Ulsan Crowned Asian Champs but Qatar the Big Winners ‘Qataris Kept Asian Football Alive and We, Across the Whole Continent, Should Be Extremely Grateful to Them’
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FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 GOLF | Page 6 Benzema stars Ko powers to as Real level 5-shot win in with Atletico LPGA Tour at summit Championship Tuesday, December 22, 2020 FORMULA 1 Jumada I 7, 1442 AH Champ Hamilton GULF TIMES honoured with top BBC award SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL Ulsan crowned Asian champs but Qatar the big winners ‘Qataris kept Asian football alive and we, across the whole continent, should be extremely grateful to them’ Reuters given the opportunity to show- Hong Kong case its much-vaunted stadium cooling systems, which maintain conditions inside venues at levels lsan Hyundai reas- conducive to high-performance serted East Asian domi- sport. nance with victory in “We hadn’t experienced this the Asian Champions cooling system before,” said ULeague fi nal but, as the trophy Shanghai SIPG defender Yu Rui. was packed up for the journey to “I think as players we consume South Korea, it was Qatar who less energy and we sweat less, emerged as the major winners of which can make our body react the heavily disrupted competi- better during the game and keep tion. us in a condition to play all the Ulsan’s 2-1 win over Iran’s time.” Persepolis in Doha on Saturday In a year when many of its marked the 12th time a K-League tournaments were cancelled, team had been crowned Asian the Asian Football Confedera- champions, and the eighth in the tion needed to ensure its pre- last nine years from the eastern mier club competition was half of the confederation to se- completed to limit potentially cure the title. damaging compensation claims Al Hilal’s win last year inter- from broadcasters and com- rupted East Asia’s dominance and mercial partners. the Saudi Arabian side also threat- With international travel all- ened to dictate the narrative of the but impossible, Qatar hosted 2020 edition, though this time be- the tournament centrally, and cause of their early exit. matches in the knockout rounds The nature of their elimination were played as one-off aff airs refl ected the diffi culties faced by instead of the usual two-legged organisers determined to conclude ties. the competition when it recon- This year’s fi nal was the fi rst vened in Doha in September after since 2012 — when Ulsan also a six-month suspension caused by won the title — to be played as a the Covid-19 pandemic. standalone game. The Qatari capital had set itself “Facilities here are exception- up as a bio-secure venue to host al,” Persepolis head coach Yahya games involving teams from the Golmohammadi told Iranian west of the continent but a rash state television ahead of Satur- of infections within the Al Hilal day’s decider. squad saw the Saudis eff ectively “I fi rmly believe that had it kicked out of the tournament. not been for the Qatari football Players and offi cials had cele- family, this tournament would brated their domestic league title have been suspended and not win on the eve of their departure Ulsan Hyundai players celebrate winning the AFC Champions League in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left), AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifah resumed, as there was no other and, as a result, infections stead- and QFA President HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani (right) at Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday. (Reuters) country that would have organ- ily picked off players until Al Hi- ised these matches. lal were no longer able to fi eld a derailed the competition but, af- Dr Abdul Wahab al-Musleh, the a similar experience by anybody ‘KEPT ASIAN FOOTBALL ber and December, dates which “In my opinion, Qataris kept team for their fi nal group game. ter fi ne-tuning already stringent adviser to the Minister of Public in the world before we did it ALIVE’ closely matched those when Qa- Asian football alive and we, The negative headlines gener- protocols, games continued with Health of Qatar on sports aff airs, in Qatar, so it was definitely a Those experiences carried into tar will host the World Cup fi nals across the whole continent, ated by the loss of one of Asia’s minimal further disruption. told Reuters about the set-up. learning curve for us. We learnt the hosting of the eastern side in two years’ time. should be extremely grateful to most successful clubs could have “It was unique in the world,” “I don’t think there had been so many lessons.” of the competition in Novem- As a result, the Gulf state was them.” QNB STARS LEAGUE Lamouchi hopes to fi nd right combination as Duhail take on Al Khor By Sports Reporter make us better and involve the wi, who made a long-awaited re- level and we are looking for the Doha players who are physically and turn from injury when he came as best. We must maintain this spirit technically ready for the match,” a substitute against Al Arabi, hopes and strategy in the team because said Lamouchi yesterday. he can start against Al Khor today. without them we will not achieve ith all eyes on to- “The team has conceded many One of Qatar’s Asian Cup win- any positive results. We must im- morrow’s heavy- goals in previous matches, which ning heroes, al-Rawi had been prove more on the off ensive front. weight clash be- is embarrassing to me and unac- sidelined for more than a year I have full confi dence that we will tween Al Sadd and ceptable. We will work to fi x it. In after suff ering a fracture to his play a good game against Duhail,” WAl Rayyan, dubbed the Qatar every match, Duhail create dan- right leg during Arabian Gulf Cup Hantz added. Clasico, Al Duhail will hope they gerous opportunities to score, last year November. “I was ab- Elsewhere, Al Gharafa face Al can create winning momentum but failed to fi nd the net. But sent from our fi rst XI for a long Wakrah today, with both teams to their stuttered campaign. we succeeded in the last match time, but appeared in the previ- coming off defeats in the previ- The defending champions against Al Arabi in taking advan- ous match for a few minutes. God ous round. Gharafa lost the second take on Al Khor in the QNB Stars tage of the opportunities that willing, in the next match, I will place in the table to Al Ahli, after League today and are lying fi fth we had. My team always focuses participate for a longer period going down to Al Sadd. Wakrah are with 15 points, a whopping 10 on off ensive performance in our and be ready to appear in all the in eighth position with 10 points. points behind leaders Al Sadd. matches and we will work to take coming matches for Al Duhail,” In another match of the day, Duhail have already lost four advantage of the opportunities al-Rawi said. Al Sailiya face Umm Salal. Sailiya games this season. They went we get so that we put the burden Meanwhile, Al Khor coach are having a roller-coaster ride down 1-2 to Al Sailiya in Gamew- on our rivals,” he added. Frederic Hantz said his team will this season. Sami Trabelsi’s men eek 8, but bounced back with a Al Khor are on a high, having put up a tough fi ght against Du- had upset defending champi- 2-0 victory over Al Arabi in the recorded their fi rst victory, a 1-0 hail. “We must do everything we ons Duhail 2-1 in gameweek 8, last round. Sabri Lamouchi’s win against Al Wakrah. It helped can to score points in this match. but crashed to a 1-3 loss to Qatar men will have to lift their game by them on to seven points and Al Duhail are a dangerous team SC in the last round. Sailiya are a few notches if they are to retain jump two places from bottom of and can cause us problems from placed seventh with 11 points. the title, which has looked like the table to 10th. Lamouchi urged all sides. Therefore, we must be Umm Salal, meanwhile, go into slipping with each passing match his side to be wary of Al Khor. careful and double our eff orts. the match on a confi dent note as as Al Sadd crush their opponents “We will face a team which has This match will be completely they have improved their posi- with ease. regained self-confi dence after diff erent from our last game tion to ninth with eight points Ahead of the game, Duhail achieving their fi rst victory this against Al Wakrah,” he said. after being the basement side for coach Sabri Lamouchi admitted season and I think the match will “Our team made an excellent some time. The Orange Fortress he was still searching for the right be important and diffi cult at the eff ort against Wakrah and that was are unbeaten in two games after combination. “I am still looking same time,” he said. what we were looking for. Now I defeating Al Kharaitiyat 1-0 and for the ideal formation that will Duhail defender Bassam al-Ra- feel the development in the team’s drawing with Al Rayyan 1-1. Al Duhail’s Bassam al-Rawi (centre) at a training session yesterday. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, December 22, 2020 FOOTBALL LA LIGA Benzema stars as Real move level with Atletico at summit Real have the better head-to-head record against Atletico, which is how level teams are split at the end of the season AFP points in injury time with a cool fi nish Madrid from a tight angle, having been played in by Benzema.