Tangier, February 5 (BNA): Mohamed Afsha scored a deflected shot in the 88th minute and sent Al-Ahly to the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, defeating Seattle Sounders 1-0.
Afsha scored a goal after coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute. Al-Ahly advanced to the semi-finals for the third year in a row, surprisingly ending the first appearance for a team from the United States in the competition, the Associated Press reports.
His initial shot from outside the penalty area hit the crossbar. Seattle couldn’t keep the menace at bay, and Afsha’s second attempt cleared defender Alex Roldan and went past goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
This was the only shot on target by the Al-Masry club as the two teams played a tight defensive game with limited scoring chances.
Al-Ahly will face Real Madrid in the semi-finals next Wednesday in Rabat. Al-Ahly has not lost a match in any competition since August 27 in the Egyptian Premier League.
Al-Ahly finished third in each of the two FIFA Club World Cup finals, but did not reach the final.
Seattle was the first Major League Soccer club to participate in the Club World Cup after winning the CONCACAF Champions League last May. The Sounders carried hopes of progression through their first game and played at least three games in the event.
But while Seattle was excellent defensively, it lacked good chances offensively. Seattle finished with only one shot on goal, a guesswork attempt by defensive quarterback Josh Attensio early in the second half.
“I thought we were good. I thought we were even. Two chances. But the deflection was unfortunate,” Seattle coach Brian Schmitzer said.
Seattle was playing its first competitive game in 3 1/2 months while the rest of the American League was going through preseason preparations. The Sounders’ previous game was last October and the team met for MLS prep camp in early January.
“They put everything into the game. They put everything into the preseason,” Schmitzer said.