LONDON: Hope is a valuable commodity in football and thanks to Omar Khribin’s equalizer in Riyadh last week, Al-Hilal should have it in abundance going into the second leg of the AFC Champions League final.
A 1-0 defeat would have been hard to stomach and even harder to overturn but Khribin’s strike — the sort of poacher’s finish that may just see him crowned Asian Footballer of the Year — injected some much-needed belief. The players and supporters at a raucous King Fahd Stadium had hope again that this could be Al-Hilal’s year.
History, however, is not on their side. No team has ever drawn the first leg of the AFC Champions League final at home and gone on to win the trophy. Al-Ahli, FC Seoul, Sepahan and Al-Ain have all succumbed in recent years after a first-leg draw on home soil. And in both 2016 and 2015, Al-Hilal were eliminated from continental competition after tying with Lokomotiv Tashkent and Al-Ahli respectively in Riyadh.
Last Saturday’s draw with Urawa Red Diamonds was particularly tough to take given Al-Hilal’s imperious form on their turf in Asia. They have lost just one match there — a 2-1 group stage reverse to Tractor Sazi in 2016 — in four-and-a-half years, winning 17 games in that time.
Despite the frustration of the Urawa draw, hope springs eternal. Al-Hilal have only failed to score once in their past 12 away games in the Asian Champions League and have netted 11 times in six away games this year, with UAE outfit Al Ahli the only side to keep the Saudi Arabian’s at bay on their travels.
And should further inspiration be needed, Al-Hilal need only look toward the domestic rivals Al-Ittihad. In 2004, they famously lost 3-1 to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in Jeddah before producing a masterclass in resilience, romping to a 5-0 away victory in Korea to win the title. Al-Hilal have certainly shown a similar spine this year.
For starters, recovering against Urawa when others may have been left shellshocked by the early opener. It was not the first time in 2017, with the Saudi Arabian’s also fighting back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to earn a 2-2 semifinal second leg draw against Persepolis. In both legs of the quarter-final, too, Al-Hilal conceded first before eventually winning 2-1.
And in group stage visits to Persepolis, Al Wahda and Al Rayyan, deficits were overturned, resulting in two draws and a victory over the Qataris. This is an Al-Hilal side with fortitude in spades, a team that reflects the spirit of its coach. Ramon Diaz faced plenty of adversity during his career — notably being overlooked by Argentina for both the 1986 and 1990 World Cups — but never lost his desire. River Plate’s Copa Libertadores victory in 1996, masterminded by Diaz, was achieved despite a 1-0 first leg defeat to América.
A young Hernan Crespo was Diaz’s hero in the return leg two decades ago, his brace making River the toast of South America. Now Diaz will turn to another talented striker to lead his charge.
Khiribin gave Al-Hilal hope in Riyadh, now it’s up to the Syrian and his team-mates to produce another dogged display.
If they manage to dig deep once more, it may well be time for the Saudi Arabians to end their 17-year wait for the AFC Champions League title.
Al-Hilal one step from being kings of Asia
Al-Hilal one step from being kings of Asia
Filipino fans celebrate as favorites advance at Dubai Tennis Championships
- WTA 1000 event off to dramatic start as Kabayan community-loved duo Alexandra Eala and Leylah Fernandez thrill center court with contrasting victories
- Britain’s top-ranked female player Emma Raducanu takes on Italian qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto in Monday’s action, with tickets still available
DUBAI: After weeks of anticipation, women’s week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship burst into life on the opening day as two favorites of the Filipino expatriate community progressed to the second round in front of capacity crowds.
Rising star Alexandra Eala — still only 20 and already the highest-ranked Filipino in WTA history at world No. 40 — lined up against powerful American Hailey Baptiste, the world No. 39.
Baptiste, having qualified for the match as a lucky loser after falling to Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova in Saturday’s final qualifiers, she nonetheless cut an imposing figure compared to the diminutive Eala, who is four years her junior and making her Dubai debut.
Yet with every corner of center court transformed by the red, white and blue of the Philippines flag, Eala immediately tapped into the energy with an array of crowd-pleasing winners as she railed against Baptiste’s power advantage.
After trading breaks early on, Eala buzzed around court and stole the momentum with a break of serve before nervelessly holding to seal the set 6-4.
Baptiste valiantly held serve in the opening game of the second set before Elea suddenly found herself advancing to the next round after the American retired with an abdominal injury.
An expectant crowd was stunned and fell silent, but noise levels soared back to deafening as the victor addressed center court. “No-one likes advancing in this way,” she said.
“Being on tour, I am starting to discover how difficult it is to maintain your health physically. I’m really hoping that Hailey will bounce back soon.”
Turning her attention and affections to her adoring fans, Eala added: “I’m super happy to be in the next round.
“This tournament is serving up such great experiences for me, especially playing in front of the best crowd ever. Hello everyone, hello Kabayans. I’m very happy to advance to the next round.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, the world No. 27, and Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, ranked 10 places higher, played out an epic three-set showdown that lasted close to three hours.
After a tense first set in which Samsonova eventually prevailed 7-5, Fernandez — who boasts Filipino heritage — battled back in a knife-edge second set.
The 23-year-old unleashed a series of immaculate winners to sail into a 5-2 lead, before a resurgent Samsonova won three consecutive games to wrestle back momentum and level the set at 5-5.
The Russian’s mini comeback flattered to deceive however, as Fernandez held her serve and then immediately broke serve to clinch the set 7-5 and force a deciding set.
With Fernandez moving into a 2-0 lead in the early throes of the third set, Samsonova suddenly found herself holding two break points and a chance to regain her match footing.
Fernandez, buoyed by a partisan crowd that reveled in celebrating her Filipino ancestry, dug deep. Occasionally scurrying and battling to stay in points, she produced winners under pressure and benefited hugely as Samsonova’s unforced errors tallied up.
Brimming with confidence, Fernandez surged into a seemingly unassailable 5-0 lead in the third set, only for the never-say-die Samsonova to hit back with three quick games in a row.
Serving for the match for a second time, Fernandez regained her composure to hold serve and eliminate the 13th seed.
After signing dozens of autographs on caps, T-shirts, balls, souvenir programs, and anything frenzied fans could find for a signature, Fernandez was quick to acknowledge the acclaim she received from fans at the tournament.
“It definitely felt different tonight,” she said.
“I remember the past couple of years I’ve played day matches, sometimes first on, so there wasn’t a lot of fans. Today, there were a lot more and to see so many fans come watch women’s tennis means a lot, it shows the sport is growing, so I’m very happy.”
When asked if she feels a type of home advantage in Dubai, she added: “Yeah, actually, kind of. It does feel nice because you kind of feel at home. It helps a lot.
“Sometimes when you’re travelling so much you forget why you play tennis and fans always help you to remember. To feel that warmth, that love, and the passion that they have is a lot of fun.”
The final match of the night had the Czech Republic’s Sara Bejlek, ranked No. 38 in the world, needing only 75 minutes for a 6-2, 6-2 dismantling of Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu, another massive Dubai favorite, will face a first-round tie against Italian qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto on court two at 3 p.m.
