Hercules Winner Puts Fluminense into the Semis

On a sunny day at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, the surprising side of Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia faced one of the top clubs of Brazil in Fluminense, in the Quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup. After a lovely entertaining match that had all the action you can crave for, Fluminense were victorious as they defeated Al Hilal by a final score of two goals to one.

In the 40th minute, Fluminense attacks down the near side, then a cross inside the area. The chance was stopped by the defense of Al Hilal, but they couldn’t clear it out far enough. That’s when Martinelli just stepped up, took a couple of steps to the ball, and smashed across the face of the goal and splashed it inside the near upper 90.

In first half stoppage time, Al Hilal earned a free kick along the far side. The free kick was delivered by Ruben Neves toward the inside the area. Camping underneath the ball and delivering a snap header was Kalidou Koulibaly, but the amazing left-handed diving save by Fabio denied their opponents the equalizer.

As the second half began, Al Hilal earned a corner in the 50th minute. The ball was placed at the far corner, and the ball was delivered in the 51st minute. As it arrived, Koulibaly jumped up and headed the ball down towards the net. His teammate Marcos Leonardo was at the right place at the right time to settle it and flicked it up high and inside the roof of the net for the equalizer.

In the 70th minute, Fluminense wanted the lead back, and they got it. As the free kick was crossed toward the far side of the pitch, Samuel Xavier jumped for the ball and headed it down toward the path of the second half substitute, Hercules. He took control of the ball and blasted a hard shot that the keeper couldn’t get, as he scored his second consecutive goal in the FIFA Club World Cup.

After a frantic final seven minutes of second-half stoppage time, Al Hilal made several attempts to get that second equalizer, but unfortunately, they couldn’t, and Fluminense of Brazil have advanced as the first side in the FIFA Club World Cup to qualify for the Semi-Finals. One of two Brazilian clubs is now in the final four.