

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A brutal Instagram post trolling Lionel Messi has clearly won Cristiano Ronaldo's 'caption challenge', after he posted a picture with Conor McGregor.

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Ronaldo and McGregor pictured togetherAttended boxing event featuring Anthony JoshuaWere seen in hysterics togetherWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo posted an image on Instagram of himself and MMA icon McGregor laughing at ringside during the Saudi Arabia boxing show titled 'Day of Reckoning', which featured Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder both in action. He asked for the best caption, and the clear winner was a post trolling the Al-Nassr star's eternal rival, Messi.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT THE COMMENT SAID

The comment, which at the time of writing has over 46,000 likes, read: "When they said Messi is better than Ronaldo." The argument, of course, has been going for decades.

Instagram @CristianoDID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo and Messi have been going head-to-head since their respective debuts at Sporting CP and Barcelona, and have remarkable records. The former has made 992 professional appearances and has scored 738 goals, while Messi has made 889 appearances and scored 721 goals.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo will aim to win a trophy with Al-Nassr to add to his incredible collection. They are currently second in the Saudi Pro League, seven points behind leaders Al-Hilal.

The Aston Villa star has earned the right to shine as Sarina Wiegman prepares to make a huge decision in midfield

Another game, another selection dilemma for England head coach Sarina Wiegman. Lauren James' red card in the Lionesses' Women's World Cup last 16 victory over Nigeria, on penalties, has thrown up another problem for her to solve as the European champions prepare to face Colombia in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

"I have never experienced so many problems," she admitted after Monday's match. "But, of course, that's my job to think of things that can happen in a game, or in a tournament, or ahead of a tournament. You try to turn every stone and already think of the solution before it happens."

What solution will she come up with, then, to replace James? The Chelsea star shone as a winger against Denmark and then as a No.10 in the victory over China, the latter role coming in a new 3-5-2 set-up.

With her suspended, will Wiegman persist with the new system? Will she switch back to 4-3-3? Who will come into the team? Will there be any other changes? GOAL takes a look at how England should line up…

Getty ImagesGK: Mary Earps

A pretty simple one. With three clean sheets in four games, and having only conceded from the penalty spot, Earps has been one of the best performing goalkeepers at this tournament.

AdvertisementGettyRB: Lucy Bronze

For various reasons, Wiegman should revert back to the 4-3-3 set-up for this game and therefore Bronze should return to an orthodox right-back role.

Colombia are particularly strong out wide and the way Nigeria carved England open with ease down the flanks in the 3-5-2 system, exploiting the space left behind the wing-backs, was cause for concern. A back four should be less exposed, especially with two hard-working wingers in front of the full-backs.

GettyCB: Millie Bright

One of few players who came out of the Nigeria game with any credit, Bright did well to help keep the Super Falcons' lively attack at bay and she'll face another tough task on Saturday in trying to stifle a versatile and confident Colombian front line.

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GettyCB: Alex Greenwood

One of England's best players at this tournament, Greenwood has played three different roles already and has been impressive in all of them.

She should partner Bright in a back four for the quarter-finals, able to show her quality in possession while her ability to read play and position herself well will help the Lionesses quieten the Colombia attack.

The England midfielder helped Spurs get the better of Chelsea while Alexis orchestrated a victory over Swansea, earning their places in the latest XI

Dele Alli and Alexis Sanchez are the highlight names in this week's Premier League team of the week after helping their respective sides to important wins.

Alli was the star for Tottenham with two goals as they came from behind to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. His first, aided by his wonderful first touch to control a Eric Dier pass before beating Willy Caballero, stunned the onlooking crowd before he put the game beyond doubt to all but secure his side's place in the top four at the Blues' expense.

Alexis, meanwhile, shook off his early struggles at Manchester United to fire them to a win over Swansea City. With a goal and an assist, he gave Jose Mourinho's men a two-goal lead within 20 minutes to keep them in second place.

Check out the full team below…

GettyKasper Schmeichel | Leicester CityThe Leicester City goalkeeper has saved three of the 14 Premier League penalties he’s faced – the same number his father Peter saved during his time in the competition (21 faced).AdvertisementGettyDeAndre Yedlin | Newcastle United

As well as helping his side keep a clean sheet, Yedlin also made six crosses from open play down the right-hand side, creating two chances in the process.

GettyVictor Lindelof | Manchester United

The centre-back had the best pass accuracy of any Red Devils player in Saturday's 2-0 win, with no team-mate making more clearances or interceptions than his three of each.

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GettyJamaal Lascelles | Newcastle United

Lascelles was solid in defence in Newcastle's 1-0 win over Huddersfield – no Magpies player made more clearances than his eight or gained possession on more occasions than the 13 he did.

Stuttgart hero Serhou Guirassy gave what sounded like a warm farewell to the club's fans as he "thanked them for everything" after their latest win.

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Striker Guirassy on fire for StuttgartWanted by Premier League teamsMade odd announcement in stadiumWHAT HAPPENED?

Guirassy scored yet again as Stuttgart beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 on Wednesday. His effort took his goal tally up to an awesome 18 goals in just 13 appearances across the cup and Bundesliga for the German side this season.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT GUIRASSY SAID

According to , Guirassy then walked down the tunnel and grabbed the microphone from the stadium announcer, issuing a message to the home supporters. He said: "The atmosphere was great as always. Thank you for everything."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Guirassy's comments may have caught the attention of his Premier League suitors. Manchester United and Newcastle have been credited with interest in the Guinea international and are said to be considering January bids for him. However, the 27-year-old is contracted to Stuttgart until 2026 and Stuttgart will be determined to hold onto their prized asset.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GUIRASSY?

United, Newcastle and many other top clubs in Europe will continue to monitor the star forward. He will be out to continue his goalscoring exploits when Stuttgart meet Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. Stuttgart are third in the Bundesliga and five points behind surprise league leaders Leverkusen.

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong has been savaged by former Netherlands international Rafael van der Vaart, who compared him to a "postman".

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De Jong criticised by countrymanBarcelona drew 1-1 with Napoli in Champions LeagueVan der Vaart insists De Jong was at faultWHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona drew 1-1 with Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, and Van der Vaart was left unimpressed by De Jong's performance. The former Tottenham and Real Madrid star claimed that his compatriot plays "like a postman" and simply does not keep up with the required pace.

AdvertisementWHAT VAN DER VAART SAID

Van der Vaart said on in the Netherlands while working as a pundit (via ): "Frenkie de Jong plays football like a postman. He takes too long to pass the ball forward, instead he keeps running and carrying it to his teammate. Once you move away from your opponent, you must keep the ball moving and pass the ball."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

De Jong has seen his season disrupted by injury, with an ankle strain ruling him out for seven La Liga matches earlier this term. He has only managed to score one goal this season, regardless, and has failed to provide an assist.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DE JONG?

De Jong has been linked with a move away from the Catalan club as he is yet to sign a new contract and has subsequently been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea. Barcelona have handed him an ultimatum to either sign a new deal or leave permanently.

When it comes to pre-match jerseys, the bolder the better 👕

The amount of time that a pre-match kit is on the pitch is tiny. Players run onto the pitch in them, sometimes covered by bibs, before going through their warm up and last-minute drills. By the time the main match begins, the pre-match kits are long gone, replaced by the recognisable colours of the home, away or third shirts.

Nowadays, though, pre-match kits have become an important part of the kit collection. Brands and clubs often take more risks with the designs, utilising the team’s final preparations as a chance to market an entirely different version of the club colours.

Check out all the 2022-23 pre-match shirts released so far

GettyWhat is a pre-match kit?

Some call it a pre-match shirt, others call it a warm-up kit, but the name gives away what it is. There’s always been an obvious need for them – literally as something for the players to warm up in – and traditionally they’ve stuck to tried and tested designs. In recent years, though, they’ve become home to some of the most experimental patterns and designs, quietly becoming even more impressive than the kits themselves.

For the upcoming 2022-23 season, that trend is set to continue. Barcelona’s looks like a glitch in the Blaugrana matrix, Liverpool’s, fittingly, is made up of a “You’ll Never Walk Alone” graphic, and PUMA clubs including AC Milan and Manchester City will all wear one covered in about six different patterns. 

AdvertisementGettyWhen did things change?

A possible turning point was the 2018 World Cup, when Nike released a collection of all-time classics to be worn while running between cones and doing your stretches. One of the stand-outs from that tournament was England’s shirt – which mixed a white base with a red and blue graphic – while Nigeria’s turned heads with its “NAIJA” logo and green and white pattern.

Since then, pre-match kits have gone from strength to strength. These designs, and how they are marketed, allow clubs to essentially create a lifestyle-focused product, extending the season’s kit collections. In many ways, they serve a similar purpose to fourth kits, which adidas’ Iñigo Turner described as “a space where we can explore with more creative freedom” in a recent interview.

adidasWhy are they so popular?

One of the best examples of the pre-match kit’s versatility is Arsenal. Some of their classics include the Transport for London-themed kit last season, or the pink and dark grey camouflage design they wore, or even the collaboration with Stella McCartney. All three of these pre-match jerseys were worn by Arsenal during the course of the 2021/22 season, highlighting another key benefit of pre-match kits.

Whereas home, away and third shirts are regulated by the league’s rules on everything from design to how many can be worn, pre-match kits have fewer constraints, allowing brands and clubs space for collaborations and special releases.

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adidasWhat are some of the most famous pre-match kits?

It's hard to look beyond adidas’ five club collaboration with Humanrace. Some of the brand’s biggest clubs – Arsenal, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid – all received special-edition kits designed by Humanrace founder and adidas collaborator Pharrell Williams.

As well as pushing the boundaries of kit design, the collaboration also showed how the league by league and country by country rules were applied. Of the five clubs, only Bayern Munich and Juventus were able to wear the designs competitively. For the other three clubs, they were worn as pre-match kits instead.

The Argentine scored twice in injury time, including a free-kick that his compatriot would have been proud of, in Atlanta's 2-1 win over San Jose

If you thought it would take some time for the 2023 MLS season to warm up, think again.

It took just a few hours for the league to descend into its typical chaos with the league's first weekend providing its fair share of highlight moments. Several late winners, a few goal of the year candidates, some massive results and some big stars stepping up to the plate… What else could you ask for?

Saturday, the first day of the season, saw two game winners scored in the 98th minute. One of those came off the foot of the league's brightest young star who, moments earlier, had scored a stoppage-time equalizer that had stunned anyone watching on. It proved to be just an appetizer, much like this wild Week One might be for this MLS season.

There's plenty to discuss and break down so, without further ado, here are the winners and losers of MLS' opening weekend…

GettyWINNER: Thiago Almada

What more can you say about Thiago Almada?

MLS' first World Cup winner entered the 2023 season with increased expectations. He was good in 2022, perhaps even very good, but after lifting the trophy alongside Lionel Messi in Qatar, the 21-year-old is now expected to be great.

And great he was in the first game of the season, doing his best Messi impression as he single handedly lifted Atlanta to three points through sheer force of will.

His first goal, a 93rd-minute equalizer, was dazzling, a long-range stunner to level the score at one apiece against the San Jose Earthquakes. His second, though, had all the flair of a Messi winner as he buried a free kick that, in hindsight, you have to say you always knew was going in.

Almada is special, there is no doubt. Enjoy him while you can, Atlanta United fans. He won't be here for long, especially with magic like this.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: NYCFC

In their 2-0 loss against Nashville, NYCFC looked like a team that is shorthanded. Coincidentally, they are a team that is very, very shorthanded.

The club lost much of its heart and soul during the offseason, with veterans like Sean Johnson, Maxi Moralez, Alexander Callens and Anton Tinnerholm departing. All four were key starters for their MLS Cup run, and all left this winter after previously seeing star forward Valentin Castellanos move to Europe last summer.

The club never really replaced Castellanos, instead jamming Brazilian starlet Talles Magno at striker. At some point, hopefully, the club will get its number nine. It's desperately needed.

And that won't be the only addition they need. This team needs a bit of help all the way up its spine if they are to compete at the top level.

WINNER: St. Louis SC

Heading into their debut season, expectations weren't exactly high for St. Louis SC. And, to be fair, they probably still aren't high, even after a stunning season-opening win at Austin FC?

But, hey, you always remember your first, right?

St. Louis will remember this one for quite some time as one of America's great soccer cities has arrived in MLS.
St. Louis SC went to Austin to face a legitimate MLS Cup contender, and they left with a 3-2 win thanks to goals from Jared Stroud and Joao Klauss after falling behind 2-1.

There are still plenty of questions about this team, as there are about any expansion team, and, over the course of a grueling MLS season, we'll find out the answers to those questions.

But, at least this weekend, St. Louis has a big reason to celebrate after making a perfect first impression in their debut match.

"I said to the group before the game, there's 34 chapters to this book that we are writing," said head coach Bradley Carnell. "Today was No. 1 of 34 in the regular season, right?

"So, do we get to 40 games this season, 45, I don't know. But today we started the story off in the right way. We started off a story to reward ourselves."

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GettyLOSER: Lorenzo Insigne

That wasn't the start anyone in Toronto would have wanted.

The sight of Insigne limping off will be a backbreaker for Toronto FC, who may now need to continue on without the league's highest-paid player. Head coach Bob Bradley said the Italian "felt something in the lower leg [and] couldn’t continue," and it remains to be seen how long TFC will be without the former Napoli winger.

Expectations are high for Insigne this season as he begins his first full campaign in MLS. He had six goals and two assists in 11 appearances last season, a solid haul, but the expectation is that he'll be an MVP candidate this year. This injury complicates that, at least for now.

Making matters worse, though, was the result of the actual game itself: a 3-2 loss to D.C. United that saw TFC throw away a win. Up a goal in the 90th minute, D.C. came all the way back thanks to goals from Christian Benteke and Theodore Ku-DiPietro, who played the hero with a 98th-minute finish.

TFC will likely be fine, even without Insigne for a bit. They have too much talent to not be in the mix. This will most likely be forgotten at some point soon.

Even so, it isn't the start they would have expected as a loss to last season's last-place team got TFC's season off on the wrong foot.

Erling Haaland’s agent has refused to reveal the release clause in the striker’s contract, saying the Manchester City star is “master of his destiny”.

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Norwegian striker starring in EnglandCould he be on the move in 2024?La Liga giants said to be keenWHAT HAS HAPPENED?

The prolific Norwegian frontman plundered 52 goals across all competitions last season – breaking countless records along the way – as he helped City to a historic Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League Treble. He has continued to star this season, leading to further speculation regarding supposed interest from La Liga giants Real Madrid.

AdvertisementGettyDOES HAALAND HAVE A RELEASE CLAUSE?

There is said to be a clause in Haaland’s deal that could be triggered by teams outside of England in the summer of 2024, but Rafaela Pimenta has told when asked what it would take for a deal to be done: "Erling's contract is known to Manchester City, his father, himself and me.”

COULD HAALAND LEAVE MAN CITY?

She went on to say of the transfer rumours that continue to rage: “Erling is the master of his destiny. Not just now but his entire life and 100%. What I mean is that you have to use balance. Us, club and player. We are all in the same boat. Things have to be talked about, treated, in such a way that everyone is okay. Comfortable and satisfied with the experience they live together. I think it is not necessary to say that Erling does what he wants. Is not true. Erling is always going to do what is good for him and for his club, Manchester City. When everyone is willing to make a change, it will be done. He's not the type of player who's going to say ‘I'm leaving, bye, I don't want to know anything’. It is not like this. And it's not going to happen because respect comes before everything. If they give it to him, he will give it too.”

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GettyHOW MUCH IS HAALAND WORTH?

Pimenta has suggested in the past that Haaland could be worth as much as €1 billion (£875m/$1bn) in the transfer market, and he has expanded on that comment by saying: “When I talk about 1 billion, I talked about a pack in which I include the years of career, the sales potential, tickets, t-shirts, sponsors, digital and everything that is coming that does not yet exist. It is impossible to say how much each thing costs. You are actually asking me how much the transfer costs and you don't have to ask me this. The market says so.”