Bryson DeChambeau powers through to win US Open paGE 14 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 Late Bounedjah strike salvages crucial point for Qatar’s Al Sadd AFC DOHA AL Sadd SC left it late to secure a valuable point as Baghdad Bounedjah helped them to a 1-1 draw against Al Nassr on Matchday Five of the 2020 AFC Champions League Group D on Monday. The two sides shared the spoils when they met on Matchday Two, with top scor- er Abderrazak Hamdallah and Abdulrahman Al Obaid getting on the scoresheet for Al Nassr, while Hassan Al Haydos’ goal was supplemented with Abd- ulelah Al Amri’s own goal to for Al Sadd. Both teams proved why they are the top scoring sides in the competition with chanc- es coming as early as the fifth minute of play, when Bouned- jah squandered an excellent chance to break the deadlock when he fired wide, after a beautifully weighted pass from Korea man Nam Tae-hee. Another chance fell to the Qatar Stars League side when Al Sadd’s Baghdad Bounedjah (right) and Nam Tae-hee (3rd left) in action as Al Nassr defence fights to stave off a chance during their Group D AFC Champions League clash at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Akram Afif cut inside from Monday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. the left flank and started a string of pitch-wide passes first big chance that fell to The first goal came through STANDINGS settled into the net. Korea Republic international tional in to finish off. that went through Nam Tae- the Saudi Pro League side, Khalid Al Ghannam, after re- Intensity petered out as the but the latter missed it. Matchday Six will see Al hee and Bounedjah before Al after Guilherme was dispos- ceiving a throw in down the GROUP D game progressed with fatigue Three minutes from time, Sadd face Sepahan, while Al Haydos angled a shot into the sessed in midfield, the re- left flank, he dribbled into Club M W D L GF GA GD Pts setting in, but Nam had a gold- Bounedjah gifted his side a Nassr will face the already top corner, but Brad Jones’ sult of which was a high ball the penalty area and took on Al Nassr (KSA) 5 3 2 0 9 4 5 11 en chance to equalise five min- point when he curled the ball eliminated Al Ain FC. acrobatic brilliance denied that Adam chased down be- marker Pedro Miguel before Al Sadd (QAT) 5 2 3 0 13 6 7 9 utes from time when Afif care- into Jones’ net after Afif had Scoreline: Al Sadd 1 (Baghdad the Al Sadd captain. fore lashing a stinging shot taking a shot from an ex- Sepahan (IRN) 5 1 1 3 4 7 -3 4 fully lifted a ball across the box played a ground pass to Nam, Bounedjah 87’) drew with Al Abdulfatah Adam was on goal that keeper Saad Al tremely tight angle that rolled Al Ain (UAE) 5 0 2 3 4 13 -9 2 to youngster Yusuf Abdurisag, the number 10 beautifully Nassr 1 (Khalid Al Ghannam responsible for missing the Sheeb pushed out. between the keeper’s legs and who headed it down for the played the Algeria interna- 22’). Al Duhail edge Persepolis to get back on track AFC ter a heavy Khalilzadeh aerial STANDINGS DOHA challenge on Edmilson inside GROUP C the box. ALMOEZ Ali’s third goal of the Al Duhail captain Ali Club M W D L GF GA GD Pts 2020 AFC Champions League stepped up and fired home Al Duhail (QAT) 5 3 0 2 7 7 0 9 was the difference as Al Duhail his third goal of the 2020 AFC Persepolis (IRN) 5 2 1 2 4 5 -1 7 SC defeated Persepolis FC 1-0 Champions League to put the Sharjah (UAE) 5 2 1 2 13 7 6 7 in Group C of the competition Qatari side in front. Al Taawoun (KSA) 5 2 0 3 3 8 -5 6 at the Education City Stadium Persepolis players thought on Monday. they had come back into the Persepolis entered the game just six minutes later Matchday Five fixture know- after Resan tested goalkeeper ing a win would keep them Mohammed Al Bakri and the top of the group going into Al Duhail goalkeeper spilled the final matchday, while for his save into the path of Isa Al Duhail - defeated by Shar- Al Kasir, but with the empty jah in their previous match goal at his mercy, Persepolis’ - the three points would take number 77 fluffed his lines, them past their opponents and sending his shot wide from boost their chances of pro- six yards. gress to the Round of 16. The Iranian continued to With just three minutes push forward for an equal- to the break, Persepolis were iser but found themselves awarded a free-kick on the faced with a strong Al Du- edge of the area after danger- hail defence and were unable ous play from Ali on Shojae to break through until the Khalilzadeh. Bashar Resan final whistle. curled it over the wall but The result means Al Du- could not get it down in time hail now leap above previous to hit the target. leaders Persepolis, reaching A quick exchange of passes nine points for the campaign at the other end saw Ramin and enhancing their fortunes Rezaeian break free in space ahead of the final matchday. down the right, but the former Yahya Golmohammadi’s Persepolis player watched as men remain in contention Al Duhail’s Almoez Ali (2nd left) in his effort was parried by goal- with their fate to be deter- action during the AFC Champions keeper Hamed Lak. mined in their Matchday Six League Group C match against Iran’s Al Duhail stepped up their encounter against Sharjah. Persepolis at the Education City efforts after the restart and Scoreline: Persepolis 0 lost Stadium on Monday. Al Duhail won 1-0. their pressure resulted in a to Al Duhail 1 (Almoez Ali penalty in the 58th minute af- 60’(pen)). Sports Tuesday, September 22, 2020 13 Sporting name academy Welliton hat-trick in Sharjah’s after ‘greatest ever’ six-goal show vs Al Taawoun product Ronaldo AFC jah’s fourth. DOHA The Emiratis’ clinical coun- ter-attacking display continued AN emphatic second-half dis- Sharjah’s largest- as they made it four goals in play saw Sharjah cruise to a 12 minutes. Coronado sliced a 6-0 victory over Al Taawoun ever win in the cross from the corner into the FC to move above them into AFC Champions near post where Welliton was second place in Group C of the League means perfectly positioned to head 2020 AFC Champions League home for his hat-trick and Shar- on Monday. they can reach the jah’s fifth in the 61st minute. Sharjah got off to a flying Round of 16 for Caio Lucas added his name start and within six minutes they to the scoresheet in the 68th had handed goalkeeper Cassio the first time in minute after Coronado cut in- his first test of the night. Brazil- their history with a side and fired an effort that was ian forward Welliton broke free win against saved by Cassio, only for it to down the right and squared for fall into the path of Caio who his compatriot Igor Coronado Persepolis in their guided the header past his com- who applied a powerful low fin- last game. patriot and into the back of the AFP younger talents,” the 18-time ish, but the Al Taawoun goal- net to round off the scoring. LISBON Portugese champions said in a keeper was up to the challenge Sharjah’s largest-ever win statement. and made the save. in the AFC Champions League SPORTING announced on “The Academia Cristiano Halfway through the first Sharjah’s Brazilian forward Welliton scored in the 49th, 57th and 61st minutes to star in Sharjah’s 6-0 rout means they can reach the Monday they will re-name their Ronaldo will represent Sport- 45 minutes, Cassio repeated of Al Taawoun at the Education City Stadium on Monday night. Round of 16 for the first time in academy after former attacker ing’s DNA in its excellence his heroics in an almost-iden- their history with a win against and five-time Ballon d’Or win- and will follow the destinies tical manner. This time it was got on the end of a Coronado before breaking free and drib- pass behind the defence and Persepolis in their last game, ner Cristiano Ronaldo. of the one that now gives it Khalid Bawazir who was set free-kick and guided his head- bling past the last defender in the latter laid it back to Abdul- while Al Taawoun’s fate is now Ronaldo, who scored in its name: to be the best in the up by Welliton’s cross from er into the bottom corner with style and firing with his left basit who drilled it past Cassio out of their hands. The Saudis Juventus’ first Serie A game world,” they added. the right and the midfielder what was essentially the last into the roof of the net to dou- for Sharjah’s third of the night. need a win against Al Duhail of the season on Sunday, Ronaldo, 35, made his watched Al Taawoun’s Bra- attack of the half. ble Sharjah’s lead four min- Al Taawoun’s misery was and a draw between Sharjah joined the capital city side Sporting debut in 2002 before zilian goalkeeper make a fine Abdulaziz Al Anbari’s men utes after the restart.