RIYADH: Head coach Marino Pusic’s stellar start to his career at Al-Ahli continued on Wednesday as the Greens secured a fourth consecutive victory of the season in all competitions.
A gritty 1-0 victory over OFC Professional League champions Auckland FC earned them a place the second round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, where they will face CAF Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Sept. 19.
While the result went Al-Ahli’s way, however, the manner in which it played out once again told the story of a team that have yet to hit top gear under their new head coach.
King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah was packed for the occasion, and Al-Ahli’s fans unveiled a magnificent double tifo display during the first half, featuring the slogans “Fight for the badge” behind the goal and “Snatch it” across the central stands. Yet despite the enthusiasm surrounding the game, the 90 minutes proved anything but memorable.
Auckland proved tough to break down, with a compact 4-4-2 formation that was entrenched deep within their own half for most of the game preventing Al-Ahli from establishing any meaningful control over the encounter.
Under previous manager Matthias Jaissle, direct passes to the forwards were often the modus operandi for Al-Ahli against teams such as Auckland, but with Pusic in charge they seem to prefer to retain possession and look for Eduard Spertsyan in half-spaces.
This provided a cue for Auckland to push forward and they enjoyed some decent spells after the first 15 minutes, looking increasingly unfazed in transition and creating a few dangerous chances that Edouard Mendy did well to keep out.
Galeno, Spertsyan and Francisco Trincao had their share of opportunities as Al-Ahli took players on in an attempt to break through the Auckland defensive block, but the New Zealand side managed to block most shots aimed at goalkeeper Michael Woud.
The second half was even more subdued, as the humidity in Jeddah took its toll on the players. In the end, the decisive moment came on the hour mark when Pusic introduced two subs: Saleh Abu Al-Shamat and new signing Artem Bondarenko.
In a move reminiscent of the team’s opening goal of the season against Diriyah, Spertsyan won possession in his own half before driving forward into acres of space toward the box. He then delivered a perfectly timed through ball to Al-Shamat, who slotted the ball under Woud to break the deadlock.
Sperstyan has really hit the ground running for Al-Ahli, the assist representing his fourth goal contribution in as many games for his new club.
The night got worse for Auckland shortly before the final whistle when Sam Cosgrove was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Zakaria Hawsawi in the 87th minute.
Al-Ahli lost to Egyptian side Pyramids in the second round of last season’s Intercontinental Cup, and will hope to lay that ghost to rest when they face Mamelodi Sundowns next month. Next up, though, they are back in Saudi Pro League action with two games on the road, the first against Al-Kholood on Aug. 29, and the second a mouth-watering clash against Al-Hilal on Sept. 1.
