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FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 CRICKET | Page 4 Italy’s 1982 Australia’s World Cup Smith all hero Rossi dies revved up for aged 64 India series Friday, December 11, 2020 FORMULA 1 Rabia II 26, 1442 AH Hamilton set for GULF TIMES last race of season aft er negative tests SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL / AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Vissel Kobe edge Suwon on penalties to reach semis Ten-man Suwon keep things level at 1-1 before sudden death settles matters 7-6 in favour of the Japanese side AFC Doha issel Kobe needed an ex- tended run of a shootout but were eventually able to overcome ten-man VSuwon Samsung Bluewings 7-6 on penalties after the 120 min- utes ended 1-1 to reach the 2020 AFC Champions League (East) semi-fi nal yesterday. Deprived of the services of their talismanic midfi elder An- dres Iniesta who was deemed only fi t enough for a place on the bench after a muscle injury in the previous match, Vissel Kobe found themselves ceding pos- session to their opponents in the early stages of the game. Taking the initiative, Suwon Samsung Bluewings came close to taking the lead inside four minutes as Kim Min-woo fed Ko Seung-beom on the edge of the area and the latter slipped a through pass for Lim Sang-hye- ob who aimed for the top corner from a narrow angle, but goal- Vissel Kobe players celebrate after winning the AFC Champions League quarter-final against Suwon Samsung Bluewings in a penalty shootout Suwon Samsung Bluewings’ Jang Ho-Ik (left) reacts to missing a keeper Daiya Maekawa tipped the at Al Janoub Stadium yesterday. (AFP) penalty during the shootout yesterday. (AFP) ball behind for a corner. The Koreans got their goal on goal behind the Suwon Sam- Suwon Samsung Bluewings Yang Hyung-mo and Douglas utes in with a glancing header by spot-kicks. but could not stop the ball going at the second time of asking as sung Bluewings defence and with were compounded immediately missing the target with a free bouncing off the crossbar and Substitute Kim Gun-hee put in and Tatshushi Yamakawa kept Ko whipped in a cross from the just the goalkeeper ahead of him, after going a man down as Kyogo header from close range half an Douglas fl uffi ng his lines with Suwon Samsung Bluewings in Vissel Kobe’s hopes alive. right flank and youngster Park he was brought down by Kim Furuhashi showed a cunning eye hour into the second period. the goalmouth at his mercy min- front and Iniesta matched him. The scoring run was fi nally Sang-hyeok displayed intelli- Tae-hwan on the edge of the box, for goal, sending the ball under- Despite the Japanese side’s su- utes later. Lee Ki-je and Douglas netted the broken and it was Jang Ho-ik gent understanding of the space prompting the referee to point to neath the Korean wall from the periority in the second half, they With a penalty shootout second spot-kick for each side. who missed the target for the inside the box to move un- the spot and book the Korean de- resulting free-kick to bring Vis- were unable to fi nd a winner as looming, Suwon Samsung Kim Min-woo and Ryo Hatsuse Korean side, allowing substitute marked at the near box and head fender. sel Kobe level fi ve minutes before Suwon Samsung Bluewings’ re- Bluewings came as close as pos- kept the run going then it was the Noriaki Fujimoto to send Vissel home the opener in the seventh However, after consulting VAR the break. silient defending meant the two sible to fi nding a winner without turn of Ko and Furuhashi to slot Kobe into the semi-fi nals in their minute. and reviewing the incident, both With momentum and the teams would have to contest 30 actually doing so as Kim Min- home for 4-4. AFC Champions League debut With the fi rst half headed to a decisions were overturned, with numerical advantage to their minutes of extra time. woo watched his volleyed eff ort Han Suk-jong ensured it was a with a composed fi nish from the close, the Video Assistant Ref- the foul being deemed to have side, Vissel Kobe dominated It was more of the same in from inside the box cleared off perfect fi ve for Suwon Samsung spot. eree (VAR) made an impact on happened outside the box and the second half and came close extra time as Vissel Kobe con- the line by Yamaguchi before Bluewings and Yamaguchi sent Vissel Kobe book a Sunday the 2020 AFC Champions League Kim being adjudged to have de- on several occasions with Yuta tinued to have the lion’s share Ko’s follow-up beat the Japanese the game into the sudden death date with Korea Republic’s Ulsan (East) following its introduction nied a certain goal scoring op- Goke setting up captain Hotaru of possession and chances in the goalkeeper but hit the post as shootout. Hyundai FC at Al Janoub Stadi- at the quarter-fi nal stage. portunity, earning a straight red Yamaguchi whose long range fi rst half of extra time with Fu- the fi nal whistle announced the Goalkeeper Maekawa got a um for a place in the fi nal against Daigo Nishi was sent through card instead of yellow. eff ort was saved by goalkeeper ruhashi coming closest fi ve min- two sides needed to be separated touch on Min Sang-gi’s penalty Iran’s Persepolis FC six days later. FOCUS Junior double fi res Ulsan to victory over Beijing AFC duced the early part of the game’s campaign, Beijing emerged with Doha defi ning moment. renewed intensity after the in- It came when Junior’s impro- terval. vised, acrobatic volley caught the Renato, Fernando and A Lan lsan Hyundai FC be- hand of Beijing’s Korean defend- were involved in their best move came the fi rst club to er Kim Min-jae, with the Video of the match in the 52nd minute, reach the 2020 AFC Assistant Referee, in use for the although goalkeeper Jo Su-huk Champions League fi rst time during the AFC Cham- made one of eight saves to keep U(East) semi-fi nal, stretching pions League (East), awarding a the latter’s low eff ort out, and their winning run to seven with penalty kick, which Junior suc- Viera rattled a shot against the a 2-0 quarter-fi nal victory over cessfully converted in the 21st upright 10 minutes later as Bruno Beijing FC yesterday. minute. Génésio’s side raised the tempo. A fi rst-half brace from Junior Trailing, but with Renato Au- Beijing had more than 20 at- Negrao was central to Ulsan’s gusto, Jonathan Viera and Fern- tempts at goal, but Ulsan were win, with the K League Golden ando pulling the strings, Beijing equal to the task. Committed de- Boot winner opening the scor- had most of the possession and fending from Dave Bulthuis and ing from the penalty spot, before shots at goal in a hard-fought but Park Joo-ho saw three successive doubling the advantage with a high-quality opening 45 min- Beijing shots at goal blocked with 30-yard rocket just before the utes, but they found themselves just over 20 minutes remain- interval. with a two-goal mountain to ing, and the Chinese side’s fate Kim Do-hoon’s side can now climb at half-time after a mo- was sealed with substitute Zhang look forward to Sunday’s semi- ment of brilliance from Junior. Yuning missing the target from 10 fi nal against Japan’s Vissel Kobe Having already netted his pen- yards in the shadows of full time. - who defeated Suwon Samsung alty, the Brazilian striker this time Ulsan’s win keeps alive their Bluewings on penalties in the showed his quality from much bid for a second Asian title. They later quarter-fi nal - while Bei- further out in the 42nd minute - won the AFC Champions League jing’s best-ever AFC Champi- sending a scorching strike past for the fi rst time in 2012. ons League showing ends at the Beijing goalkeeper Hou Sen from quarter-fi nal stage. all of 30 yards for his second goal of In a match pitting the compe- the match, his fourth of the tour- Ulsan’s Junior Negrao takes a tition’s prolifi c attack against its nament and his 30th of the season penalty shot during the AFC sturdiest defence, a passage of in all competitions. Champions League quarter-final play involving Ulsan’s star striker Now in unchartered territory against Beijing FC at Al Janoub and Beijing’s top defender pro- in what had been an unbeaten Stadium yesterday. (AFP) Gulf Times 2 Friday, December 11, 2020 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT Italy’s 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi dies aged 64 Rossi won the World Cup in Spain where he was the top scorer with six goals and also the Ballon d’Or the same year AFP Milan aolo Rossi, who fi red Italy to victory in the 1982 World Cup after almost missing the tour- nament through a match-fi x- Ping scandal, has died aged 64, prompt- ing an outpouring of grief and tributes. Rossi’s wife Federica Cappelletti an- nounced the death in an Instagram post featuring a photo of the couple, accom- panied by the comment “Forever,” fol- lowed by a heart. She did not disclose the cause of his death.

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