Al‑Hilal's fairy tale dreams end, 2-1, Fluminense wins ticket to FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals

(NLDO) - Al-Hilal's commendable performance against "big guy" Fluminense was not enough to bring the Asian representative to the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Al-Hilal's ambition to become the only Asian team to make it into the Top 4, and even go as far as possible at the FIFA Club World Cup, has gone up in smoke.

Coach Simone Inzaghi's team played resiliently and even had a chance to take the lead, but fate turned its back on the Saudi Arabian representative in a match that did not allow any mistakes.

Al-Hilal (white shirt) determined to make a miracle

Before the match started, the atmosphere at Camping World Stadium (Orlando) became quiet when players from both sides and spectators observed a minute of silence for striker Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva - who passed away in an accident on July 3.

The emotional scene left Al‑Hilal's Portuguese players Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves in tears on the pitch.

Matheus Martinelli (8) opened the scoring for Fluminense

In a tight match with many fierce battles between the two teams, Fluminense broke the deadlock with the opening goal in the 40th minute. Al‑Hilal's combination on the left wing led to a foul by Joao Cancelo, creating an opportunity for Matheus Martinelli to skillfully finish with his left foot past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

"Veteran" Thiago Silva directs Fluminense's defense to fight back strongly

Martinelli's goal could not erase the scene of him receiving a second yellow card shortly after, an important factor that will keep this striker absent from the semi-finals.

In the 45+3 minute, the referee awarded Al-Hilal a penalty after determining that Samuel Xavier fouled Leonardo in the penalty area. However, after a few minutes of consulting VAR, the referee reversed his decision, causing Al-Hilal players to react strongly.

Marcos Leonardo scored his fourth goal but...

Just 6 minutes after the break, Al-Hilal quickly responded with an equalizer to make it 1-1. From a corner kick, Kalidou Koulibaly headed the ball, creating an opportunity for Marcos Leonardo to rush in and finish close to the goal. The Brazilian star rose to the top of the scoring list with 4 goals since the start of the tournament.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved Al-Hilal many times.

The match was tense with many collisions leading to penalty cards for players from both teams. In the 70th minute, coach Renato Gaucho made a decisive tactical adjustment when he sent reserve player Hércules onto the field.

He became the unexpected hero when he handled the ball delicately and then decisively shot low into the far corner, sealing a 2-1 victory for Fluminense. In eight matches in the Brazilian Serie A last season, Hercules only scored once but scored twice in a row for Fluminense in decisive matches against Inter Milan and Al-Hilal, bringing the home team to the semi-finals.

Hercules plays the role of "savior" of Fluminense in two consecutive matches

Speaking after the match, captain Thiago Silva could not hide his pride: "If anyone asked me before the tournament if I believed Fluminense would reach the semi-finals, I would definitely say yes, even though it was not certain that this would come true. Reality shows that everything has far exceeded all expectations."

Meanwhile, Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi also praised the team's players, despite being full of regret after the defeat.

Hercules received the "Best Player of the Match" award

Match statistics show that the technical indicators of the two teams are quite balanced: Fluminense had 10 shots, 3 on target , Al‑Hilal had 15 shots, 4 on target . But it was the sharpness at the decisive moment that helped the Brazilian representative win.

Fluminense win first semi-final ticket

...and Al-Hilal's sadness

With this result, Fluminense continues their "fairytale" journey when they reach the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in history. Their opponent in the semi-finals will be the winner of the quarter-final match between Palmeiras and Chelsea , scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/alhilal-het-mo-chuyen-co-tich-2-1-fluminense-gianh-ve-ban-ket-fifa-club-world-cup-196250705064650011.htm