The Libertadores champion fell 3-2 in the tournament’s first semi-final in a duel in which he was outplayed throughout the process. Erick Pulgar came on at 46′ and was directly responsible for the Saudi team’s third goal. His compatriot entered only nine from the end of regulation.
Flamengo’s Club World Cup dream is over. He Libertadores Cup Champion fell 3-2 against Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the tournament played in Morocco.
The two Chileans of the Brazilian team were substitutes and began the second half of a duel which broke with the expulsion of Gerson at the end of the first half.
The squad difference at the start of the game didn’t matter much. Because the millionaire squad of the Rio de Janeiro team, with a team full of stars, could do nothing to prevent the opening of the bulletin board by the casting of the Middle East.
The first minutes of study have just been played, when a clumsy foul on the side Matheuzinho, who knocked down Argentinian Luciano Vietto, who cleverly waited for the Brazilian’s shot to land in the box .
a lack that the Romanian judge Istvan Kovacs did not forgive in cashing the penalty, the same that Salem Al Dawsari perfectly converted into a goal for the 1-0 of the champion of the Asian continental tournament.
Despite the initial disadvantage, Fla’s team did not despair in the search for a better chance. He started touching the ball in the middle and opening up the field to use his players’ speed.
After just 15 minutes of play, midfielder Gerson – one of Arturo Vidal’s natural competitors – fell into the box due to an alleged foul, a situation the referee failed to notice and s It even ended with the yellow card of Alexis Sánchez’s former teammate. in Marseille.
After 20 minutes, the popular Rio de Janeiro side reached parity in numbers with a superb goal from Pedro, who brilliantly finished off a pass from Matheuzinho to make it 1-1.
After the striker’s goal, Mengao relaxed a bit more. On the next play, Gerson himself missed his header almost on the goal line as his teammates were already celebrating the win.
Seven minutes from the end of the first stage, the Rio team dared a little more, but with more sensationalism than certainty, very confident of a victory against a lesser rival, at least on paper.
However, in added time in the first half, the game changed the course of the game. Vietto fought for a ball in the box, but the danger was checked by defender David Luíz and Gerson.
Despite the fact that the event went unnoticed by the Romanian judge, the VAR called him to review the footage. After observing play, the referee He took another shot from 12 paces and, incidentally, showed the midfielder the second yellow card, which left his team with ten men. .
As was the case early in the game, Al Dawsari had no trouble turning the chance into a goal and leaving the Saudis 2-1 up against the mighty champions Libertadores, who had to play the entire second half. to ten.
Chileans on the ground
Then Vítor Pereira’s coach was forced to move the pieces. This time Vidal was not the Chilean who entered from Eric Thumb to assert half of the field.
But the numerical superiority was evident in a team very well prepared by Argentine coach Ramón Ángel Díaz. Al Hilal started to take the ball and dared to reach Santos’ goal further.
Moreover, entering the Antofagastino was not the solution for the rojinegros either. The Chilean was constantly overtaken by the speed of the Saudi midfielders and after 56 minutes he was awarded a well-deserved yellow after kicking Vietto.
A minute later, the Malian Moussa Marega – former Porto player – passed five Flamengos on the left bank. His back pass landed perfectly in the feet of Khalifah Al Dawsari, who hit the crossbar with the ball.
After 70 minutes, Fla’s misfortune was confirmed, Pulgar lost the ball in midfield and the counter-attack ended with the third goal for Al Hilal, who then played at ease in Tangier.
Nine minutes from the end, the Portuguese coach allowed the entry of the questioned Arturo Vidal but it was too late for the former Inter Milan player to take the reins of the match. Even La Roja’s figure took on a colorful tunnel that only inflamed the Cup champion’s shame.
In the discounts, the striker Pedro got the second discount, but the options were already far and the 3-2 defeat only resulted in decreeing the crisis for the Rio team.
Flamengo was eliminated and Vidal’s threats against Real Madrid They cannot be confirmed on the pitch, at least not in the final. .
Jock
Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
