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A confident display from Aspire Qatar resulted in a narrow victory over US side Chicago Fire during Tuesday’s Group D group-stage game. Though the Americans fielded four forwards in an attacking line-up, the game was not the high-scoring affair that many had expected.
A match in which both sides defended well and looked to keep possession saw much of the play confined to the centre of the park. A strike in the 18th minute was the one real exception to this rule, when an attractive move from Aspire resulted in the game’s only goal. Breaking forward from midfield, the Qataris put together ten passes before finding the feet of centre forward Abdulrasheed Ibrahim, who went on to shoot confidently past American keeper Raymon Leon Jr.
For much of the first half both sides played some attractive pass-and-move football, with the teams looking to the wings for much of their creativity. Chicago Fire midfielder Malik Johnnson was an industrious presence along the left flank, constantly looking to beat the Aspire Qatar right back Khalifa Almanaseer with his electric pace.
And, in the final minutes of the first half, the 15-year-old came close to pulling his team level when he broke through and went one-on-one with the Aspire keeper. Fortunately for the Doha team, a last-minute sliding challenge from defender Khalid Mubarak Al-Naimi was enough to prevent the American from getting his shot away.
Kicking off the second half, Chicago Fire struggled to get back on level terms. The US side had made a 15-hour journey just days earlier, and Aspire seemed in no mood to go easy, with some tired legs beginning to show throughout The Fire’s young team.
With the Qataris becoming increasingly dominant, Khalid Mneer Maazeed was a constant threat as he sprayed the ball around midfield. On the 61st minute he came close to doubling his side’s lead when he skipped past four Chicago players before driving a shot from just outside the box, his strike sailing narrowly wide of the post.
The Americans had the next real chance eight minutes later, when a curling free kick from Liam Scott Fraser was met by forward Jacob Montes’ powerful header. The effort came so close to finding the net that Chicago Head Coach Lawrence Sunderland had risen to his feet to celebrate, before realising that his player’s great effort had hit the post.
Still, the Qataris kept searching for that elusive second goal, deploying three attacking substitutes in an attempt to boost their advantage. One of these, forward Hassan Palang, was looking lively as the game entered its final stages. He fired three long-range shots to test the Chicago keeper within the final ten minutes, including a 35-yard effort which forced an impressive save.
This was to be the game’s last real chance, however, and despite some promising moves from Chicago Fire, the Americans were unable to penetrate Aspire’s solid backline.
Though Abdulrasheed Ibrahim will receive plaudits for his well-taken goal, particular praise must also go to Aspire defender Khalid Al-Naimi, who delivered a performance of huge potential. The Doha team can now enjoy their win until Thursday, when they come up against tournament newcomers Manchester City.