Al Wasl beats Al Muharraq 3-1 in GCC tourney

Published Jun. 6, 2012 5:22 a.m. ET

foxsports

Diego Maradona's Al Wasl beat Al Muharraq of Bahrain 3-1 in the first leg of the GCC Champions League final, giving the football great a chance to collect a first trophy with the club.

Husssain Ali opened the scoring for the Bahraini club on Tuesday when he tapped in a cross in the 49th minute.

But it was all Al Wasl after that. Essa Ali's long-distance strike four minutes later drew Al Wasl level and substitute Rashed Essa then sidestepped several defenders to put the Dubai team ahead in the 73rd. Juan Olivera's header in the 84th put the match out of reach.

The return leg will be in Dubai on Sunday.

The GCC tournament is a second-tier competition that mostly includes teams who didn't reach the Asian Champions League. But winning it would give Maradona a lift after what has been a disappointing season. Al Wasl finished eighth in the 12-team league.