ABU DHABI // Having seen his side beaten by an impressive Barcelona outfit in Wednesday's Club World Cup semi-final, Atlante coach Jose Cruz is confident his Concacaf champions will recover their form in tonight's third and fourth play-off match against South Korea's Pohang Steelers.
Cruz acknowledged the part the partisan support played in Barca's win at Zayed Sports City three nights ago, and admitted he is happy to be facing any side without Lionel Messi in its ranks.
"Barca are one of the best teams in the world and I'm not surprised they had the supporters behind them," said Cruz.
"They are a very good team and they are the biggest show in town. The fans wanted Messi and when he got on to the pitch the dimension hanged completely.
"He is from another galaxy, a very dominating figure. But Barca's co-ordination helps him a lot. Probably we would have done better had he not been playing, but that is football."
Cruz, however, is not expecting an easy ride against Sergio Farias's Asian champions.
The Mexican coach expects the Steelers, who were left stunned when Italian referee Roberto Rosetti sent off three of their players in a 2-1 semi-final loss to Estudiantes, to be hungry for revenge.
But whichever way the result goes, Cruz is content with his team's efforts in the UAE capital.
"In Mexico, some supporters didn't think we would get third," he said. "If we get it, we will be very happy indeed. I know the Koreans are a very good team and they are concentrated mentally and physically on getting a result. They are strong and quick and it will not be an easy game. We will try to give it our best shot but we must play with sportsmanship and respect for our opponents."
emegson@thenational.ae
Atlante v Pohang Steelers, KO 5pm, Aljazeera Sport 2
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5