Hercules the hero as Fluminense beat Al Hilal in Club World Cup quarters
Substitute Hercules scored his second goal in as many second-half appearances to send Fluminense into the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Al Hilal in Orlando, Florida.
The tournament underdogs struck first on Friday through Matheus Martinelli in the first half before Al Hilal hit back after the break when Marcus Leonardo found the net.
But Fluminense refused to be denied and regained their lead in the 70th minute through Hercules to secure a memorable win over Al Hilal in the first meeting between the two clubs.
The Brazilian side, who entered the tournament as one of the biggest long shots, will now face the winners of Friday’s other quarterfinal clash between fellow Brazilians Palmeiras and English Premier League side Chelsea.
Al Hilal exit despite a fourth tournament goal for striker Leonardo.
