Canedo stars in Wasl's easy win

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Al Wasl goalkeeper Rashed Ali thwarts Bani Yas’ Ahmed Khameis Rabei from scoring at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai on Friday.
Al Wasl goalkeeper Rashed Ali thwarts Bani Yas' Ahmed Khameis Rabei from scoring at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai on Friday.

Dubai - From the resultant flag kick, Hugo Viana picked out Da Silva and his downward header was almost turned in by Hazza Salem on the goal-line before Khalaf hurriedly parried away the danger.

By Alex Leach

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Published: Sat 10 Oct 2015, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Sat 10 Oct 2015, 1:30 PM

Caio Canedo made one and scored the other as Al Wasl moved clear at the top of Group A in the Arabian Gulf Cup (AGC) with this 2-0 victory over Bani Yas here on Friday evening.
The Brazilian attacker picked out compatriot Fabio Lima for the opener early on and then profited from a goalkeeping gaffe to put the seal on this comfortable success with 30 minutes left on referee Abdulla Al Ajel's stopwatch.
The Cheetahs got off to an ideal start after only two minutes, when Lima was on hand to casually side-foot home Canedo's drilled and pinpoint centre from the left flank. Lima came close to a second in the 10th minute, latching on to Edgar Bruno Da Silva's cushioned lay-off to fire in a deflected drive that looped up and forced Bani Yas captain Mohamed Khalaf to palm onto the top of his crossbar and out for a corner.
From the resultant flag kick, Hugo Viana picked out Da Silva and his downward header was almost turned in by Hazza Salem on the goal-line before Khalaf hurriedly parried away the danger.
It was just the beginning a side in Wasl's predicament would have wanted in the wake of back-to-back 2-0 defeats to Al Nasr and Al Ain in the Arabian Gulf League (AGL).
Bani Yas meanwhile simply hadn't got going and they could well have found themselves further behind midway through the opening 45 minutes. Viana's long, raking pass found Lima in acres of space in behind the visitors' rearguard and his chest trap fell invitingly into the path of Da Silva.
However, with only Khalaf to beat, the former Al Shabab forward clipped his attempt waywardly wide with the outside of his right boot. Those same two players combined prior to the half hour mark, with Lima once more setting Da Silva away clear for another presentable opening. He again passed up the opportunity though, poking harmlessly off target as Khalaf came out quickly to narrow the angle at his near post. For their part, Luis Garcia's men sporadically threatened in the time remaining before the half-time whistle. Rashed Ali wasn't exactly unduly troubled in the hosts' goal by their attacking endeavours, leaving the Sky Blues' Spanish coach with plenty of work to do in the 15-minute break.
The away team consequently showed much more intent upon the resumption of play and Wasl's chances were hit five minutes after the restart when Lima succumbed to injury. He was replaced by Hassan Ameen. Wasl need not have fretted over Lima's enforced withdrawal for, 10 minutes later, they doubled their advantage thanks to an absolute gift from Khalaf.
The Bani Yas shot-stopper inadvisably tried a short goal-kick to one of his dawdling defenders, allowing Da Silva to nip in with a sliding interception that rolled on to Canedo. His rising effort was straight at the culpable custodian, yet the crisp finish merely brushed his fingertips on its way to the roof of the net.
alex@khaleejtimes.com


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