The UAE left it late to bag a win in their first game of the Samsung Intercontinental Beach Soccer tournament, grabbing a 3-2 win over Tahiti, but coach Marcelo Mendes was far from impressed by the performance of his players.
Youngster Adel Ranjbar lifted the ball over the Haiti ‘keeper with just 90 seconds left on the clock to secure a valuable win put hosts UAE level on points wit Russia, who sit at the top of GRoup A who thrashed the USA 9-1 earlier in the day.
“We know that Tahiti are a fighting team, they never give up, but I expected a better performance from my players,” Mendes told Sport360°.
“We didn’t play well, so I think today we won because of the heart, the system doesn’t work, we have two or three styles of play but the players didn’t (perform as I asked).
“The first game usually is like that, they are nervous, there are people and family here so I hope (today) they will improve and player better.”
The UAE went down 1-0 in the first minute after Naea Bennet headed past Humaid Albalooshi before Ali Karim brought the hosts level with four minutes left of the opening third.
Li Fung put Tahiti back in from the penalty spot as the pressure began to visibly mount on the hosts.
During the break before the final third, Mendes and his goalkeeper Albalooshi exchanged heated words, although the ruckus didn’t puncture the UAE’s spirit as Rami Abdullah drew the sides level with five minutes left, before setting up Adel to clinch the points in the dying minutes.
Mendes believes his side must improve before the next game against the US on Wednesday, if only to avoid a decisive game with reigning champions Russia in the group’s last game on Thursday.
“I wanted them to press and make more rotations but they didn’t do it,” explained Mendes. “They have tall strikers and Tahiti began to throw the ball up to them and cause us problems. My team is not taller than them.
“We have to improve, I don’t want to play Russia needing to win to qualify they are the strongest team in the tournament.”
As for Mendes’ run in with his goalkeeper, the coach was quick to criticise his number one although insisted it is just part of the game.
“We have a system and he has to play the ball to his players,” added the Brazilian coach, who has held the job since 2007. “He needs to play the ball to the striker. I told him in the break to play the balls to the side and open the defence but he continued to play the ball down the middle.
“He is the goalkeeper and the goalkeeper is 99 percent of the team in beach soccer. If he doesn’t do as he is told then it messes everything up. But off the pitch we are friends.”
Elsewhere, Brazil picked up a big win against Nigeria while the Swiss won 7-4 against Japan thanks to a four goal performance by MVP award holder Dejan Stankovic.
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