October 26, 2004

AFC Cup 2004 Semi-finals – Second Leg

Geylang United	0	1	Al Wahda (Syria)
			Moussad Traore 12’

An early goal by Moussa Traore earned Syrian Al Wahda a 1-0 win over Singapore Geylang United at the Bedok Stadium, sending the Syrian league champions through to the inaugural AFC Cup final.

The Syrian side were held 1-1 in last week’s first leg in Damascus but Traore strike proved decisive as they hung on despite a late barrage by the hosts to advance to a likely all-Syria final against rivals Al Jaish, who lead Home United 4-0 in the other semi-final.

The draw in Damascus meant that Al Wahda had to score a goal in Singapore in order to stay alive in the competition. However, it was the home side that had the better of the early chances with Noor Ali’s point-blank header forcing an excellent reflex save out of Al Wahda goalkeeper Badderddin Azowar while Noh Rahman fired wide after being set up by Fazrul Nawaz’s excellent run down the left wing.

Eagles were to regret those misses as Al Wahda took the lead with their only real clear-cut chance of the match. Iyad Mandou set up the goal despite being surrounded by 3 Eagles players with an incisive through ball that found Guinean striker Moussa Traore, who slid a low shot past goalkeeper Shahril Jantan & just inside the far post.

With the aggregate score in their favour, Al Wahda sat back to defend their advantage & started using niggly challenges & time-wasting tactics so often associated with Middle-East sides to stall any Eagles threat. It led to anger on both Eagles players & crowd sides, rough play developed as the game worn on.

A break was what the Eagles needed as they recollect themselves. They began the second half strongly & could have been on level terms just 5 minutes after the break when Noh Rahman launched a long ball from the right touchline that was tipped over the crossbar by a back-pedalling Azowar. Al Wahda absorbed the early pressure & started to stop that pressure with their niggly challenges & time-wasting tactics again.

It appeared to work but the story should have been so different in the last 10 minutes as the Eagles found themselves with 3 golden chances to draw level. First a poor clearance by the Al Wahda defence presented possession back to Eagles, who worked the ball over to Mark Williams on the Eagles left flank. The defender sent in an inviting high cross to the far post but Noor Ali headed well over from point blank range with the keeper in no-man-land. Then with time running out, Duric was presented with a glorious opportunity when Azowar dropped a high cross from the right but it just dropped behind the Australian, who back now faced the goal, so he had to hurry his shot as 2 defenders was already on the line & it cam off against the top of the woodwork & out of play. The last golden chance fell back to Noor Ali who could have make up for his earlier miss as Noor Ali then took the ball down the right byline got pass his marker& sent in a shot that curled & past the keeper but it rattled off the top of the crossbar and out to safety, putting an end to Geylang United’s AFC Cup hopes.

The Eagles had nothing to be embarrassed for they showed their full efforts as spoken by some in the crowds but they clearly lacked the creative & killer touch of Home United the other Singapore AFC Cup side but too bad both sides appeared to be going out.