Goals: Seattle Sounders FC – Al Ahly – Played on 02/04/2023
Al-Ahly of Egypt snatched the ticket to qualify for the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, by defeating the American Seattle Sounders, 1-0, this evening, Saturday, at Ibn Battuta Stadium in the Moroccan city of Tangier.
The red team owes credit for this victory to its substitute player, Mohamed Magdi Afsha, who scored the only goal of the match, from a powerful shot that hit the defender and changed its direction into the net in the 88th minute.
Al-Ahly rose to a heavy-caliber confrontation against Real Madrid, the European champion, next Wednesday.
The match as a whole was strong, equal, and full of clubs on the physical level, but the red genie excelled in the second half, with the substitutions of coach Marcel Kohler.
Al-Ahly started the match with pressing attempts to reach the opponent’s goal, and Hamdi Fathi passed a cross that was pushed away by the American defense.
Tao sent a cross that reached Maaloul but found a solid defense.
Al-Ahly played with a high-pressure style in the first minutes, hoping to score the net early, before Rosnak responded with a powerful shot that passed next to Mohamed El-Shennawy’s post.
The American team created the danger with a fast counter ball, through Jordan Morris, which the defense pushed away.
The American team continued its dangerous attempts with a cross, which Al-Shennawi did not remove, and Morris lost it next to the post.
Percy Tao tried from the right front, but ineffectively, and Seattle launched a quick attack that ended with a shot near the post, by Rusnak, after a break of passes exchanged with his teammates.
The American defense removed a dangerous ball from Taher, which was considered offside, and Nohu sent a cross that reached Roldan, but it did not pose a threat to Al-Shennawi’s goal.
And Seattle stopped a quick Ahly attempt by Taher before Al-Shennawy dismissed a close attempt.
Hamdi Fathi fired a shot that was pushed away by the American defense, and the first half ended in a tie between the two teams.
The second half began with possession by the American team, and a dangerous opportunity that Al-Shennawy dismissed, before Seattle’s defense saved a cross from Maaloul.
And Percy Tao received a yellow card, due to roughness against the player Nohu.
Al-Ahly paid the trio, Muhammad Sharif, Ahmed Abdel Qader, and Afsha, at the expense of Hamdi Fathi, Taher, and Kahraba in the 63rd minute.
An Ahlawyah attempt was missed with a cross pass from Afsha, which Sharif did not take advantage of, and it passed between his feet strangely.
Afsha hit next to the post, and Joao Paulo, the Brazilian player, participated in the ranks of Seattle, after an absence of injury.
Al-Ahly organized a quick attack with exchanged passes, which ended with a cross from Maaloul, which was removed by the American defense.
Maaloul shone in dealing with a fast cross for Seattle, while Al-Suleya directed a shot that was pushed away by the opponent’s defense.
The American team included its player, Danny Leyva, at the expense of Cristian Roldan.
Al-Ahly scored the goal of progress in the 88th minute through Afsha, after a shot hit the crossbar, and returned to it again, to aim towards the goal, before it hit the defender’s foot and changed its direction into the net.
Al-Ahly retreated to the defense in the last minutes, and Ramy Rabia participated at the expense of Percy Tau before the referee blew the final whistle with an exciting victory for the Red Castle (1-0).
