Al Ain: Substitute Everton’s solitary goal in the extra-time goal saw Brazilian Copa Libertadores winning outfit Gremio reach the finals of the Fifa Club World Cup with a 1-0 win over Mexico’s CF Pachuca at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday.
Just minutes into the extra time Everton, who came in place of Michel in the 72nd minute, stole a ball on the left and dribbled past a defender before curling a wicked effort past Óscar Pérez into the top corner.
Pachuca tried to press for an equaliser in the second half of extra-time but it only resulted in a red card for Guzman for a late challenge on Leo Moura.
In the title clash, Gremio will be meeting the winner of the other semi-final between Real Madrid and hosts Al Jazira to be played at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City, on Wednesday.
When two Latin American sides meet, the contest has to be absorbing but in this case it had everything but goals.
Mexican side Pachuca may have scrapped past Wydad Casablanca with an extra-time 1-0 win in the quarter-finals but last night they were a completely different side.
They matched their opponents in all departments.
But when it came to scoring goals like their counterparts they too were ineffective.
In the absence of their key Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo, who helped them win this year’s Copa Libertadores — the South American equivalent of the Champions League — Gremio were clearly lacking someone who could create the tempo.
With Arthur missing with an injury sustained in the Libertadores final, the focus was on 24-year old attacking mid-fielder Luan, who wasn’t as effective.
The first half was confined to aggressive midfield duels — with attempts from either side not threatening enough to even worth mentioning.
But in all, 19 fouls were committed in the first half.
Finally a shot on target came after the change of ends.
It was Victor Guzman testing Gremio goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe, who was alert enough to block that curling effort from outside the box.
Then Gremio’s Luan triggered a low shot which was very much goal bound inside the near post but veteran Pachuca goalkeeper Perez dived to his left to keep it out.
A Guzman header off a Jonathan Urretaviscaya cross also went just wide of the Gremio goal before the match was forced into extra-time tied at 0-0.
