 |
| Moment to cherish: Al Rayyan players celebrate their Emir’s Cup triumph at the Khalifa International Stadium yesterday |
Brazilian Rodrigo Tabata scored twice to lead Al Rayyan to their fifth Emir’s Cup title with a 2-1 victory in extra time over Al Gharafa in an entertaining final at the Khalifa International stadium yesterday. Tabata gave Paulo Autuori’s side a 1-0 half time lead from a free-kick in the 23rd minute of a lively match. Al Rayyan conceded a goal when Korean defender Yong-Hyung Cho put the ball into his own net in the 84th minute, taking the match into extra 30 minutes. But the Brazilian midfielder scored the winning goal – his 11th of the season – to help Al Rayyan successfully retain the title. Their other titles came in 1999, 2004 and 2006.
HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani presented the coveted trophy to the winning team and medals to the players after the final.
“I’d like to congratulate my team and everybody involved,” a delighted Al Rayyan coach Paulo Autuori told reporters after the final. “We have developed this team for over two years and now you see the result.
“It was a great achievement for us. We had a terrific tournament and ended as champions,” he added “We came up against a very strong Al Gharafa side but won. I call on all our fans who lent their invaluable support to rejoice and celebrate,” he added.
The match began on an energetic note with both sides trading attacks, with Al Rayyan’s Rodrigo Tabata going wide in the seventh minute. A minute later, fellow Brazilian Juninho supplied a teasing free-kick that was lifted over the bar by teammate Meerghani al-Zain with his header.
Rayyan coach Paulo Autuori flashes the V-sign after his team’s win. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil
Moments later, Al Rayyan’s Korean defender Yong-Hyung Cho denied Al Gharafa midfielder Lawrence Qwaye, taking the sting out of his shot from the edge of the area.
As the sides took turns to raid each other’s territories, Tabata almost put Al Rayyan in front in the 11th minute but his powerful shot from 20 yards was matched by a fine diving save from Qasim Burhan.
Then in the 13th minute, Al Gharafa scared the Al Rayyan camp with a well-coordinated move from the right. Amara Diane kept a long ball from al-Zain in play just off the goalline and amid a scramble in the Al Rayyan goalmouth captain Juninho appeared to have given Al Gharafa the lead but defender Mosis Mora came up with a double save off the line to clear the danger.Al Gharafa did put the ball into the net but al-Zain’s 22nd minute effort was ruled offside by Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai.
A minute on, Al Rayyan took a 1-0 lead, punishing Al Gharafa for leaving acres of space outside their 18-yard territory. A racing Jarallah al-Marri was hacked down 30 yards from the area and Tabata drove home from the resulting free-kick for his 10th goal of the season.
The goal enabled Al Rayyan to up the tempo as Autuori’s youthful team toyed with Al Gharafa in what began to resemble a training-ground kickabout. Tabata had another chance after a nice move in the 41st minute. But the Brazilian midfielder planted his shot straight into the hands of Burhan. Al Gharafa striker Younis Mahmoud then sent his back volley wide a minute from half time.
Al Gharafa came out with more verve in the second half and began to threaten the Al Rayyan defence with a host of chances. But Qatari international Quaye fired his volley narrowly wide from 22 yards three minutes into the half and al-Zain’s efforts in the 68th and 70th minutes were denied by some stout defending from Al Rayyan.
As frustration began to creep in, Al Gharafa’s Ahmed Faris and Hamed Shami and Al Rayyan captain Younis Ali were booked.
Al Rayyan came out of the traps and found the net in the 80th minute with Cesar and striker al-Marri showing good coordination inside the Al Gharafa area. But al-Marri was rightly ruled offside. The 23-year-old striker continued to cause trouble for the Al Gharafa defence with his pace but was let down by poor finishing.
In the 84th minute, Al Gharafa’s sustained pressure paid off with an equaliser. Defender Yong-Hyung, who until then was flawless in the Al Rayyan back, gave the lifeline to Al Gharafa when he miscued a header into his own net while trying to clear a Juninho corner.
Al Gharafa came out with a spring in their step to dominate the opening 10 minutes of the extra time.
But Al Rayyan restored their lead in the 103rd minute after a defence-splitting pass from al-Marri sent Tabata clear inside the area on the left. And the Brazilian put away the ball with a clinical finish after rounding the advancing ’keeper Burhan.
Al Gharafa continued to mount pressure on their rivals but a string of poor finishing from Mahmoud, Saad al-Shammari and Fuhaid al-Shammari let Al Rayyan off the hook. Al Gharafa thought they had earned another lifeline when Bilal Mohammed nodded home on a long cross in injury time, but the defender was ruled offside to the delight of Al Rayyan players and fans.
And once Al Rayyan had run down three minutes of injury time, the final whistle from the referee was the signal for joyous scenes among their fans, with coach Autuori being mobbed and players collapsing to the ground in tears.