Caio heads Al Wasl into President’s Cup semis
dubai — Caio Canedo scored the winner as Al Wasl worked off Dibba to punch their ticket to the President’s Cup semifinal on Wednesday night.
The Brazilian striker rose high to head home Ronaldo Mendes’ inch perfect cross for The Cheetahs to win by a solitary goal at the Emirates Club Stadium in Ras Al Khaimah.
It was a sad ending for Dibba, who had fought valiantly and had held their own throughout the match. It was a frenetic opening and that was to be the theme with both teams having a fair number of opportunities over the course of the game.
Dibba recovered well to the chastening defeat to Al Ain, the Arabian Gulf League champions-in-waiting, a little less than a week ago, and responded with aggression.
And their intent was clear right from the start with Rodolfo Da Silva coming up with their first attempt, just 30 seconds in. Da Silva reached out to a long ball as he darted down the left flank and lost his marker along the way. But the finishing was wayward as Da Silva drilled it into the side of the net.
Al Wasl replied on two minutes with Fabio de Lima finding an unmarked Ronaldo Mendes on the left but the latter’s effort was palmed away by goalkeeper Fahd Mohamed. Fahd Mohamed had a busy night but he put in a standout performance, repelling a number of attempts from Al Wasl, including a Fabio de Lima penalty.
Fahd Mohamed was to keep out Caio Canedo’s long ranger on 10 minutes and a minute later, at the other end, Da Silva’s cheeky deflection off Abdulrahim Ahli, ballooned over the cross bar. Da Silva then saw his curling long ranger pushed away by shot stopper Yousif Abdalla Al Zaabi on 15 minutes.
The Cheetahs were presented with a golden opportunity to break the deadlock after Yasser Salem had brought down Abdalla Al Naqbi inside the box.
Referee Hamad Ali Yousef Abdulla Al Ali pointed to the spot but Fahd Mohamed pulled off a brilliant save by diving to his right to keep out Fabio de Lima’s left-footed spot kick on 18 minutes.
Lima tried to tuck in then rebound but it was cleared for a corner before the Brazilian could get to it. Minutes later, Fahd Mohamed was to keep out Caio Canedo’s quicl shot.
Dibba fluffed a chance to go ahead on 25 minutes after Diogo Da Silva hesitated in tapping it home after Ahmed Rashed had sent a good ball across the goal. And Al Wasl were to miss an identical chance two minutes before the break as Fabio de Lima failed to connect at the far post after Ronaldo Mendes had curled in a cross from the right.
Dibba captain Driss Fettouhi almost gave his side the lead close to the hour mark but for Yousif Abdalla Al Zaabi’s brilliant save to keep out the left-footed freekick.
Diogo Da Silva took matters into his own hands on 71 minutes with a super solo from the left and weaved past a sea of defenders and shot. But Yousif Abdalla Al Zaabi denied him with a fine save.
And it took some fine teamwork for Al Wasl to finally breach Dibba’s goal with Mendes firing a fine cross from the left for Caio Canedo to head home. Canedo celebrated by mimicking a shoe-polish on Mendes’ boot. Al Wasl had a chance to put it to bed when Fabio de Lima sent a neat cross but substitute Humaid Abdulla Abbas botched it.
james@khaleejtimes.com