Fluminense beats Saudis!
Orlando, US, Jul 4 (EFE).-
Fluminense kept their dream alive at the FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Saudi side Al Hilal 2-1 in a tense quarterfinal in Orlando on Friday.
Midfielder Matheus Martinelli opened the scoring in the 40th minute with a stunning left-footed shot into the top corner after a defensive mistake by Joao Cancelo. “I saw the chance and didn’t hesitate,” said Martinelli, who was key in controlling the midfield.
Al Hilal responded strongly after the break.
In the 52nd minute, Marcos Leonardo, one of their standout players in recent games, tapped in the equalizer after a header by Koulibaly found him unmarked in the box.
The Brazilian side struggled at times but found the winning goal in the 70th minute. Hércules, who came on at halftime, received a pass from Samuel Xavier and finished with a calm right-footed strike to make it 2-1.
Goalkeeper Fabio made crucial saves, and Fluminense held on through a tense eight minutes of added time, even surviving a final push from Al Hilal, including their goalkeeper Bono joining the attack.
The match began with a minute of silence to honor Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota and his brother, recently killed in a car accident.
With this win, Fluminense became the first team to reach the semifinals. They will now face either Palmeiras or Chelsea in New York.
“We suffered, but we never stopped believing,” said coach Renato Gaúcho after the final whistle. EFE am/seo/mcd
