ABU DHABI // Al Jazira crashed out of the Asian Champions League in an agonising penalty shoot-out against Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia last night.
Ricardo Oliveira's opening spot kick was blocked by Abdullah Ibrahim, the Ahli goalkeeper, and Lucas Neill's effort crashed against the crossbar. Victor Simoes then stepped up for Ahli's final penalty to seal the game 4-2 after a 3-3 deadlock at the end of extra time.
It was a heartbreaking finish for the home side, who were four minutes away from emerging as the winners on a energy-sapping evening.
But it was Ahli who had the mental and physical strength to match their Abu Dhabi opponents.
Oliveira had the game almost won for Jazira when he put them 3-2 up with just four minutes of extra time left but the visitors hit back through Simoes two minutes later to take the game to penalties.
Jazira started the match on the attack and had an early chance. Bare lost control of possession in front of the goalmouth but he did well to recover and slip it back to Matias Delgado, who shot wide from 10 yards.
Ahli then drew first blood through Marcelo Camacho.
The Brazilian forward played a fortuitous one-two with a teammate before expertly dispatching the ball into the top corner of the net.
The home side replied 11 minutes later when Oliveira connected a stunning header off a cross from Ibrahim Diaky.
Oliveira's free kick from just outside the penalty area was blocked and the teams went in at half time on level terms.
With 62 minutes gone, Delgado, the Argentine midfielder, scored with a deft touch to a low ball from Sultan Bargash, the second half substitute for Bare, the Brazilian forward.
But Jazira surrendered the lead when Emad Sulaiman ran on to a lobbed pass and flicked the ball past Ali Kasheif, the home goalkeeper, to take the game in to extra time.
apassela@thenattional.ae
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