Sport | Football
Al Sadd crush Al Ahli 5-0 in AFC Champions League
Qatar’s Al Sadd consign UAE champions to bottom of Group D in AFC Champions League
- By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
- Published: 21:11 March 10, 2010
- Image Credit: GN Archive
- Three of the goals came in the first half with Ali Afif opening the scoring in the 35th minute and Da Silva capping a fine show in an otherwise drab encounter
Dubai: Brazilian Leandro Montera Da Silva struck a hat-trick as Qatar’s Al Sadd consigned UAE League Champions Al Ahli to the bottom of Group D with a clinical 5-0 win in the 2010 AFC Champions League on Wednesday.
The loss leaves Al Ahli at the bottom of Group D after two matches, while the Qataris obtained their first three points in this competition. Iran’s Mes Kerman and Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal who were to play later last night, are the two other teams in the group.
Three of the goals came in the first half with Ali Afif opening the scoring in the 35th minute and Da Silva capping a fine show in an otherwise drab encounter with two strikes in as many minutes at the fag end of the session.
Yousuf Ahmad came in as a substitute and justified the faith shown in him by coach Cosmin Olaroiu by capping a smooth move in the 64th minute and Da Silva completed the rout in the 77th minute.
The match was stopped for seven minutes after Mohammad Abdul Raab Al Yazidi was struck on the temple by a shot from Mehrdad Madanchi. However the player received timely medical assistance and he was taken by the ambulance to Rashid Hospital for further treatment and observation.
Barring the three goals neither side had anything worth bragging about though the inexperienced looking home team did show signs of making an early breakthrough. In the 18th minute, Yousuf Jaber made a lovely one-touch pass for Ahmad Khalil and the striker miscued in front of goal with just Mohammad Saqr, the Qatari goalkeeper at his mercy.
Three minutes later, Khalil did well to advance past a couple of defenders but then found the side netting of the goal.
The first real treat from the visiting Qataris came only in the 26th minute when Da Silva relayed to Ali Afif, who proceeded towards goal only to shoot wide. And then Mesaad could have given the visitors the lead one minute from the half hour mark but a desperate lunge from Obaid Khalifa saved the day for an abortive corner.
The visitors finally took the lead in the 35th minute when Ali Afif beat the off-side trap following a well-timed pass from Da Silva and he chipped over an advancing Obaid Al Tawillah.
Da Silva doubled the lead a minute from half-time when the Brazilian cashed in on a shoddy clearance from Salmeen Khamis to lob over Al Tawillah. He added a second within a minute deep inside first half injury time and the match looked sealed and settled.
The visitors added another two goals in the second half with substitute curling into a narrow angle (64th minute) after receiving from skipper Talal Al Beloushi and then Da Silva completed his hat-trick.
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