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Al Wasl v Al Ain Pre-Match Press Conferences

 

Al Wasl coach Eid Baroot has underlined the importance of Thursday’s home game against Al Ain to his players, urging them to put in a strong performance to please their home crowd at the Zabeel Stadium. “I have spoken with the players and highlighted to them the importance of getting back on track after our defeat at Al Dhafra in the last round. I realise the absence of Emiliano Alfaro will affect the team, but I will not allow the players to make excuses because as a group we are capable of compensating for any individual absences.”

 

Baroot admits there is a problem in defensive focus, pointing to the four goals his side has conceded in the past two games, but the Emirati coach insists they are working hard to solve the issue at the back. Baroot also revealed that Fahad Hadeed will be fit and ready to face Al Ain, and he has full faith in the performance of goalkeeper Ahmed Mahmoud (‘Dida’), who is improving from one game to the next.

 

In the opposing dugout, Cosmin Olaroiu is sitting pretty with his Al Ain side six points clear at the top of the Etisalat Pro League, however the Romanian coach has not been resting on his laurels since the vital victory over title challengers Al Jazira in the last round. “Frankly, I have not had any sleep over the past two days because I am so preoccupied with thinking about our fixtures. This will be the third match we face in a period of nine days, and I am also concerned as to how we will play on 29th March and the 3rd, 6th and 9th of April – that’s four games in eleven days – and at this time we must also bear in mind the high temperature and humidity next month will affect the performance of the players.”

 

Coach Cosmin preferred not to comment on individual players within the Al Wasl ranks, and when questioned about Al Ain’s opponents’ missing their top scorer Emiliano Alfaro, the Romanian responded: “I do not think about the absence of any particular player. We need to be at the top of our game and the peak of focus to be ready for any circumstances.” Cosmin added, “It is too early to call the title race, and the next stage in the League is very difficult. We will have to differentiate between the various tournaments we feature in, but what concerns us here is the benefit of UAE football in general, and maintaining the honour of the UAE as we participate in the Asian Champions League. We intend to continue our same degree of success.”