Al Ain tightened their grip on the title of most successful league team in UAE football history, securing a 13th top-flight crown on Saturday with a 4-0 thrashing of rivals Al Nasr.
It might extend their overall record to six more titles than both Al Wasl and Al Ahli (now Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club) who have seven apiece, but it is a first league triumph in three seasons and a maiden title since 2015’s Arabian Gulf Super Cup.
Here, we take a closer look at how they won it.
SORTING OUT THE ATTACK
For too many years, the Boss have been brilliant at the back but lacked the personnel up front to carry them to a league title. While their goalkeeper and defence forms the foundation of the back five at international level, in attack they have looked fragile and lacking creativity.
Douglas, Danilo Asprilla, Emmanuel Emenike and Nasser Al Shamrani have all tried and failed to fill the huge goalscoring void left by the prolific Asamoah Gyan. But in Swedish spearhead Marcus Berg, they have found a focal point with which to pierce significant holes in any defence.
The former Panathinaikos and Hamburg man’s hat-trick here saw him surge to the top of the AGL scoring charts with 21 goals and 29 in total during a debut campaign which ends with a trip to Russia to carry his country’s hopes at this summer’s World Cup.
Brazilian winger Caio has caused havoc down both flanks to reiterate his brilliance – of which glimpses were shown in a debut 2016/17 campaign. But the spark has been the elusive Egyptian Hussein El Shahat, who has sprinkled a smattering of stardust on this team since his January arrival.
His presence has been the catalyst that’s driven Al Ain to a 13th title, with his performances earning him a call-up from Pharaohs coach Hector Cuper for March’s training camp and possibly a place on the plane to Russia.
Hussein El Shahat (l) has been a revelation since his January arrival.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
The table doesn’t lie, you very rarely win a league played over a long period via luck or with a few good performances – which can easily happen in a cup run.
Zoran Mamic’s men have been the best team in the Emirates this season, despite the admirable challenge of Al Wahda and diminishing one from Al Wasl. One defeat in 21 games speaks volumes to the Boss’ consistency, which has been a running theme throughout their season.
Wasl might well be the most exciting attacking team in the AGL and surged into contention early on following a lightning start which saw them go unbeaten in their first 11 games and lose just once in their opening 14.
After showing tremendous promise in Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s debut season a year ago, it seemed the Cheetahs would chase down a maiden league title in 11 long seasons following a blistering start – spearheaded by brilliant Brazilian talisman Fabio De Lima.
But they have capitulated since Christmas – losing five of their last 10 to fall drastically out of contention. They are even in danger of finishing outside the automatic places for AFC Champions League qualification, with the Blue Wave on their coat-tails.
Pragmatic but less powerful Wahda have stayed the course much longer, but the Boss have been simply breathtaking.
Al Ain coach Zoran Mamic has overseen a more consistent Al Ain this season.
FINDING A WAY TO WIN
Al Ain have suffered from having a soft underbelly in recent seasons – their 2012/13 title triumph was followed by a miserable title defence which saw them finish a dismal sixth the following season.
They finished a distant fourth last term and there were signs early on this season that they remained fragile – they surrendered the lead twice to draw 2-2 with early pacesetters Wasl on the opening day of the season. Leads of 3-1 and 2-0 were thrown away against Sharjah (3-3) and champions Al Jazira (2-2) in the space of three games in October and November as the wheels threatened to come off their title bid.
But they’ve developed a backbone, and have got big results against their rivals, beating the Clarets and the Blue Wave home and away and taking four points off both the Cheetahs and Shabab Al Ahli Dubai. All of this has been overseen without their talisman Omar Abdulrahman being on top form.
Even when you felt a maiden defeat – the 3-1 loss to Sharjah at the end of February – might have derailed them, they answered emphatically in their next game, thrashing second-placed Wahda 6-2. Again they could have wilted after Balasz Dzsudzsak levelled the game when Al Ain had gone 2-0 up. But four goals in the final 18 minutes set up a four-game winning run which carried them all the way to a milestone title.
Al Ain have returned to winning ways despite talisman Omar Abdulrahman being far from his best.
