Ronaldo's Al-Nassr out of Asian Champions League with semifinal loss to Kawasaki Frontale

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo’s wait for a major trophy in Saudi Arabia is set to continue after Al-Nassr lost 3-2 to Kawasaki Frontale in the Asian Champions League semifinals on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old Ronaldo, who signed for the Riyadh club in December 2022, had chances but failed to score against the team from Japan.

Kawasaki will face another Saudi team, Al-Ahli, in Saturday’s final with both teams bidding for a first continental title.

Kawasaki was ahead after just 10 minutes on a spectacular volley from Tatsuya Ito. Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane equalized for Al-Nassr before the half-hour mark.

Soon after, Ronaldo headed against the woodwork but it was Kawasaki which scored next, restoring its lead three minutes before the break through Yuto Ozeki.

Al-Nassr continued to attack but fell further behind after 76 minutes when Akihiro Ienaga scored from close range.

Ayman Yahya cut the margin for Al-Nassr with three minutes remaining but despite Ronaldo and Jhon Duran — signed for over $100 million from English Premier League club Aston Villa in January — going close, the Riyadh club couldn't get the equalizer.

In the quarterfinals last weekend, Ronaldo scored in Al-Nassr's comfortable win over Yokohama.

Two-time finalist Al-Ahli reached the fina l by beating fellow Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal 3-1 on Tuesday.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Kawasaki Frontale's Kota Takai (2) rises above to head the ball during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match against Al Nassr at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)

Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo (7) walks off after his team lost to Kawasaki Frontale during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)

Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo (7) walks off after his team lost to Kawasaki Frontale during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)

Al Nassr's Sadio Mane, right, celebrates after scoring against Japan's Kawasaki Frontale, during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)

Al Nassr's Jhon Duran, left, looks to shoot against Kawasaki Frontale during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match against Al Nassr at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)

Kawasaki Frontale players, center, celebrate after defeating Al Nassr in a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)

Kawasaki Frontale's Kento Tachibanada, right, plays the ball as Al Nassr's Otavio, left, closes in during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)

Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after his team lost to Kawasaki Frontale during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)

The massive military parade commemorating the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army, which coincides with President Donald Trump ’s 79th birthday is being staged Saturday in Washington, D.C. The event is expected to include about 6,600 soldiers, 50 helicopters and 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks, as well as possibly 200,000 attendees and heightened security to match.

Opponents of the president’s agenda are simultaneously rallying in hundreds of cities nationwide at “No Kings” protests following days of nationwide demonstrations against federal immigration raids, including in Los Angeles, where Trump deployed the National Guard and U.S. Marines against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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Philadelphia is hosting the main “No Kings” march and rally. Organizers wanted to avoid the huge security presence in Washington, D.C., where this evening’s military parade coincides with Trump’s birthday.

Several hundred people have gathered in Love Park, despite intermittent rain. Organizers are handing out small American flags. Many people are carrying anti-Trump signs with messages including “fight oligarchy” and “deport the mini-Mussolinis” and “the wrong ice is melting” as they wait for the march to start.

A handful of people are wearing gas masks or balaclavas to cover their faces. One woman in a foam Statue of Liberty crown brought a speaker system and is leading a singalong, changing “young man” to “con man” as people sing on of Trump’s favorite tunes, “YMCA.”

One man in revolutionary-war era garb and a tri-corner hat is holding a sign that quotes Thomas Jefferson: “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”

Rain is forecast across the Washington region right around parade time, but Trump is looking forward to seeing the crowd.

Rain pounded the nation’s capital Friday night, and the National Weather Service says a flood watch is in effect for the area until 2 p.m. Saturday. Chances for more thunderstorms increase through Saturday afternoon and evening, and as much as three inches of rain could fall within an hour or two, forecasters said.

Trump remained positive Saturday morning in a Truth Social post: “OUR GREAT MILITARY PARADE IS ON, RAIN OR SHINE. REMEMBER, A RAINY DAY PERADE BRINGS GOOD LUCK. I’LL SEE YOU ALL IN D.C.”

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly has said the parade will happen even if it rains, but that lightning could cause organizers to clear out the area for safety reasons.

Vendors are taking advantage of the expected large expected crowds and setting up shop on Pennsylvania Ave. near secured zones for the Amy’s 250th birthday festival and parade.

Large snowplows are being used to block off vehicle traffic, allowing pedestrians to walk on the historic street and visit vendors selling art, souvenirs, clothes, jewelry and beverages. There’s also a wide variety of food options, from fan-favorite funnel cakes to lobster rolls.

Several small stages where musicians will provide live music are also spread out through the vending area.

Many elected officials have urged protesters at the “No Kings” demonstrations to be peaceful, and warned that they will show no tolerance for violence, destruction or activities such as blocking roadways.

In Philadelphia, site of the flagship “No Kings” march and rally for Saturday’s nationwide demonstration, the city’s top prosecutor had a warning for federal agents as well.

“ICE agents going beyond their legal rights … killing, assaulting, illegally handling people in violation of the law, denying them their due process in a way that constitutes a crime under the laws of Pennsylvania, you will be prosecuted,” District Attorney Larry Krasner told a news conference Thursday.

Krasner is a leading progressive prosecutor whose police accountability efforts have made him a prominent campaign trail target in Pennsylvania for Trump and other Republicans.

A survey published this week finds that U.S. adults are more likely to approve than disapprove of Trump’s decision to hold the military parade — The AP-NORC poll found that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults “somewhat” or “strongly” approve of the parade, while about 3 in 10 “somewhat” or “strongly” disapprove.

But about 6 in 10 Americans surveyed said the parade is “not a good use” of government money — including the vast majority of people, 78%, who neither approve nor disapprove of the parade overall, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Officials have said the display of military force will cost tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.

▶ Read more about the AP-NORC Poll on Trump’s military parade

It’s a festive atmosphere in the shadow of the Georgia state capitol, where the American Civil Liberties Union is handing out blue wristbands to keep count of the crowd in Liberty Plaza. Organizers said the plaza already reached its capacity of 5,000 people.

Many of the “No Kings” demonstrators are carrying American flags. It’s a diverse crowd, mostly people in their 50s or older, and some families with children.

One woman is carrying a sign saying “when cruelty becomes normal, compassion looks radical.” Taylar W. — she didn’t want her full last name used — said “there’s just so much going on in this country that’s not OK, and if no one speaks up about it, who will?”

A day ahead of the military parade in Washington, about 60 veterans and family members were arrested on Friday after authorities said they crossed a police line.

Organizers with Veterans for Peace said they were planning to hold a sit-in at the U.S. Capitol in protest of the presence of military members on the nation’s streets. That includes for Saturday’s military parade, as well as National Guard and active-duty Marines in Los Angeles.

Police say participants were arrested after they crossed a perimeter of bike racks intended to keep them away from the U.S. Capitol.

The tanks are staged and ready to roll. Fencing and barriers are up. Protective metal plating has been laid out on Washington’s streets.

And more than 6,000 troops are poised to march near the National Mall to honor the Army’s 250th anniversary on Saturday, which happens to be President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.

One big unknown: Rain is in the forecast and lightning could cause delays, but the White House said the parade must go one, rain or shine. And Trump said Thursday night that the weather “doesn’t matter ... Doesn’t affect the tanks at all. Doesn’t affect the soldiers. They’re used to it.”

Daylong festivities celebrating the Army are planned on the National Mall — featuring NFL players, fitness competitions and displays — culminating in the parade, which is estimated to cost $25 million to $45 million. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people to attend.

A special reviewing area is being set up so that the president can watch up close as each formation passes the White House.

Cities large and small were preparing for major demonstrations Saturday across the U.S. against Trump, as officials urge calm and National Guard troops mobilize.

A flagship “No Kings” march and rally are planned in Philadelphia, but no events are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C.

The demonstrations come on the heels of protests flaring up around the country over federal immigration enforcement raids that began last week and Trump ordering National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire.

Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades while officials enforced curfews in Los Angeles and Democratic governors called Trump’s Guard deployment “an alarming abuse of power” that “shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.”

The massive military parade that President Trump has long wanted is set to step off from the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday evening, with tanks, bands and thousands of troops.

And the biggest question marks are whether it will be overshadowed or delayed by either the weather in Washington or planned protests elsewhere around the country.

Falling on Trump’s 79th birthday, the parade was added just a few weeks ago to the Army’s long-planned 250th anniversary celebration. It has triggered criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates down along the route.

The daylong display of America’s Army comes as Trump has shown his willingness to use his fighting forces in ways other U.S. presidents have typically avoided, inviting an array of lawsuits and accusations that he is politicizing the military.

A fence blocks access to the White House ahead of an upcoming military parade commemorating the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

A man bicycles with several flags past a helicopter on display during preparations for an upcoming military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin).

People walk in between security fencing and concrete barricades toward a large photograph of President Donald Trump and President Abraham Lincoln, draped on the USDA building, Friday, June 13, 2025, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Members of the California National Guard and U.S. Marines, guard the entrance outside the Wilshire Federal Building, ahead of Saturday's nationwide "No Kings Day" protest, in Los Angeles, Calif., Friday, June 13, 2025. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Soldiers prepare ahead of wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, honoring the Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)