Asian Beach Soccer Cup 2013: UAE return determined to do better

Dubai: The UAE team returned disappointed, but only more determined to face up to the challenges in the future following their last-gasp loss to hosts China in Sunday’s final of the Asian Beach Soccer Cup 2013 in Hiayang.

Leading 2-1 until the final 15 seconds, the young UAE side — playing with just four regulars from the senior team that has qualified for the 2013 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti later this summer.

Marcelo Mendes’s boys lost concentration to allow China to equalise and then win on penalty kicks in front of a vociferous home crowd.

Mendes told Gulf News after his team’s return from China: “As far as the experience goes, this has been fantastic. But letting in a goal with just 15 seconds remaining, that is unacceptable and disappointing to say the least.”

Hassan Ali’s goal in the last two minutes of the game seemed set to be the winner for the UAE, but the visitors dropped their guard at a crucial juncture, allowing Liu to level the scores brilliantly and send the game into extra-time.

The scores remained the same, taking the game into a nerve-shredding penalty shootout. Han and Wan scored from the nine-metre spot for the hosts, while Kamal Ali missed to allow the cup to stay in Haiyang.

“By now we should have started winning trophies. And we should have won this one. We had everything under our control until the last 15 seconds. The cup was in our hands but we let it escape,” the 43-year-old Brazilian Mendes added.

“We made two mistakes and we paid for these with goals. At this level, one cannot afford to relax mentally, even for a split second. But the good thing is that this is a young team and we can learn from these mistakes and be even better as we approach the World Cup.

“I can’t ask these boys to play like Brazil, but at the same time we need time to continue the learning process and evolve as a team.”

The UAE squad will take a short break at home followed by regular night training sessions.

They will then take part in a friendly competition in Hungary from August 15 to 21. Other teams in the fray will be the hosts, Germany and Ukraine.