Yesterday was a
black day for the Abu Dhabi-based football teams, as both Al Jazira and Al
Wahda lost at home to Al Ahli (1-2) and Al Shaab (0-1) respectively.
With Al Ittihad drawing 1-1 against joint leaders Al Ain, the lead in the
first division league stays with Al Ahli.
Ahli returned victorious to Dubai with 20 points from nine matches, two
points more than Al Nasr and Al Ain, who are now joint second.
It was Al Jazira's mistakes that led to their fall and first defeat in the
league this season. Their Dutch coach, Jan Verselygn, selected a midfield
that could defend better than attack, with Qasim Omar performing a central
role for the first time, instead of his usual place on the right flank,
while Hamad Mohammed was in his worst form.
This led to strikers - George Weah and James Debbah - being left all alone
up front, and made it easier for the visiting team's defenders to mark
them.
Weah, realising the lack of assistance from the midfield, tried to shoot
from long distances, but bad luck and Ali Saeed, the visiting custodian,
kept the Liberian star from scoring.
He had two headers, at least one of which should have put his team into
the lead, but it wasn't his day.
Al Ahli, meanwhile, were playing cautiously, securing their backline and
depending on counter-attacks through their midfielder, Salim Khamis, and
their two Iranian strikers, Ali Karimi and Jawad Kazimiani.
Ahli's first serious attempt on the home team's goal was fruitful. A foul
by Ali Hassan Ibrahim on Adil Abdul Aziz on the left flank resulted in a
free kick. While the home team players were busy protesting the referee's
decision, Abdul Aziz took advantage of the whistle blowing to cross, and
Kazimiani headed home from inside the six-yard area.
Thirty-three minutes into the match and Al Ahli led 1-0.
Seven minutes later, Ali Hassan Abbass, the visitors' defender, added the
second goal for Ahli, following a tremendous solo run which indicated the
vulnerability of the Al Jazira defence and midfield.
Weah salvaged some pride for the home team by reducing the deficit in the
dying minutes of the first half when he headed home a free kick from Hamad.
In the second half, Al Jazira pressed forward but lacked organisation and
imagination and their play was random most of the time, sending long high
balls to Weah only for Ahli defenders to clean-up first time.
Verselygn was late in making amends and the first substitution he made did
not lead to strengthening his team's attack, as Bakhit Saad, who came to
replace Mohammed Al Sayed, was a slow player and tended to keep the ball
too long.
Hussain Suhail and Yousuf Abdul Aziz were only brought in ten minutes
before the end and time was already running against the team that had lost
concentration by that time.
In the other matches played yesterday, Al Wasl scored their first win of
the league after beating Sharjah 2-1 at Sharjah stadium. Farhad Majiedi
scored Al Wasl's first goal in the 18th minute with Nawaf Mubarak
levelling for Sharjah in the 75th minute.
Humaid Yousuf snatched the winner for Al Wasl in the last minute from the
spot. Al Wasl are in eighth position with eight points while Sharjah
stayed 11th with five points.
In Kalba, Al Ain were forced to settle for a draw with Al Ittihad at the
latter's ground in Kalba. Al Ain dropped to the third place with 18
points, while Al Ittihad in the ninth place with seven points.
Al Shabab are still looking for their first win in the league. They were
held to a 2-2 draw by Al Dhafra at Maktoum bin Rashid stadium in Dubai. Al
Shabab stayed at the bottom of the table with three points while Al Dhafra
become 10th with six points. |