Al Wasl’s Asian dream is steadily slipping away. The Cheetahs were second best during their 1-1 draw against a Sharjah side scrapping for survival. With it went the chance – once again – to grab the third-and-final qualification spot for the AFC Champions League.
Beyond forward Fabio De Lima’s 18th goal of another productive campaign in the Arabian Gulf League, Saturday night’s hosts offered very little in a drab fixture which saw both teams finish with 10 men.
It is the wrong point of the season to drastically lose form, especially with a trip to fifth-placed Al Wahda coming on Friday. Coach Gabriel Calderon must be a worried man after their winless run stretched to four matches.
“We lost two very, very important points for us,” the Argentine bemoaned. “In this league, there are no easy games, but we have to continue fighting until the end of the season.”
For Sharjah, this point earned through Wanderley’s controversial penalty meant so much. Their six-point gap to 13th-placed Fujairah with just three games left should make them safe for another season.
“The draw is a good result, we were much better than our last match (a 2-0 loss to relegation rivals Al Dhafra), which is a very good thing for us,” said King boss Abdulaziz Al Anbari. “That’s why we’re happy.”
The opener came on 30 minutes for Wasl at a deserted Zabeel Stadium. Timeless Portugal midfielder Hugo Viana’s perfect deep ball allowed De Lima to creep in between the centre-backs and lash home via a half-volley.
Coveted Brazilian striker Wanderley had already headed against the post by this point for Sharjah. During the match’s most-contentious moment on 70 minutes, he was not to be so generous.
A clear dive from King playmaker Ricardinho tricked referee Hamad Ali Yousef after centre-back Abdulla Al Juneibi stuck out a long leg without making contact. A 15th AGL goal followed as Wanderley sent goalkeeper Yousef Abdulla the wrong way from 12 yards.
Things soon got worse for Wasl as skipper Waheed Ismail collected a second yellow for a tug on the goalscorer. Centre-back Abdulla Ahmed levelled things up numerically as he tugged down uncharacteristically-anonymous forward Caio Canedo late on.
But neither club could conjure a winner from a poor game.
