ORLANDO, FL.In Friday’s Club World Cup quarterfinal, Fluminense defeated Al Hilal 2-1 thanks to a goal from H rcules, who came off the bench, in the 70th minute.
In front of 43,091 spectators at Camping World Stadium, both teams were given two yellow cards for physical play as they fought for scoring opportunities in the first half.
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After a shoddy clearance by Al Hilal gave Brazillian midfielder Martinelli the opportunity to score, Fluminense took the lead.
Al Hilal, who has won every game in the tournament, responded forcefully to start the second half. The game was tied at one in the 51st minute when Marcos Leonardo scored the game-winning goal.
Fluminense advanced to the semifinals after H rcules, a halftime substitute, scored the tiebreaker.
Crucial moment
After checking VAR, referee Danny Makkelie reversed the first-half penalty kick award given to Al Hilal.
Key Takeaways
Later Friday in Philadelphia, Fluminense advances to the semifinals to face the victor of Chelsea vs. Palmerias. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the semifinal game on Tuesday.
What they stated
We had yet another fantastic match. Since no team can defeat Manchester City, we were aware of the difficulty. We had the upper hand for the majority of the game. You have to learn to suffer while playing against a strong opponent like that. Renato Gacho, coach of Fluminense.
On the field, the players gave it their all. In 16 days, we played five games. They put their all into it. With our own, we exceeded even the highest hopes. Simone Inzaghi, coach of Al Hilal.
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