Dubai: Al Joker joined Al Wasl and YLS-1 as the first qualifiers to the knockout stages with a round of matches still to go in the futsal competition at the Fourth Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Ramadan Sports Tournament.
In Monday night’s matches, Al Joker tussled for a 6-1 thrashing of Samba and emerge as sole leaders of Group D with six points after YLS-1 and Al Wasl had secured contrasting wins to remain tied at the top of Group C with six points apiece. Both YLS-1 and Al Wasl have qualified to the quarter-finals and will now meet in the last preliminary match on Wednesday to decide who tops the group.
Al Wasl fought off a gutsy Surprise team 6-3, while YLS-1 were handed a 7-0 result after Jumeirah failed to arrive on time for their match.
All eyes, however, were on the crucial Group D clash between fancied Al Joker and tough opponents Samba. It was Ahmad Salah’s second minute strike giving Al Joker an early lead, but Omar Juma drew the two teams level less than two minutes later.
Miguelin Sayago restored the lead for Al Joker immediately and teammate Marcenio Ribeiro Da Silva got his name on the scorecard as the former champions went in for the break with a 3-1 cushion.
Brazilian Edelson Robson Dos Santos made it 4-1 immediately on resumption completely breaking the Samba resistance. Sayago and Da Silva then added to their tally to eventually complete an emphatic win.
Meanwhile, UAE footballer Khamis Esmail’s Surprise team crashed to a second straight defeat bowing out 3-6 to Al Wasl in their Group C encounter. Spanish striker Carlos Gonzalvez Corvo was the standout player for Al Wasl as he pumped in four goals, while Ronald Mateus Da Silva and Javier Adolfo Salas got one each for the winners.
Brazilian striker Sergio Jumar De Sousa, who got all three goals for Surprise, was shown the red card by the referee breaking any sort of resistance they could have put up. “The referee killed the match for us,” team owner Esmail fumed.
“We deserved a better result, and we could have got it till the referee decided to intervene and send our best player out,” the Al Ahli playmaker added.
Corvo, whose four goals went a long way in Al Wasl’s win was pleased with the way the match progressed.
“We need to get our act together and raise our level as soon as we can or we can get badly beaten by the other teams,” Corvo admitted.
“I am glad with the way the players responded after that early goal. We need to now target consistency and take one match at a time,” he added.
The two teams in the men’s teams padel competition were also decided with the Uncle Saeed quartet led by Shaikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, President, UAE Padel Association (UAE PA), earning the right to meet the M5 team of Mohammad Al Mansouri.
The Uncle Saeed team eased their way past Valencia 2-0, while the M5 team was made to work hard for a 2-1 win by the SHM team led by Saeed Al Marri, General Secretary, UAE PA. The third place play-off and final for the teams’ competition will both be held on June 26.
RESULTS
(Padel) Teams Semi-finals: Uncle Saeed bt Valencia 2-0; M5 team bt SHM team 2-1
(Futsal)
Group C: Al Wasl x Surprise 6-3; YLS-1 x Jumeirah 7-0 (walkover)
Group D: RBH x Sport 4 All 4-3; Al Joker x Samba 6-1
