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Seongnam secure semi-final spot

Brazilian Fernando Baiano has been the saviour for Al Wahda on many occasions. But it was asking for too much from one man on this night.

Baiano has won the FIFA Club World Cup with Brazilian club Corinthians in 2000. He had scored a penalty then.

The 31-year-old did score on Saturday night but it was not enough as Al Wahda went down to AFC champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma FC of Korea in the quarter-final at the Zayed Sports City.

Despite being egged on by a record crowd of 30,625, Al Wahda lost 1-4.

Mauricio Molina (fourth), Sasa Ognenovski (30^th), Choi Sung Kuk (71^st) and Cho Dong Geon (81^st) scored for Seongnam. Baiano scored for the Al Wahda in the 27^th minute.

Seongnam take on UEFA Champions League winners Inter Milan in the semifinal at the Zayed Sports City on Wednesday night. Al Wahda, meanwhile, will meet Club de Futbol Pachuca for the play-off for the fifth place on the same day.

Wahda coach Hickersberger went in with the same starting XI which played against Hekari United in the tournament opener.

The difference in standard was evident as Seongnam stepped it up in the opening minutes itself. Seongnam’s Montenegro forward Dzenan Radoncic had a chance to put them through but was denied by the Al Wahda goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani. Radoncic broke through down the right flank and took a crack at goal but Adel Al Hosani pulled off a brilliant save by diving to his right and punching it away in the very second minute of the game.

They didn’t have to wait long though as they went ahead two minutes later after a defensive lapse by Al Wahda. Hamdan Al Kamali, the UAE Under-20 captain, came up with a shoddy clearance and Colombian Mauricio Molina pounced on it. Goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani charged out but the midfielder, who has previous UAE experience, having made 10 appearances for Al Ain in 2004, slammed it into an open goal.

The Wahda defence continued to look shaky as the Seongnam forwards had them on their toes. Wahda were tested again in the 16^th minute but Hamdan Al Kamali made no mistake this time, making a timely clearance after Radoncic made a foray inside the box.

Wahda made their first move in the 22^nd minute but Mahmoud Al Hammadi was dispossessed inside the box by the Seongnam defence after a neat build up from the left.

Wahda’s Brazilian forward Fernando Baiano had the crowd on their feet after scoring the equaliser in the 27^th minute. Eisa Ahmed fired in a lovely cross from the right and Baiano sent his header past a stationary goalkeeper Jung Sung Ryong, who had played in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

But the celebrations were short-lived as Seongnam nudged ahead three minutes later through their captain Sasa Ognenovski. The Australian centre-back headed home off a corner from Mauricio Molina. Al Wahda and Seongnam had equal possession and three shots on goal each at the end of the first half.

Wahda were tighter in their defence after the restart but had to make a substitution in the 53^rd minute after captain Haider Ali Alo was injured. Hickerberger reinforced his forward line by bringing in Mohammed Al Shehi.

Later in the 64^th minute, Hickersberger replaced midfielder Fahed Masoud with another forward Saeed Al Kathiri.

But Seongnam increased the lead through a counter-attack after a Wahda freekick in the 71^st minute. The made a quick move after Ismail Matar’s freekick was blocked by the wall before Cho Dong Geon passed to an unmarked Choi Sung Kuk, who fired it past the advancing goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani.

Cho Dong Geon put it to bed nine minutes from time by heading home off a freekick.

james@khaleejtimes.com