Keep the momentum, Denizli demands

AFC – Pas coach Mustafa Denizli is looking for his players to build on their winning start to the 2005/06 Iran Pro League campaign and go all out for victory in the first leg of their AFC Champions League quarter-final clash with Al Ain.

“It’s been a fantastic start to the season and I hope they’ll carry that winning formula against Al Ain,” said Denizli after the team’s first workout in Al Ain on Monday.

Pas, looking to win continental silverware for only the second time after their 1-0 victory, over Al Shabab in the 1992 Asian Club Championship, go into the clash with Al Ain on the back of two morale-boasting league wins.

Midfielder Javad Shirzadeh, who didn’t feature in Pas’ Champions League Group A triumph, scored a sublime winner in the Tehran side’s 1-0 defeat of two-time Asian club champions Esteghlal to make it two wins from two after double from Iran international Arash Borhani and Mohsen Bayatiniya effort saw Pas cruise to a 3-1 opening day win over Saipa.

“We are at full strength and have come well prepared,” continued Denizli. “The start we have had in our own league couldn’t have been better ahead of this game and we hope could carry on until the end of this continental competition.”

Despite the Iranians playing the first leg of the quarter-final away, Pas are not going to be satisfied with just a point and with no injuries or suspensions to worry about, the former Turkey coach has insisted his side will be going for the win on Wednesday.

“It’s important to get a good foothold from this opening leg and the best way to achieve that is to play for a win.

“We have a lot of respect for Al Ain as they have already one this title and have featured in all three ACL quarters so we’ll have to play with the minimum of errors.”

Milan Macala, meanwhile, has not enjoyed the same start to the season as his Pas counterpart as Al Ain struggled to beat 10-man Al Nasr in their E-League curtain raiser before going down 2-1 to Al Jazira last week.

However, the burly Czech has insisted that a couple of disappointing domestic league games should not be a yardstick to judge his team’s true potential when they take on Pas

“We had to play a couple of tough league games under trying weather conditions and no doubt they were poor results by our own standards, but those two games bear no evidence of the team’s ability,” said Macala who led Al Ain to the President’s Cup last season and an automatic qualification for the 2006 ACL competition.

“It’s difficult for any team to play in such harsh conditions and I would like to think the Iran club will feel more uneasy in the sapping weather than us.

“The ACL is a different competition where the winner takes it all in the two-legged tie. I strongly feel my boys to raise their game when it comes to playing at this level.”

Al Ain host Pas at the Tahnon bin Mohammed Stadium on Wednesday, with the match scheduled to kick-off at 19:15hrs local time. The return fixture in Tehran is a week later.