Any tournament that spreads 10 goals, with no extra-time, evenly across its two semi-finals must raise expectations for an excellent final. The Club World Cup, albeit squeezed into a compact schedule and carrying a decade's worth of predictable outcomes in favour of a European winner, holds real promise the hierarchy can be upset on Saturday in Rabat.
Real Madrid, whose path to the final was far less smooth than Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Al Ahly suggests, must begin as firm favourites against Al Hilal, but the 2021 Asian champions can only be emboldened by their experiences on the field in Morocco so far and in front of the video analyses of their opponents.
The Saudi Arabian club’s coaching team were rightly proud of the tactical ambush that helped them to a surprise 3-2 victory over Flamengo in their semi. Coach Ramon Diaz has studied areas where Madrid, without senior players because of injury and showing signs of fatigue, appear fragile.
There’s the makeshift arrangement at left-back, where first-choice Ferland Mendy is absent and French compatriot Edu Camavinga, a midfielder, has been filling in. Diaz and his staff noted the difficulties Camavinga encountered against Al Ahly’s Hussein El Shahat, who won the penalty that brought the Egyptians back into the semi-final at 2-1 down with 25 minutes remaining. Madrid scored their third and fourth goals only in stoppage time.
Madrid coach Carlos Ancelotti is anxious. He has summoned Eder Militao, the central defender, from rehabilitation from injury in Spain to increase his defensive options although Ancelotti acknowledged both Militao and centre-forward Karim Benzema — also called in having missed the Al Ahly match — are “not completely recovered”.
Among Ancelotti’s concerns are the compromises he has had to make across his back line. Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper, is out with a muscle strain and Nacho, the preferred cover for Mendy, has had to operate at right-back because the long-serving Dani Carvajal has been suffering from illness. Carvajal’s deputy, Lucas Vazquez, is out long-term.
Real Madrid triumph in semi-final
Al Hilal are potent on the flanks, too. Salem Al Dawsari, who converted two penalties against Flamengo, collected another man-of-the-match award on Tuesday. Andre Carillo shone against the South American champions even if it was in a deeper position than the Peruvian winger is accustomed to. Luciano Vietto, meanwhile, will come into the final brimming with confidence.
The Argentinian was fouled twice in the Flamengo penalty area to give Al Dawsari his brace of spot-kick goals and, outwitting David Luiz, scored Al Hilal’s third. “He was brilliant,” said Diaz of his compatriot, applauding the tactical discipline of Vietto.
“We surprised Flamengo with our attitude and our strategy,” Diaz added. “They hadn’t anticipated us changing from 4-3-3 to 4-4-1-1, with Vietto in attacking midfield.”
To shock Madrid as Al Hilal shocked Flamengo would be a landmark for the ages. Not since 2012 has the European champion not won the Club World Cup, although the pattern of Europe versus South America as the assumed final has been steadily eroded. In 2018, Al Ain reached the final, losing to Madrid, as did Kashima Antlers, beaten by Madrid in extra time in 2016.
Al Hilal are ever more impressive ambassadors for the Asian Confederation and the Middle East, competitive semi-finalists in the Club World Cups of 2019 and last year, when they lost 1-0 to Chelsea. This, a first appearance in the final, comes on the heels of a memorable big-stage triumph for many of their players at the Qatar World Cup. Al Dawsari and eight of his club colleagues were involved in Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 victory over Argentina in the group stage. That was Argentina’s only defeat in a 43 match run that culminated in winning the World Cup final.
After that, the challenge of breaking Madrid’s dominant streak at Club World Cups - they have won all four they have been part of since 2014 - can look relatively mild. “We’ve got a talented squad with very talented players who have made a huge effort and have belief in themselves,” said Diaz.
Diaz, 63, is enjoying the moment. He was River Plate manager when they lost a final of the Intercontinental Cup - the Club World Cup’s predecessor from an era when only European and South American clubs contested the prize - to Juventus way back in 1996. Twenty-seven seasons on, he will be taking on his contemporary, Ancelotti, two veterans whose careers stretch all the way back to rivalries as players in Italy in the 1980s.
At 63 years old, they are still surprising one another. “I wasn’t expecting Flamengo to lose to Al Hilal,” admitted Ancelotti, “but Al Hilal showed what a high standard of football they can play. They have very good players. We have to give them a lot of respect.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Midnights'
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
Honeymoonish
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Stoke City v Tottenham
Brentford v Newcastle United
Arsenal v Manchester City
Everton v Manchester United
All ties are to be played the week commencing December 21.
Avatar%20(2009)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Warner, Adam Zampa
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Autumn international scores
Saturday, November 24
Italy 3-66 New Zealand
Scotland 14-9 Argentina
England 37-18 Australia
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
DSC Eagles 23 Dubai Hurricanes 36
Eagles
Tries: Bright, O’Driscoll
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey 3
Hurricanes
Tries: Knight 2, Lewis, Finck, Powell, Perry
Cons: Powell 3
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
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