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Played
December 18, 2011 2:30 AM EST
Nissan Stadium — Yokohama
Referee: N. Doue
Attendance: 60527
December 18, 2011 2:30 AM EST
Nissan Stadium — Yokohama
Referee: N. Doue
Attendance: 60527
Kashiwa Reysol 0-0 Al Sadd (3-5 pens): Asian champions claim third place in Club World Cup through Saqr's clean sheet
The Qataris relied on Mohamed Saqr's efforts in besting the Japanese champions despite 90 minutes of spirited attacking by the host representatives
By Dan Orlowitz
Gettyimages
Asian champions Al Sadd held up against a continuous Kashiwa Reysol attack, winning 5-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw on Sunday afternoon to take third place in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The match was the end of an improbable year for both sides following Al Sadd’s underdog Asian Champions League victory and Reysol’s stunning J-League run.
Reysol pressured early and often, dominating possession but clearly lacking a certain finishing touch without the presence of suspended attacking midfielder Leandro Domingues.
Veteran Hideaki Kitajima, striker Junya Tanaka, and one-time Rangers man Koki Mizuno repeatedly created solid opportunities for Reysol, but Al Sadd goalkeeper Mohamed Saqr displayed the same fine form he showed in the ACL final and kept a clean sheet.
Meanwhile, Al Sadd saw far more chances than it did against Barcelona in Thursday’s 4-0 loss when they made just two attempts on goal. Despite a lack of organized possession in the Reysol half, the Qatari side did manage to create several chances on the counter, with Kader Keita and Mamadou Niang forcing several memorable saves by Reysol goalkeeper Takanori Sugeno.
By the 90 minute mark the J-League champions had out-shot their opponents by a margin of three to one, but repeated saves by Saqr forced penalty kicks.
In front of hundreds of cheering Reysol supporters behind the goal, both teams converted their first two chances. Ibrahim Abdulmajed’s successful attempt made the score 3-2 in favor of Al Sadd before Ryohei Hayashi, who converted Reysol’s game-winning penalty kick against Monterrey, was blocked by Saqr.
After Hasan Al Haydos and Hidekazu Otani both converted in the fourth round, Sugeno faced a must-save situation against Nadir Belhadj. But the Algerian national converted, making Al Sadd the first West Asian club to finish third in the competition.
The match was the end of an improbable year for both sides following Al Sadd’s underdog Asian Champions League victory and Reysol’s stunning J-League run.
Reysol pressured early and often, dominating possession but clearly lacking a certain finishing touch without the presence of suspended attacking midfielder Leandro Domingues.
Veteran Hideaki Kitajima, striker Junya Tanaka, and one-time Rangers man Koki Mizuno repeatedly created solid opportunities for Reysol, but Al Sadd goalkeeper Mohamed Saqr displayed the same fine form he showed in the ACL final and kept a clean sheet.
Meanwhile, Al Sadd saw far more chances than it did against Barcelona in Thursday’s 4-0 loss when they made just two attempts on goal. Despite a lack of organized possession in the Reysol half, the Qatari side did manage to create several chances on the counter, with Kader Keita and Mamadou Niang forcing several memorable saves by Reysol goalkeeper Takanori Sugeno.
By the 90 minute mark the J-League champions had out-shot their opponents by a margin of three to one, but repeated saves by Saqr forced penalty kicks.
In front of hundreds of cheering Reysol supporters behind the goal, both teams converted their first two chances. Ibrahim Abdulmajed’s successful attempt made the score 3-2 in favor of Al Sadd before Ryohei Hayashi, who converted Reysol’s game-winning penalty kick against Monterrey, was blocked by Saqr.
After Hasan Al Haydos and Hidekazu Otani both converted in the fourth round, Sugeno faced a must-save situation against Nadir Belhadj. But the Algerian national converted, making Al Sadd the first West Asian club to finish third in the competition.
Goal
Own Goal
Penalty
Penalty Missed
Yellow Card
Assist
Penalty Save
Penalty Shootout Goal
Penalty Shootout Miss
Yellow Card / Red Card
Red Card
Substitution IN
Substitution OUT
Injury
Goal.com Rating
Goal.com Man of the Match
Goal.com Flop of the Match
Top & Flop Global Ranking
Fans' Man of the Match
Fans' Flop of the Match