Here are the talking points for the week as the league resumes after a three-week break:
Cup of joy eludes Al Ain
As the defending champions travel to Baniyas tomorrow to restart their Arabian Gulf League campaign after a three-week break, many of Al Ain’s fans could still be sulking over the 3-1 loss at home to Dibba in the Arabian Gulf Cup.
The result was indeed a surprise, but the same cannot be said about the end of Al Ain’s bid for a spot in the knockout stages of the tournament.
The tournament has not really been a priority for the purple brigade in recent years. Champions in the inaugural staging of the Cup in 2008/09, they have not made it to the knockout stages since losing to Al Shabab in the 2010/11 final.
Al Ain, however, have won three league titles in the four years since, so it is clear failing in the cup is hardly a detriment to them usually.
Instead, it could serve as a wake-up call and reinvigorate Zlatko Dalic’s men.
Baniyas, beware.
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No end to Braga’s woes
It is still early days, but Abel Braga’s much-hyped return has not been the magic wand that Al Jazira were probably hoping for. They have only two wins from 12 matches thus far and have already conceded 24 goals – an average of two per game.
Last season, they had conceded 54 goals from their 32 league and AGC matches, but they scored 72 goals in those matches, including 66 in the AGL, which allowed them to finish runners-up to Al Ain.
Braga’s men, however, have not been as prolific, scoring 20 goals at an average of 1.66 in these first 12 matches of the season.
Perhaps, the biggest indication of their decline is the stats of Mirko Vucinic.
The AGL’s top scorer last season with 25 goals, he has a modest tally of two goals from six league games this term.
Zenga back in the UAE
Dismissed by Italian club Sampdoria after just four months and 12 Serie A matches into the job, Walter Zenga is back in the Arabian Gulf League after accepting the vacant coaching position at bottom-placed club Al Shaab.
The Sharjah club had been looking after a very public plea by their Egyptian coach Tarek El Ashry to be relieved of his duties following the 4-1 loss at home to Al Wahda in the last round of AGL action.
It was their sixth defeat in seven league matches and the frustrated El Ashry said he had “nothing more to give” to the club and a “change is a must”.
Shaab have only one point from seven matches and, if Zenga can turn around their season from here and save the club from relegation, the pains of Sampdoria will be forgotten.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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