Al Jazira up 16 points after win
Al Jazira up 16 points after win
Abu Dhabi: Al Jazira beat Al Dhafrah with a single goal last night in the seventh week of the UAE Football League (UFL) to increase their tally to 16 points while Al Dhafrah remained with 6.
Following a dull start of the match, Al Dhafrah took the initiation of attack and organised many counter moves on the left flank led by Saleh Al Minhali and Mohammad Ali Omar who both, in addition to Khairy Khalfan, broke the solid home defence by long range shots.
They displayed a good game that had many scoring chances, while the home team was dogged by bad passing and weak ball possession.
Al Dhafrah were the best team till the last five when in a counter move, Saleh Obaid sent Fernando Baiano behind the defenders and the Brazilian striker found the bottom of the net in the 41st minute.
Two minutes later, the visitors could have drawn level when Al Minhali went past a defender and crossed to Rasoul Khatibi whose left footer rebounded from the cross bar.
Abel Braga, the Al Jazira head coach, brought in Redha Abdul Hadi to replace Ahmad Dada in the first half because of his tendency to own the ball for long without passing it on, which marred his performance on the right flank.
Rafael Sobis, the highest paid foreigner in the UFL, spent the first half as a guest of honour - but started after the breather - determined to score, and within nine minutes he lost two chances as Abdul Basit Mohammad, the visiting custodian made brilliant saves to deny the Brazilian an early goal.
Al Jazira were the better team after the break pressing for more goals which made Mohammad Kwid, Al Dhafrah head coach, to bring in Mahboob Juma to replace Khatibi in his quest to control the midfield while Braga brought in Hilal Saeed to replace Sultan Al Minhali, also trying to dominate the midfield.
Al Dhafrah should have levelled the score in the 80th minute when a free kick from Yaagoob Yousuf rebounded from Ali Khaseef, the home custodian, inside the six yard area but Frenchman Tawfig Zerara shot high, denying his team a good chance.
