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It was a Small Step and Still Eight Games Left, says Hickersberger
ABU DHABI - Al Wahda coach Josef Hickersberger reckoned it was a small step for them after defeating Al Jazira and moving to the top of the table and said there was still a lot left to play for.
Brazilian Fernando Baiano scored a brace against his former club as Al Wahda nudged ahead to the top of the standings after Week 14 of the Etisalat UAE Pro-League. The 2-1 win at home over arch-rivals Al Jazira in the Capital Derby at the Al Nahyan Stadium on Sunday night took the three-time champions to 36 points from 14 games, three points ahead of Al Jazira. It was Al Jazira’s first loss in the League.
Baiano, who moved from Al Jazira to Al Wahda in the summer, struck in the 18th and 66th minutes, while Subait Khater scored for Al Jazira in the 64th minute.
“It was a small step for us. Now, we are the league leaders but such situations are always dangerous. Teams will hunt us down and try to beat the No.1 team. There are still eight games to be played. It is still a lot of games and 24 points still to be made. It is not over yet. The League will be decided in eight weeks,” Hickersberger said.
Hickersberger said that Jazira played well but emphasised that it is not always ball possession that win you games. “Jazira looked good but it is not always ball possession. Sometimes good chances and good shots are what counts,” he said.
Hickersberger said that his team were bracing up for this game for over a couple of weeks. “We prepared for this game for a couple of weeks. I thank my team and staff for the work that they put in. We handed a first defeat to the league leaders,” said Hickersberger.
He said that the first goal was always vital in such big games. “In important matches such as this, the first goal is always going to be decisive. One goal up, we closed Jazira down. We could work on our tactics after being a goal up. Subait scored with a marvellous shot but we handled the situation better,” Hickersberger said.
Hickersberger said that his team was more effective on the counter. “Jazira had more of the possession but we did well on the counter. We had no weak player in our team. Baiano scored two goals against his former team and it was important for him and us as well,” he said.
Hickersberger said that Baiano’s second goal immediately after Jazira had levelled through Subait Khater, was unexpected for Jazira. “We scored the second goal immediately and it was a shock for Jazira. They couldn’t make a comeback after that,” said and exhausted Hickersberger, who joked that it would be better if everyone could leave early and get back to their wives or girlfriends since it was Valentine’s Day.
Hickesberger said the key was to not allow Jazira with too much of space. “We knew Jazira were going to be good and dangerous with their possession and passing and their tactical game. For us, it was important to be organised. You cannot always block all the shots. We didn’t allow Jazira to have much space . We wanted to play a different game,” he said.
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