Al Wasl down Al Wahda 2-1 to top AGL standings
dubai — Al Wasl ended Al Wahda’s unbeaten record as well as their spot at the top with a thrilling 2-1 win in the Arabian Gulf League late on Friday night.
Fabio de Lima fired a brace as The Cheetahs captured the top position on the table at a Zabeel Stadium, packed to the rafters with the home fans and the huge travelling contingent of Al Wahda supporters.
With their spot under threat following Fabio de Lima’s effort on 55 minutes, , Al Wahda responded through their captain Sebastian Tagliabue. But Lima headed in the winner, two minutes from time, for Al Wasl’s third win.
Al Wasl lead the table with 10 points followed by Al Wahda on nine. Lima’s double took the Brazilian to top of the goalscorers list with six.
There was an early attempt on seven minutes by Al Wahda’s talisman Ismail Matar as he slipped through into the box but Al Wasl goalkeeper Sultan Al Manthari had it covered.
Al Wasl were restricted to a freekick, a few forays but none alarming enough for the resolute Al Wahda backline.
The first real opportunity of the game came on 17 minutes following Balazs Dzsudzsak’s freekick. The Hungarian captain, fresh off his country’s World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands in Budapest, three days ago, fired his freekick straight into the wall.
Moroccan striker Mourad Batna pounced on the rebound and struck but his effort was warded off by Sultan Al Manthari after which Sultan Al Ghaferi flashed the rebound wide.
The Cheetahs had a freekick at the other end on 33 minutes but Abdalla Al Naqbi’s set piece took a deflection off the wall and went for a corner.
Al Wasl had another attempt on 39 minutes when Fabio de Lima unleashed a left-footed grounder but it was collected safely by the young Mohamed Al Shamsi.
Al Shamsi’s opposite number Sultan Al Manthari was called into action twice, at the stroke of halftime and he did admirably well to negate Al Wahda’s threats. Batna curled one in from the left and Al Manthari dived to his right to make a fine save. If that was brilliant, the next was a fantastic one with Al Manthari pushing away Mohammed Al Shehhi’s glancing header, following a corner.
The deadlock was finally broken on 55 minutes by Al Wasl with the visitors caught napping. Fabio de Lima latched on to a long ball from his own half and shook off defender Ahmed Rashid before lobbing it over the on-rushing Mohamed Al Shamsi. The ball hit the cross bar and Rashid tried to stop it but over ran the ball. Lima then volleyed it home and even a desperate dive by Al Shamsi and Chang Woo Rim couldn’t stop it from going in.
Much later, Al Shamsi managed to keep out Caio’s attempt following a ball in from Lima.
Sebastian Tagliabue botched a brilliant opportunity to put Al Wahda level after finding himself oneon-one with Al Manthari. But the Argentine, who had played on, shot it straight to Al Manthari, on 71 minutes.
Al Wahda coach Laurentiu Reghecampf brought in reinforcements with Khalid Bawazir replacing Matar and Mohamed Alakberi on for Ahmed Rashid.
Tagliabue was to atone for his mistake by tucking it from close range, on 79 minutes. Al Wahda thought they had won the battle after substitute Mohamed Alakberi knocked it home on 82 minutes but the linesman ruled it offside.
There was to be more to the story with Fabio de Lima heading the winner following a corner, two minutes from time.
james@khaleejtimes.com