DOHA: Blustery conditions at the Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium played into the hands of Umm Salal as they shared the points with Al Sadd in a bruising 1-1 draw last evening.
Al Sadd floundered in the early stages of the tie. Former Sadd coach Hussain Amoutta was in attendance at the match, and the Moroccan tactician would not have been impressed with his former charges had started the tie.
Umm Salal began to mount a sustained period of pressure from set pieces, but despite the aerial prowess of Yannick Sagbo and Welinton, the orange fortress where unable to carve out a chance of note.
Al Sadd’s first moment of quality was delivered from Qatari international Khalfan Ibrahim. A quick one-two with compatriot Hasan Khalid Haydos on the 37th minute gave the midfielder time and space in the box, Khalfan promptly smashed his shot past Baba Malick in the Umm Salal goal.
Umm Salal quickly struck back in stoppage time, with the blustery conditions having a hand in their equalizer. A well delivered Rami Fayez free kick looped over the whole Al Sadd defence. Brazilian defender Wellington was on hand to scoop in from close range giving Umm Salal a deserved equalizer on the balance of play, the first half ended 1-1.
In the second half the Wolves came out with renewed vigour and it nine minutes for them to register their first chance in anger. Unfortunately the Hasan Khalid Haydos’ free kick sailed high and wide off Baba Malick’s goal.
The Wolves had their rivals on the back foot for much of the second half, but could not find the killer touch in the final third. Chances missed from substitutes Meshaal Al-Shammari and Saleh Alyazidi summed up a disappointing night for Jesualdo Ferreira.
Umm Salal held on well throughout the second half, holding off attacks from both wings from Nadir Belhadj and the ever present Haydos.
Brazilian defender Wellington exemplified the hard work of the Umm Salal during this period.
Bulent Uygun will be the happier of the two coaches at the end of the tie as the Orange Fortress held on to register their eighth draw of the QSL season. Al Sadd will use the three week break to focus on the second part of the season, and hope that they can get back into the QSL title race.
Al Sadd are ranked fourth in the Qatar Stars League after yesterday’s tie, followed by Umm Salal in the fifth slot.
The Peninsula
