Jeedah (Saudi Arabia), Dec 19: The wily guile of defender Marcelo won the penalty that helped send Fluminense’s veteran team to the Club World Cup final after beating Al Ahly 2-0.
Marcelo’s fine footwork at the edge of the Al Ahly penalty area teased forward Percy Tau into the tackle that put Jhon Arias on the spot to convert a 71st-minute penalty.
Fluminense sealed victory in the 90th, when substitute John Kennedy scored with a curling left-foot shot.
The Brazilian club will play Manchester City or Urawa Red Diamonds in the final on Friday, trying to give South America just a second Club World Cup title in 17 years.
Al Ahly, whose noisy red-clad fans made up most of a near-35,000 crowd, will play a third-place game on Friday against the loser of the other semifinal. It is played on Tuesday at the same King Abdullah Sports City stadium.
While Marcelo helped create for Fluminense at one end, the 40-year-old defender Felipe Melo and 43-year-old goalkeeper Fábio protected at the other.
Felipe Melo produced a standout moment of the first half, racing back toward goal to tackle Tau, who had been clear in space and was poised to shoot.
Fábio’s calm and precise positional sense let him save repeatedly from Al Ahly’s 18 goal attempts. (AP)
