AL TAHER KNOCK OUT FUHOOD ZAABEEL
DUBAI: Defending champions Al Taher put in a consummate team performance on sunday night, back from a goal down to beat fancied Fuhood Zaabeel 2-1 and book their place in the last four of the 2018 Nad Al Sheba Futsal Championship.
Led by their diminutive Iranian captain Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh, a three-time AFC Futsal Player of the Year, Al Taher bounced back after Tariq Abdulla Al Ali had put Fuhood Zaabeel ahead in the 3rd minute, with Brazilian Jefferson Luis Carpes equalising in the 8th minute before Ahmad Abdullah gave them the lead four minutes later.
Al Taher then kept Fuhood’s marauding Brazilian trio of Mateus Da Silva, Taynan Da Silva and Douglas Junior at bay to protect their lead and set up a semi-final clash with Emirates Driving Institute, who crushed The Storm 9-2 in the other quarterfinal of the night.
“I think we showed great discipline and resolve to hold off one of the most dangerous attacking trio in futsal,” said Hassanzadeh.
“So we are really pleased with this win. I guess the loss in the opening game against Al Bahri has served as a wake-up call for the team.
“We have shown a lot more focus and commitment since, never letting our guard down, and now we are determined to keep this momentum going.
“We have just beaten a very strong team and I am sure this win will act as a huge boost for us in the semi-final and then, hopefully, the final.”
The Storm, meanwhile, arrived with only six players for their quarterfinal against Emirates Driving. Brazilian Leonardo Mendonca Da Rosa was the lone foreign player on the list, but he received a direct red in the 12th minute to further increase his team’s woes.
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
Dubai Municipality will take on Dubai Public Prosecution in the final of the NAS Wheelchair Basketball Championship, after defeating Dubai Police and Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services respectively in the semis.
Dubai Municipality beat Dubai Police 41-19 in the first semi-final at the Dubai Club for the People of Determination, while Dubai Public Prosecution cruised to a 59-22 win in the other semis.
PADEL TENNIS
Javier Lopez and Sandy Farquharson defeated Xavier Masson and Benjamin Cassaigne 6-2, 6-3 to retain their Open division title in the NAS Padel Tennis Championship, while Emilio Misas and Carlos Luna edged Mohammed Al Mansouri and Guillermo Villafane 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in the playoff for third place.