At 34 years of age, it looked as though Roberto Firmino had rolled back the years and done enough to send Al Sadd through to the AFC Champions League Elite semifinals.
With a visionary back-heel, trademark chested assist and a deft volleyed finish, the iconic Brazilian forward had a hand in all three of Al Sadd’s goals, which — for 92 minutes — looked enough for victory at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Unfortunately for them, there were 93 minutes to be played in regulation time of Thursday evening’s quarterfinal.
And, as much as Firmino was the most-experienced and recognisable face on the pitch, Al Sadd’s opponents Vissel Kobe had some seasoned campaigners of their own to call upon.
Indeed, it was one of them — Yoshinori Muto — who would pop up with a dramatic equaliser in the third and final minute of added time to force a 3-3 draw that led to extra-time and, eventually, penalties — where it was Vissel who held their nerve to claim a 5-4 shootout victory and advance to the last four.
Up till that fateful 93rd minute, the headlines were destined to be all about Firmino, who will be bitterly disappointed not to be going any further after lifting the trophy as captain of Al Ahli just 12 months ago.
Even in defeat, Al Sadd deserve plenty of credit for a herculean effort, given they had just three days to recover from their previous 120-minute exertions in Monday’s shootout win over Al Hilal in the round of 16 — where coach Roberto Mancini had incredulously opted against making a single substitution for the entirety of the contest, even in extra-time.
Remarkably, the same XI took to the field at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium to kick things off on Thursday, but any suspicion that Al Sadd might be suffering from fatigue was dismissed by the sixth minute when they broke the deadlock.
Casual but effective as ever, Firmino won possession in the middle of the park and then nonchalantly back-heeled the ball to find Claudinho, who immediately sent Akram Afif charging forward with an incisive pass.
As he approached the opposition area, Afif would in turn thread the ball into the path of Rafa Mújica — who made no mistake in dispatching a low shot past Daiya Maekawa.
Falling behind so early on would have startled Vissel but they were never going to be dazed by it. Not with the amount of experience they boasted on the park.
A day earlier, in his pre-match news conference, Vissel coach Michael Skibbe had highlighted the importance of having his full squad available — including their calmest of old heads.
Many of them are no longer at the peak of their powers. Some, like Yuya Osako — who has been hampered by injury in recent times — are no longer expected to play influential roles week in, week out.
Nonetheless, these games — under the bright lights of the continental stage — are the ones they are made for.
Osako and Gōtoku Sakai may have a combined age of 70. But they also have almost a hundred Japan caps between them along with two FIFA World Cups each.
And when Sakai ventured down the right in the 24th minute, only needing one look up before his searching cross picked out Osako, who had cleverly ghosted in behind Boualem Khoukhi to send a powerful header past Meshaal Barsham and make it 1-1, they too — like Firmino — were rolling back the years.
Vissel spent the rest of the opening 45 dominating proceedings. Osako was unlucky not to score with another header that came off the bar in the 34th minute, which was followed by Yuta Goke somehow blazing the rebound over from a yard out.
Then, as the second half got underway, Firmino took over again.
A minute after the hour mark, the ex-Liverpool star — having found space inside the Vissel box to be picked out by a searching Claudinho pass — audaciously chested the ball first-time to Mújica, who emphatically volleyed home for his second of the evening.
Just four minutes later, Mújica returned the favour — running onto an excellent over-the-top ball by Afif down the left and lifting his cross just out of Maekawa’s reach to leave Firmino with a simple side-footed finish on the volley into the unguarded net from six yards.
Vissel were now in desperate need of a response. Enter Yosuke Ideguchi in the 74th minute.
Ideguchi is by no means in the same age bracket as Muto, Osako and Sakai. At 29, some might even argue he should be in his prime. Most importantly, he also has top-level European experience to draw on.
When indecisive defending by Al Sadd defender Tarek Salman saw him lose possession inside his own area, substitutes Makoto Mitsuta and Jean Patric would swiftly combine to pave a shooting path for Ideguchi — who took a brief moment to steady before firing away a low effort that left Barsham rooted to the spot.
Still, as the clock ticked on, it looked as though Al Sadd would be able to hold out with Vissel appearing to be out of ideas.
With one final hopeful approach, in the final play of the 90, Rikuto Hirose‘s whipped delivery from the right was the perfect invitation Muto needed.
The combative forward has never been short of endeavour in his career, and this sheer desire saw him make a determined run in between two defenders to meet Hirose’s cross and squeeze an expertly-guided header in at the near post to extend the contest in stunning fashion.
Given the way the game had panned out, it only seemed fitting that narrative would continue in extra-time — but which veteran would be able to get one final moment of magic out of their weary legs?
Would it be the former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winner in Firmino? Or would it be one of Vissel’s old guard, who count teams like Newcastle, Celtic, Werder Bremen and Hamburg among their former clubs?
It would instead be one that has never plied his trade abroad: the loyal 31-year-old servant Maekawa, who has only played for Vissel in his entire career.
Thrice, Al Sadd looked destined to score. On all three occasions, Maekawa — who looked like he had turned up for the wrong sporting contest given the scrum cap he was wearing as protection following a head injury he suffered in their previous game — produced stunning saves to deny Javairô Dilrosun twice and Afif once.
Were it not for Maekawa’s intervention, Al Sadd would have settled matters in the extra half-hour.
Instead, the tie would ultimately have to be decided by penalties.
Again, the elder statesmen stayed calm. Firmino, Osako and Muto — who all had incredibly lasted 120 minutes — stepped up early in the shootout. All would convert, although Osako’s unconvincing first for Vissel was almost kept out by a combination of goalkeeper and woodwork.
In the end, only one would fail to convert from the spot: Claudinho, the unlucky fall guy for Al Sadd.
It was certainly heartbreaking for Al Sadd following their heroic displays over the past 240 minutes.
Maybe even more so for Firmino, who surely would have loved to go further and perhaps come up against Al Ahli — who unceremoniously let him leave the club following his role in their first continental crown, after he had been increasingly marginalised as they brought in newer imports and then had to free up space in their foreigner limit.
It was still a fine display from the well-loved Brazilian.
Yet, on a night where the older heads prevailed — and even stole the show — Vissel just happened to have a handful more.
