Salem Al-Dawsari, a World Cup player with Saudi Arabia, was a figure in the triumph of Ramón Díaz’s Al Hilal. (AFP)
Ramón Díaz’s Al Hilal advanced to the Club World Cup final by defeating Flamengo 3-2 on Tuesday, in a match in which the Libertadores champion was sanctioned with two penalties and played the second half with 10 footballers.
With a double of penalties of Salem Al-Dawsari (4′ and 45+9′) and a bit from the Argentine Luciano Vietto (70′) the Asian champion beat a flamenco in which Pedro He also scored twice (20 ‘and 90+1’). He will play the final on Saturday against the winner of Real Madrid vs Al Ahly.
With this, a new Conmebol representative failed to even reach the definition of the tournament. teams like Inter Porto Alegre, Atletico Mineiro, Atletico Nacional de Medellin, river plate or palmeiras they also succumbed in their premiere in previous editions.
Two penalties and one expulsion
Before the start at the Ibn Battouta stadium in Tangier, a minute of silence was observed for the victims of the brutal earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
The game started off lopsided for Flamengo. First arrival and penalty for Al Hilal: The right back Mateuzinho, who won the position in the eleventh against the Uruguayan Guillermo Varela, brought down Vietto. Al-Dawsari did not fail.
The Rio de Janeiro team then took possession of the ball, trying to find the cracks in the Al Hilal defense with a five-star attacking quartet made up of Uruguayan Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Everton Ribeiro, Gabriel Barbosa and Pedro.
The Argentine’s Al Hilal Ramon Diaz He also showed his cards with a very offensive team. Along with Vietto, the Peruvian André Carrillo, the striker Al-Dawsari, Moussa Marega and Odion Ighalo.
After 20 minutes, the ‘Mengão’ found its reward when Mateuzinho played with Pedro, who unleashed an unexpected first hit hit to the far post when everyone expected him to control the ball.
The goal gave ‘Fla’ peace of mind after the initial scare, it seemed that a new 70-minute game was beginning.
At the end of the first period, Al Hilal woke up but without disturbing the goalkeeper Santos until he found another gift, a stomp in the Gerson area that the referee sanctioned the Brazilian midfielder with the second yellow and a new penalty.
At 45+9′ Al-Dawsari, who changed the direction of his shot and shot smoothly, sealed his double from the target point.
The Flamengo players went to the locker room at half-time complaining about what they considered excessive punishment by Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs.
With a goal behind and a player less, Flamengo needed a crush to play the final in Rabat on Saturday.
The Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira decided to withdraw the talented De Arrascaeta and bring on the Chilean Erick Pulgar.
Pedro, double without a prize
The quality of the Brazilian group kept them in the match, but the clearest chance in this stretch was for Al Hilal at the hour of play.
Marega reached the bottom line, gave the pass of death and Carrillo’s shot hit the crossbar.
Four minutes later Flamengo had the tie, but ‘Gabigol’ did not live up to his prestige with a shot with his shoulder when he was alone.
Finally, Al Hilal ruled in a well-tempered transition. The ball ended up in Vietto’s boots, which he controlled and found a hole in the squad from the top of the small area.
Desperately, the Libertadores champion attempted a miracle by searching for Pedro with long balls, who took advantage of a rebound to equalize with time up.
With six minutes left, Flamengo was unable to score the goal that would have taken the game to extra time.
