Tagliabue hat-trick comes to Al Wahda’s rescue
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS AL JAZIRA FALL TO EMIRATES CLUB IN RAK
A10-man Al Wahda banked on a fine hattrick from Sebastian Tagliabue to fight their way to a 3-2 win over Sharjah and keep the pressure on current leaders Al Ain at the end of the 20th round of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) here yesterday.
Needing full points in challenging Al Ain at the summit of the 12-team league, the maroon brigade had to once again bank on the guile of former Everton striker as the Argentine forced his way as the highest scorer in the AGL with 19 goals against his name. Al Wasl’s Fabio de Lima and Marcus Berg of Al Ain are joint second highest with 18 goals each against their name.
In what turned out to be an open match, it was the 33-yearold Tagliabue to the rescue of the visitors from the capital on both occasions — first cancelling out Ali Al Dhanhani’s fourth minute opener and then bringing the two teams in par with his second strike in the 27th minute. Tagliabue completed his hat-trick four minutes from the half-time whistle and hand Al Wahda the lead that remained unchanged till the end.
The result saw the team from the capital take their tally to 43 points and keep up the pressure on leaders Al Ain (47) in the two-horse race for the title.
Playing at Al Shaab’s Khalid Bin Mohammad Stadium, Sharjah showed a good game sense and organisation while taking the early lead in the fourth minute after Al Dhanhani nodded in a deep cross from Omar Juma. Tagliabue got his first of the night in the eleventh minute when his weak placement trickled in past three defenders and an out of place goalkeeper Adel Al Hossani.
The home team led a second time by the 23rd minute when Hamdan Al Kamali brought down Welliton Soares and the Brazilian himself did the honours while sending Mohammad Al Shamsi the wrong way with his penalty. But once again their lead was short-lived as Tagliabue was at the correct place at the right time to nod in a deflected ball off the framework and make it 2-2 by the 27th minute.
Scoring opportunities
Al Wahda took the lead for the first time in the match in the 41st minute, and once again it was Tagliabue as the lanky striker accepted a delivery from Balazs Dzsudzsak, took a couple of defenders in his stride before sending in a low shot giving Al Hossani no chance.
Content with the lead, Al Wahda fell to defending in their own half while soaking in the pressure from the Sharjah strikers in much of the second half. But both teams failed to add to the scoreline even though both came up with scoring opportunities.
In the second early match, Sebastian Saez scored the only goal of the match as Emirates Club won by a solitary goal against defending champions Al Jazira in Ras Al Khaimah.