Al Hilal’s bold run at the Fifa Club World Cup came to an end in Orlando on Friday as the Saudi Arabian club were edged 2-1 by Brazil’s Fluminense in a pulsating quarter-final clash.
Having shocked the tournament with their 4-3 extra-time victory over Manchester City earlier in the week, Al Hilal looked poised for another statement result when striker Marcos Leonardo, standing in for the injured Aleksandar Mitrovic, netted his fourth goal of the competition early in the second half to cancel out Martinelli’s opener for Fluminense.
But substitute Hercules, introduced after the hour mark, scored what proved to be the winner with 20 minutes remaining to propel the Rio de Janeiro side into Tuesday’s semi-final against Chelsea in New Jersey.
“It’s painful to go out, especially after what we did against City,” Al Hilal captain Ruben Neves said. “But I’m proud of our fight, and of how far we came. We showed that teams from Asia can compete with anyone.”
The defeat ends Asia’s presence in the competition, leaving South America and Europe to contest the semi-finals. But for long spells under the Florida floodlights, Al Hilal matched Fluminense, in intensity and craft, only to fall short in the decisive moments.
Martinelli had given the Copa Libertadores holders the lead five minutes before the break. The attacking midfielder took Gabriel Fuentes' ex[ertly, before rifling a left-footed shot beyond Yassine "Bono" Bounou into the top corner.
Al Hilal responded strongly and nearly equalised on the stroke of half time, but veteran goalkeeper Fabio sprawled low to his left to deny Kalidou Koulibaly’s thumping header.
Leonardo made no mistake six minutes into the second half, however. When Koulibaly again rose highest from a corner, his header fell at the feet of the 21-year-old forward, who delicately scooped the ball past Fabio and two defenders on the line to make it 1-1.
The game’s defining moment came in the 70th minute. Hercules, who had scored in Fluminense’s previous round, saw an initial long-range effort deflected into the air. Instead of stopping, the midfielder continued his run and was rewarded when the loose ball dropped kindly. His sublime first touch set up a right-footed drive that arrowed into the bottom corner, sparking wild celebrations among the largely pro-Brazilian crowd.
Al Hilal pushed forward late on, but Fluminense’s defence held firm. Despite their exit, the Saudi club leave with heads held high, their performance against Manchester City still the tournament’s standout shock.
There was also emotion before kick-off, with a moment of silence for Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, who died on Thursday. Cameras showed Neves and compatriot Joao Cancelo, international teammates of Jota, visibly emotional during the tribute.
For Al Hilal, their Club World Cup journey ends – but not without making a mark.
Chelsea send Palmerias packing
Enzo Maresca hailed the “perfect night” after his Chelsea side reached the Club World Cup semi-final and witnessed a sparkling display by incoming signing Estevao Willian.
A deflected late Malo Gusto cross saw the Londoners snatch a 2-1 victory in their quarter-final against Palmeiras in Philadelphia.
That came after Cole Palmer’s early opener had been cancelled out by a stunning strike from Estevao, the 18-year-old winger who is to join them after the tournament.
Maresca said: “We’re very happy. It’s a fantastic day. The semi-finals of the Club World Cup – the best clubs in the world – and we are there.
“Probably for us it has been the perfect night because we won and Estevao scored, so it was very good for all of us.”
Estevao was given a tough time by Marc Cucurella in a first half Chelsea largely controlled but he shone in the second period as the Brazilians fought their way back into the game.
He equalised when he took a pass from the right and smashed a shot past Robert Sanchez from a tight angle.
“You can see he is a huge talent, you can see is a fantastic player,” said Maresca. “The only thing now is when you come from South America or another part of the world to Europe you need to adapt.
“We are going to help him to adapt and first of all to enjoy football. We don’t have any doubt, as he is so good, that he is going to be an important player for Chelsea.”
Chelsea, who gave a debut to new signing Joao Pedro off the bench in the second half, will now play another Brazilian side in Fluminense in New York on Tuesday for a place in the final.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
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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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Results
5pm: Al Falah – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bshara, Richard Mullen (jockey), Salem Al Ketbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Al Dhafra – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Mualami, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
6.30pm: Al Khaleej Al Arabi – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hawafez, Adrie de Vries, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Mafraq – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
7.30pm: Al Samha – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Patrick Cosgrave, Ismail Mohammed
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Persuasion
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 6
08.00-15.00 Technical scrutineering
15.00-17.00 Extra free practice
Friday, December 7
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 1
15.30 BRM F1 qualifying
Saturday, December 8
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 2
15.30 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
