JEDDAH, 12 January 2003 — Al-Ittihad regained the top spot in the King Fahd Cup Soccer Tournament after a pulsating 1-1 draw with Al-Hilal at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium here yesterday.
In a match which saw fortunes fluctuating, Ittihad had to wait till midway through the second half to ensure at least a share of points, which gave them the top spot in the league again on better goal difference. Ittihad and Qadisiya both are on 26 points and the latter is second ahead of Hilal, who are placed third with 25 points.
Ittihad began with a flourish and had established control in the first quarter of the game. In this period of domination, Ittihad got the ball into the back of the Hilal net in the eighth minute, with Hamza Idrees striking true. But the referee canceled out the goal, ruling that Idrees had handled the ball.
Ironically, it was Ittihad which fell into arrears soon after when a mistake by Ittihadi defender Basem Al-Yami let Hilal’s Sami Al-Jaber in. Al-Jaber took advantage of a fumble by Al-Yami, who slipped in the process. The fleet-footed Al-Jaber raced in without a shadow marking him and slotted the ball home with finesse.
Tension rose as Ittihad tried to force the pace, while Hilal defended stoutly. The referee had to show the yellow card on many occasions to keep the tempers from getting frayed.
With the match slipping into a game of swift attacks and counterattacks, Ittihad nearly let another goal in. In the 32 minute, defender Hussain Mabrook almost scored an own goal when his back pass was collected by goalkeeper Mabrouk Zayed. Zayed had to beat a charging Al-Jaber to the ball in an amazing recovery.
Another defensive lapse in the 43rd, this time by Basem Al-Yami, saw Ittihad escape another own goal. In an ensuing melee, Basem’s needless clearance in the box sailed past the upright despite Zayed having the angle covered. The corner proved abortive.
A rejuvenated Ittihad were more composed in the second session and this led to them stringing some many incisive moves. Ittihad threatened Hilal’s goal soon on resumption when left-winger Saleh Al-Sagry’s shot beat Hilal goalkeeper Muhammad Al-Daeya, but the ball passed out harmlessly past the right upright. Ittihad kept up a sustained pressure with Idrees coming close in the 13th minute of the half.
And in the 67th minute, Ittihad finally succeeded in notching the equalizer. Hassan Al-Yami’s crisp center floated goalward, and Muhammad Nur was at hand to head home the goal to the wild cheers of the Ittihadi fans. Though Ittihad continued to exert control, Hilal held out to gain a share of points.
