Sport | Football
Al Wasl keep title hopes alive while Al Jazira lose momentum
Al Jazira, Dubai and Fujairah turned out to be the biggest losers in the 19th week of the Etisalat First Division Football League.
- By Yasir Abbasher, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 May 6, 2007
- Image Credit: Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
- Action during the match between Al Jazira and Al Nasr in the Etisalat First Division Football League at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi late on Friday night. Al Jazira lost the match 3-1.
Abu Dhabi: Al Jazira, Dubai and Fujairah turned out to be the biggest losers in the 19th week of the Etisalat First Division Football League.
Al Jazira - who were second on the standings, just one point behind leaders Al Wahda at the end of the 18th week - lost the opportunity to remain title contenders, losing their home match to Al Nasr 3-1 on Friday.
Al Jazira, with the best defence in the league, had conceded only 17 goals in 18 matches. However, against Al Nasr, they conceded three and helped the latter increase their tally to 24 points. By virtue of this win, Al Nasr advanced three places on the standings to take the 6th spot.
Al Wahda, meanwhile, continued to lead the league with 39 points, following their 4-1 win over Fujairah whose winning streak was halted and they were down one place to 11th, two points above Dubai. Both Fujairah and Dubai, who had earned a promotion this season, seem to be on their way back to the Second Division.
Emirates beat Al Ain to jump to the 10th place with 20 points.
Al Wasl stayed hot on the heels of Al Wahda in their quest to win a double, having won the President's Cup last month.
Al Wasl are one point behind the leaders and will have to play two of their last three matches away. They will first face Fujairah, then Al Ahli at home and finish their fixtures with an away match against Dubai. It is significant that they will play two of their remaining matches against the bottom two teams who are fighting for survival.
Al Wahda, on the other hand, will also play two away matches, against Al Ahli and Al Nasr. In between, they will host Dubai.
Needing a miracle
Third-placed Al Jazira will play an away game against Emirates, before hosting Al Ain and Al Shaab in their last two outings. Al Jazira need a miracle to win the title as they are 4 points behind Al Wahda, though mathematically, they still have a chance.
All the matches of the last three weeks will be played at the same time on the same day to guarantee fair play.
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