Sparky’s Column

The Final Piece of the Jigsaw.

 

 

The signing of David Trezeguet could be a masterstroke by Bani Yas. The club that finished second last season now have the experience of a winner in their ranks. There is no doubting the youthful talent of Bani Yas, simply put they have the best of the young UAE players. The club has provided the backbone of various underage national team squads for the last few seasons. They now have another vital ingredient and that's experience. David Trezeguet is a shining example of a successful footballer and all its rewards. He has won trophies with club and country in a career spanning over a decade, he is what all young players should aspire to achieve. If even 10% of his mentality can rub off on the young players then this could be the edge they need. Will this added mental toughness push Bani Yas to the title next season? I for one don't think it's completely beyond the realms of possibility.

 

 The film Any Given Sunday which features Al Pacino as a grid iron coach. The pivotal moment of the story is the iconic inches speech. The coach stands in a silent locker room ready to deliver a team talk before the clubs biggest game in years. Al Pacino clears his throat and speaks in a hushed tone "Gentlemen success in football is measured in inches, one step to the left and you are in the wrong position, one step to slow and you don't make the pass, it's the inches that count, it's all about the inches boys" The goal the UAE conceded against Kuwait  was all about those inches, 60 to be exact. I watched the post match analysis with a glum faced panel on Dubai Sports. Time and again they showed the graphic of the two man wall splitting to exactly 5 feet apart. The free kick travelled through the gap, hit the bar and bounced behind the line. The UAE didn't have enough time to recover and lost 3-2. In World Cup qualifying they will travel thousands of miles, the players will cover every square foot of 6 pitches across Asia but it could all come down to those 60 inches in Al Ain. It's a game of inches and every one of them counts.

 

Hamdan Al Kamali is a highly rated and hugely influential player. He is a massive loss for the UAE after fracturing his cheek bone. It is the sort of injury that makes you wince thinking about it, he will be out of Tuesday's qualifier and probably the start of the season. It's a bitter blow for club, country and the player himself.

 

Al Ain are in the final stages of completing their foreign contingent. There has been no news as yet. Will it be a marque signing like David Trezeguet or Lucas Neal?

Will the club opt for a more youthful player like Al Wasl have? Either way it is vital the club get the right man, they did it spectacularly well a few years ago with Valdivia. He pulled the strings in midfield and possessed a lethal left foot. He was selected for Chile versus Spain at the weekend which just proves what a quality player he was for Al Ain. They will be hoping they can find another play maker who can lift the side back amongst the trophies after last season's flirt with relegation.