Hercules continues legendary run and secures semi-final place

Hercules wrote his title into Fluminense legend as his second-half strike secured a 2-1 win over Al Hilal and booked their place within the Membership World Cup semi-finals.

Having already shocked Inter Milan to succeed in the final eight, Fluminense have been underdogs once more in Orlando towards Simone Inzaghi’s aspect.

But they took the lead within the fortieth minute by Matheus Martinelli’s beautiful bending effort.

Al-Hilal, having earlier seen a penalty award overturned after a VAR overview, levelled by Marcos Leonardo’s fourth purpose of the match six minutes into the second half.

Fluminense, although, have been to not be denied, and it was Hercules who settled an entertaining contest when Martinelli’s alternative surged into the penalty space and fired into the bottom-left nook 20 minutes from the top of regular time.

Fluminense v Al Hilal

There have been emotional scenes earlier than kick-off as a minute’s silence was held for Liverpool ahead Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva after they have been tragically killed in a automotive accident on Thursday. Jota’s Portugal team-mates Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves have been tearful because the silence was noticed.

The primary half had been low key till it burst into life with Martinelli’s wondrous opener, which noticed him flip as he collected Facundo Bernal’s go and bend a chic strike into the top-right nook.

Al Hilal have been denied an equaliser when Fluminense’s 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio stretched each sinew to dive and switch away Kalidou Koulibaly’s highly effective header.

The Saudi aspect seemed to have been awarded a controversial spot-kick after Danny Makkiele pointed to the spot following a coming collectively between Samuel Xavier and Leonardo at a free-kick in stoppage time.

However replays confirmed Xavier had been wanting on the ball all through because the ball got here into the field and that contact between the 2 had been incidental.

Al-Hilal have been livid as Makkiele signalled he had overturned his unique resolution, however there was delight for them quickly after the restart when Leonardo stabbed dwelling after Koulibaly’s header was blocked.

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Only a minute later, German Cano was despatched by by a defensive error on the different finish, however Bono averted the hazard by dashing from his purpose to smother because the ahead tried to around the Morocco goalkeeper.

Moteb Al Harbi lashed over a presentable alternative to finish the turnaround for Al Hilal and that proved expensive as Hercules punished his profligacy.

Hercules, having changed the booked Martinelli after half-time, continued his run into the field after his preliminary path to purpose was blocked, and he latched on to Xavier’s header from an Al Hilal half clearance fantastically earlier than powering past Bono.

Bono produced heroics to maintain out a Xavier volley and deny Fluminense a 3rd, and Al Hilal by no means considerably threatened to discover a second equaliser because the Brazilian aspect ensured their memorable run will proceed into the final 4.