The Brazilian
Flamengo
will try to justify its status as champion of the
Copa
Libertadores
in the first semifinal of the
2022 Club World Cup , in which they will face Saudi
Al Hilal
on Tuesday
, winner of the Asian Champions League, led by the Argentine
Ramón Díaz
.
The Brazilian team reaches the universal club event for the second time, after participating in the 2019 edition in Qatar.
Then, curiously, they also had to face the Saudi team, which they defeated 3-1 at the International Khalifa stadium in Doha.
It was not easy then against Al Hilal, who even took the lead through
Salem Al Dawasari
and could not confirm the victory until the last stage.
The match was equalized at the start of the second half for the team led by the Portuguese Jorge Jesus and the Uruguayan
Giorgian de Arrascaeta and
Bruno Henrique
and
Ali Hadi Al-Bulaihi
confirmed the comeback at the end
with their own goal.
On this occasion, both teams will meet at the Ibn Tattouta stadium in Tangier starting at 4:00 p.m. in Argentina (broadcast by DirecTV Sports), with arbitration by the Romanian
Istvan Kovacs
.
Ramón Díaz during the conference prior to the match against Flamengo.
Photo: EFE/EPA/MOHAMED MESSARA.
Flamengo is once again led by a Portuguese coach.
Vitor Pereira has just arrived at the bank of the Brazilian team after directing
Corinthians
in his previous stage .
The mission is to obtain the first world title, with which, incidentally, it would end the
streak
of European clubs, which have won all the titles successively since
Bayern Munich
prevailed in 2013, in the first edition that took place in Morocco.
Pereira will definitely not be able to count on one of his main players, Bruno Henrique, due to physical problems, but the Chilean
Arturo Vidal
has entered the final list of 23 players , although it is difficult for him to be part of the starting eleven against Al Hilal, which should include a man with the experience of
David Luiz
, who intends to complete his record, since he is missing this World Cup
after losing to Chelsea against Corinthians in the 2012 final.
The former defender of the London club, like the rest of the team, believes that it will be a "very difficult"
semifinal
against Al Hilal, several of whose players participated in the first big surprise of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar,
when Saudi Arabia subsequently defeated the Argentine champion.
Ramon Diaz celebrates reaching the semifinals: he wants to repeat against Flamengo.
Photo: EFE/EPA/Jalal Morchidi.
The
Asian champion
who runs an entire institution like Ramón Díaz overcame his first obstacle.
A game that was not easy against the host
Wydad Casablanca
, which they got rid of after the penalty shootout (5-3) after finishing the match and extra time tied at one goal.
The Argentine coach, champion of the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana with
River Plate
, has the notable loss of one of his fundamental players, the Saudi international
Mohamed Kanno
, sent off for a double booking at the end of the match against Wydad, and the problems physical of the Peruvian
André Carrillo
, but even so, with his weapons, he does not give up the surprise and to stand for the first time in the fight for the title after being fourth in 2019 and in the last edition.
"Flamengo has a sporting advantage because we played 48 hours before," the DT complained at a press conference.
"It's the advantage they have with Real Madrid, that Al Ahly has played two games, and they're going straight to the semifinals. It seems we have to correct it, because if they don't have a sporting advantage, the World Cup is for everyone," he added.
"I think that, sportingly, they have that advantage. It is a competition to improve. The Club World Cup is, for us and for all the players, something very important", he sentenced.
Ramon Diaz celebrates with his goalkeeper the pass through penalties.
Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Boyers
Beyond the statements pointing against the Brazilian and Spanish teams, the coach of Al Hilal was very confident facing a game that he sees as very difficult, but not impossible.
"We are very confident. This team has just won two Libertadores (referring to Flamengo), but
Al Hilal is one of the best teams in Asia
, three times continental champion, Copa del Rey champion. There are 13 or 14 in the selection. The most important thing is to play, to compete", detailed Ramón.
Behaving like an iron block, not making mistakes and taking advantage of the potential of men with experience in the big European leagues like the Nigerian Odion Ighalo or the Malian Moussa Marega, without forgetting the Argentine Luciano Vietto, in attack, are considered to be the weapons that the Al Hilal to beat Flamengo.
Source: EFE
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