MMLBLB | Page 5 FFORMULAORMULA 1 | Page 7 Red Sox end Hamilton on Yankees’ top with two eight-game Red Bulls close win streak behind Saturday, May 12, 2018 FOOTBALL Sha’baan 26, 1439 AH Juve’s Buff on GULF TIMES charged by UEFA aft er referee rant SPORT Page 3 FOOTBALL Al Duhail edge Al Sadd to Almoez Ali scores lone goal in yet another victory for enter Amir Cup fi nal Belmadi’s men over Sadd By Sahan Bidappa Doha Rayyan, Gharafa keen he Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to make amends in system came back to haunt Al Sadd once again as they suff ered a 0-1 loss to Al Duhail in the Amir semis clash today TCup semi-fi nal yesterday. In the Qatar Cup fi nal loss last month, Sadd were at the receiving end of VAR, when the referee struck to his conten- tious decision to award a penalty to Du- hail. Last night at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, it was the other way around for Al Sadd as a penalty decision was overturned for them and then they were reduced to 10 men after Abdelkareem Hassan was sent off at the stroke of half- time. Both the decisions came through VAR, where the referee looks at the moni- tor placed near the pitch side to review his initial call. To pile on the misery for Al Sadd, Al- moez Ali struck the match’s only goal in the 68th minute to send Duhail into the fi nal, which will be held at the Khalifa In- ternational Stadium on May 19. Djamel Belmadi’s side, unbeaten so far in the season, are on the course for a his- toric treble to add their QNB Stars League and Qatar Cup trophies. They were deserving winners on the night too, as Al Sadd despite controver- Gharafa coach Bulent Uygun (left), Rayyan coach Michael Laudrup. sial VAR decisions, wasted opportunities and looked ragged in the second-half. By Sports Reporter loss on penalties to Al Sadd in Both the sides were coming off AFC Doha the Qatar Cup semi-final. The Champions League victories. While tie-breaker was forced after Al Sadd had beaten Saudi’s Al Ahli on the teams were tied 2-2 after Monday, Duhail had outplayed Al Ain on l Rayyan will be seeking regular time. Tuesday and had one day less to recover. revenge when they face Laudrup’s men had many With the return leg of Champions AAl Gharafa in the Amir positive results to show for in League to be played next week, Sadd and Cup semi-final today. Last time the league’s first phase, but Duhail did not go in with a full strength. these two sides met, Rayyan they lost out on the title in the Sadd’s Spanish midfi eld star Xavi Hern- were thrashed 1-6 by Gharafa in second phase. They were as andez and Hamroun Jugurtha were on the the QNB Stars League. inconsistent in a few matches as bench, while striker Baghdad Bounedjah And Rayyan, the last year’s they were consistent in many. watched from the stands as the Algerian Amir Cup finalist, will be hoping They will be without their top was serving his second suspension which they can settle the scores at scorer Abderrazaq Hamdallah, he received for showing dissent during the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. who was ruled out for the rest the Qatar Cup fi nal. For Duhail, Karim Both the teams had a bye into of the season with an ankle Bouaif, Ismail Mohamed and Murad Naji the quarter-finals stage of the injury. The Moroccan was the were on the bench. competition. third-best scorer in the QNB Sadd started on a bright note and al- While Rayyan cruised to a 3-0 Stars League with 18 goals. most went ahead in the 12th minute only win over Al Arabi in the last- However, Al Rayyan have the for Hamid Ismail’s curling shot from the eight stage, Ahmed Alaaeldin likes of Rodrigo Tabata, Sebas- right to strike the post. Duhail also had Al Duhail’s Almoez Ali (left) in action during the Amir Cup semi-final against Al Sadd at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha yesterday. saved Al Gharafa from the tian Soria, Mohamed Alaael- the same fortune as Mohamed Muntari’s PICTURES: Shemeer Rasheed and Jayan Orma blushes after the substitute din, Ahmed Yasser, Ahmed header hit the top bar. scored the winner in the 88th Abdelmaqsoud, Koh Myong-Jin, As the intensity of the game went up minute against second division Mohsine Moutaouli and Daniel a notch, Sadd were awarded a penalty in side Mesaimeer. Goumou to deliver the goods. the 28th minute. Referee Salman Falahi Gharafa are also under pressure On the other hand, Gharafa signalled for a spot-kick as he ruled Du- coming into the prestigious coach Bulent Uygun is seeking hail defender Dami Traore had brought tournament, having been to end his team’s title drought. down Sadd captain Hassan al-Haydous in outplayed 1-6 by Al Duhail in They last won the Amir Cup title the box. But upon a review, Falahi rightly the Qatar Cup semi-finals. So in 2012. changed his decision, with the replays both the teams have their own Gharafa finished fourth in the showing Traore had got to the ball fi rst problems to deal with. QNB Stars League and the even as al-Haydous went down tamely. Rayyan manager Michael Cheetahs are reaping rewards In the 33rd minute, al-Haydous had a Laudrup said his men are aware for making an overhaul in chance to put his team in front. The mid- of the magnitude of the match the January transfer window. fi elder after playing 1-2 with Akram Afi f and are keen to book their place Uygun took over from French- hit straight to keeper Amine Lecomte. On in the final, which will be played man Jean Fernandez, who the other end, Almoez Ali’s left-footer at the Khalifa International guided them to the QSL Cup just missed the target. Stadium on May 19. triumph, before the start of the As the half-time approached, the “We are looking to qualify for second phase. match’s turning point arrived too. Af- the final. I am happy that the They also strengthened their ter initially not making a decision on semi-final will be played at the ranks by roping in Dutch attack- Abdulkarim’s foul on Mohamed Moosa, Al Sadd Stadium because the ing midfielder Wesley Sneijder, the referee, upon watching the replays, stadium is air conditioned and Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi showed a direct red card for a danger- makes playing better at this and Assim Madibo. They have ous tackle. Sadd players protested in This combination picture shows Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira react during the Amir Cup semi-final against Al Duhail yesterday. time,” he said yesterday. a good mix of experience and vain even as coach Jesualdo Ferreira was Laudrup said his team’s 1-6 youth, and Uygun has suc- seething in anger on the touchline. Tae-hee received the ball from the player for Duhail again as hit the post delkareem’s foul only warranted a yellow loss to Gharafa in the league ceeded in moulding them into a Despite being a man down, Sadd start- half-line and sped towards the box and twice and also drew a save from Sadd card. will have no bearing on today’s fighting unit. ed the second-half positively. Boualem expertly played a through ball to Ismael goalkeeper Sadd al-Dosari. “It is a very sad result for us. And it is match. “This match is com- The likes of captain Sneijder, Khoukhi had a chance for equaliser but on the right, who then picked out incom- Post-match, Sadd coach Ferreira was because of two controversial decisions. pletely diff erent from the league Taremi and Brazilian midfielder the forward failed to connect a volley. ing Almoez as the striker pounced on the frustrated with the result. The Portu- This is happening to us for the second meeting, because of the cir- Diogo Amado have gelled Even as South Korean playmaker Nam ball to hit the target from four yards. guese was not happy with the decisions consecutive against Duhail and we are cumstances in which the game well with youngsters such as Tae-hee pulled the strings for Duhail, Bel- Duhail came close again through Luiz on Abdelkareem’s being sent off and a very unfortunate,” he said. will be played. In the league, it’s goalkeeper Yusuf Hassan, Amro madi introduced QNB Stars League top- Martin, but the captain hit the post. The penalty being overturned. “The referee has to take decision for totally a diff erent scenario. The Seraj, Ilyas Ahmed and Monkez scorer Youssef El Arabi in place of Muntari. impressive Tae-hee troubled the Sadd “If we did not have the VAR then we what he saw and not because of the pres- players are motivated to reach Mohamed. They also have The decisive goal came in the 68th defence whole evening as he showed lit- would not have a red card for that foul. sure from the players. The Qatari referees the final game,” the Dane said. talented players such as Ahmed minute after Morteza Mohammed’s pass tle fatigue from his man-of-the-match We would also have a penalty kick for al- are good, but the pressure from players Rayyan is coming to the Amir Alaaeldin, Hassan Fadli, Madibo was intercepted in the midfi eld and Du- performance against Al Ain on Tuesday.