DUBAI // At last, the UAE champions appear to have found their footing.
It had taken only two rounds of this fresh Arabian Gulf League season for the alarm bells to sound around Al Ahli, the Dubai club disappointing and detached from the side that months before had stormed to a first title in five years.
Coach Cosmin Olaroiu had raised concerns regarding fitness and focus, but on Friday night against Al Wasl his charges responded with a dominant display in a 5-1 win.
A double from Grafite at the Zabeel Stadium was bettered by one by Luis Jimenez and, with it, Ahli’s reputation reaffirmed.
Crisis? What crisis?
"I'm very happy not for winning the game, but for the reaction after the last match," said Olaroiu, referring to last week's capitulation against Al Shabab.
“We showed character and played a very good game, especially in the first half. But, as I told the players just now in the locker room, we don’t have to make a funeral after a loss or a party after a win.”
Ahli had a lot to celebrate, though not least that their return to form had much to do with a returning trio.
Arguably the country’s finest goalkeeper, Majed Nasser, was back between the posts, albeit in a largely watching brief and, in midfield, Hugo Viana started a game for the first time this season slotting in seamlessly alongside Mirel Radoi, the summer signing from Al Ain.
Then there was Grafite, Ahli's captain fantastic, fully recovered from injury and finally taking his place in the starting XI.
The Brazilian required seven minutes to open his 2014/15 account and, just before the half hour, kept his cool from the penalty spot after Walid Abbas had been bundled to the floor.
It appeared a dubious decision, but it was welcome, too, because Wasl had drawn level not long before from Ederson’s brilliantly executed header.
Satisfaction soon gave way to senselessness, though, and shortly before half time, with Wasl again trailing, Ahmed Al Shamisi was sent off for dissent. As he disappeared from the pitch, so did the hosts’ hopes of gleaning anything from the encounter.
“Against teams like Al Ain or Al Ahli, it’s already tough when you have 11 players against 11,” said Jorginho, Wasl’s new coach.
“But 10 against a team with Ahli’s quality just destroys you. It is almost impossible.”
Jorginho appeared dejected and deflated post-match, but he was quick to point out that this remains a transitional period at the club. Against Ahli, he handed a debut to Caio, the recent acquisition from the top division in Brazil, although the playmaker did little to help Wasl register a first victory of the campaign.
“It is just the beginning,” Jorginho said. “We can all expect to improve. We’ll keep working and in time the results will come.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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