Normally, when a championship comes into final stages everybody watching is excited about the fight for the title and the battle to avoid relegation. This time in the Arabian Gulf League with eight games left, I am sorry to say that everything major is closed.
– Abdulrahman and Gyan strike as Al Ain take clasico honours
– Messi hat-trick, Suarez double moves Barcelona top of La Liga
Leaders Al Ain’s 2-1 victory against second-placed Al Jazira on Sunday has put them six points ahead. At the bottom, Ittihad Kalba only have four points and second-bottom Ajman are seven points behind Emirates Club who are the final club who are safe. These are very difficult gaps to close.
Jazira need to win all their matches and, at a minimum, Al Ain must lose two games and draw one – is that going to happen? With more than two-thirds of the season played, the time has come to make judgements about some of the AGL teams.
Third-placed Al Shabab and Al Ain have done very good jobs. Bani Yas have been a very big disappointment for me, treble holders Al Ahli as well.
A couple of teams have consolidated what they had before, I include Al Nasr in this. They have won the Arabian Gulf Cup and have dropped a level since. The effort is high to win a trophy, so this is understandable.
Funny things can happen in football, the impossible becomes possible. It will require dramatic turns, or the only real fight remaining is for who finishes second and third.
Expectations were so high at Jazira before the season started, but now they are out of the AFC Champions League and the AGL crown seems beyond them. There is still the President’s Cup, but the timing of the competition coming after the top flight finishes in May makes this very hard.
One very important point is that the President’s Cup will now come after two months without a fight for the title. How motivated will Jazira be by then, and will the players be able to turn it on again? This is very hard as a coach.
For me in the match against Al Ain, Asamoah Gyan made the difference. He scored his winning goal, while AGL top scorer Mirko Vucinic missed his big chance. Vucinic is a big player, but players like Gyan are leaders and know how to take responsibility.
Happy to score for @alainfcae in derby win over @AlJazira_uae with a special friend in the stands: http://t.co/er5T5PoXG9 #monko
— ASAMOAH GYAN (@ASAMOAH_GYAN3) March 8, 2015
In the toughest games, it is the truly big players that make the difference. I include Gyan and former Ahli captain Grafite in that bracket. Jazira have now lost their last two matches, Vucinic not able to make the difference in those defeats to Al Dhafra and Al Ain.
Elsewhere, I am very happy to see that the UAE has won the rights to host the 2019 Asian Cup. It can be so big for them. It is going to be an incredible time for the nation around then, with Expo 2020 Dubai coming soon after.
Hosting the tournament will make the UAE players improve even more, as they will want to challenge to win it in their own country
