Brazilian duo on target as Wasl defeat Wahda
DUBAI — Al Wasl downed hosts Al Wahda 2-1 in UAE’s premier national soccer league at Al Nahyan Stadium on Thursday night.
Brazilian duo Fabio de Lima and Ronaldo Mendes powered Dubai visitors Al Wasl to their third victory in four matches but the Yellows are still behind leaders Al Shabab who registered a narrow 1-0 victory over Emirates earlier in the evening on Friday in Ras Al Khaimah. Balasz Dszudszak got a consolation goal for The Clarets (Al Wahda) late in the match to bring some respectability to the score for the Abu Dhabi outfit though The Cheetahs were clearly the better drilled side overall.
Lima can be devastating with his allround skills all through a game and he proved this once more on Friday night in round four of the league.
The irresistible Al Wasl striker was menacing and the class with which he put the The Cheetahs ahead in the 14th minute, gave the visitors the momentum and the edge as The Clarets fought hard to gain an upper hand.
Skippers Hamdan Alkamali of the ‘purple men’ and Waheed Ismail of the Yellows, both in crucial midfield roles, kept their wingers well provided with crisp passes but it was the midfield combinations inside and in the middle that made the difference with Lima being provided with defence splitting assists by Caio Canedo and the withdrawn forward Ronaldo Menezes.
Wasl goalkeeper Rashed Ali had a busy night warding off the dangerous floaters by Sebastian Tagliabue and Chang Woo Rim while counterpart Al Alhosni had to make the occasional save here and there in the first half keeping Lima and company at bay.
Al Alhosni too had his moments to keep his side in the match, the best coming out of him in the 27th minute when he parried a Lima grounder from 20 yards out at the cost of a corner kick.
Mendes gave The Cheetahs a comfortable two-goal cushion with a deft placement to the right as Alhosni was beaten all ends up by the drift and power in the shot. Play had by the late stages of the first half turned rough as the pressure built up, where even the normally cool Wahda star Tabliague and Humaid Abbas of Wasl were pulled up for unfair challenges.