Al Sharjah rally to hold Al Wasl

Dubai - The Cheetahs miss opportunity to move to third in the Arabian Gulf League

Al Wasl 1
(Goal: Fabio de Lima 30. Yellow cards: Waheed Ismail 55, Aljneibi 69, Yaser Salem 87. Red card: Waheed Ismail 81)

Al Sharjah 1
(Goal: Wanderley 70. Yellow cards: Walid Ahmed 40, Ricardinho 78. Red card: Abdulla Ahmed 90)


Al Wasl missed an opportunity to go third on the table after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Al Sharjah in the Arabian Gulf League on Saturday night.
Wanderley cancelled out Fabio de Lima's opener from a penalty as 'The King' returned with a point from the Zabeel Stadium.
The stalemate left 'The Cheetahs tied on 36 points with Al Wahda, while Al Sharjah have 26 points.
The first half had opportunities aplenty with both Al Wasl and Al Sharjah having a fair share of them.
The Cheetahs had the first attempt, eight minutes in, from a defensive blunder. The Sharjah backline failed to clear and it fell in Ahmed Al Shamsi's path. Al Shamsi sent an inviting chip from the right but Caio headed just wide from close range.
Two minutes later at the other end, Wanderley was denied by goalkeeper Yousef Abdulla, who cleared it for a corner before the former could get the header in.
Al Sharjah came really close to going ahead on 14 minutes when Maico unleashed a threatening shot from just outside the box. But goalkeeper Mohammed Yousif did well by diving to his right to push it away for a corner.
Al Wasl asked questions when Al Shamsi fired in a curling cross from the right but Abdulla Ahmed won the battle of the headers with Caio, on 19 minutes. 
Al Sharjah were denied by the woodwork on 22 minutes when Wanderley's header from close range hit the near post after Ricardinho had worked his way from the right and sent a cross across the goal. 
The Cheetahs finally broke the deadlock on the half hour with Fabio de Lima coming up with the deftest of touches to deflect a long ball from Rogerio Coutinho from the left.
Al Wasl could have got a second after the break with Coutinho unleashing a pile driver but Mohammed Yousif pulled off a fine save. 
Wanderley botched up perhaps the best opportunity to give Al Sharjah the equaliser after having done all the spadework. Wanderley weaved his way through a maze of Al Wasl defenders and broke away but he fired it straight to Yousef Abdulla. Maico then drilled the rebound over, on 64 minutes.
They did restore parity though with 20 minutes left after Wanderley made no mistake with the penalty after Aljneibi had tripped Ricardinho inside the box. 
Al Wasl had to play the remaining nine minutes with 10 men after their captain Waheed Ismail was sent off following a second booking.
Al Sharjah too ended with 10 men after Abdulla Ahmed was given marching orders.
james@khaleejtimes.com