LONDON: Al-Jazira’s club slogan claims they are the Pride of Abu Dhabi, but when they step out onto the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al-Ain tonight to take on New Zealand side Auckland City in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup, they won’t just be the pride of one city, they will be the pride of the entire United Arab Emirates.
It also presents a golden opportunity for the side to restore a little pride of their own after a difficult start to their title defense.
Last season’s remarkable triumph came as a surprise to all followers of the local game in the Emirates, and surprised even those at the club after they flirted with relegation the season previous.
With the audacious signing of national team striker Ahmed Khalil from rivals Al-Ahli, — which was a real statement of intent regarding their ambitions for this season —along with the former Marseille and Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra, as well as Romarinho and Sardor Rashidov from Qatari side El-Jaish, they clearly entered this season confident of repeating their success, and with an eye on making an impact at the Club World Cup and next year’s AFC Champions League. But just ten games into the season those plans are already in tatters. Khalil hasn’t settled, playing just twice in the opening ten rounds, partly due to injury, and is already rumored to be on his way back to Dubai, while Diarra and Rashidov have struggled to have any real impact.
While they have recovered well after winning just one of their first five matches, they still sit six points from top spot and a good performance in the Club World Cup is important to give them the confidence they need heading into the second half of the season.
It’s a point coach Henk ten Cate will emphasize to his players ahead of tonight’s match.
“Do you realize that maybe billions, or hundreds of millions of people are watching you?” he said when asked what his pre-match address to his players will be.
“It’s promoting Al-Jazira but especially Abu Dhabi, so do you understand how important this tournament is for your club and for your country? And also for yourself? You’ll be in the spotlight like never before. How many times in your life will you get to participate in a tournament like this?’ It’s something special. It’s huge, man. Huge.”
But to do that they first need to get past Auckland City.
With the Emirates hosting the FIFA tournament for the first time since 2010, there exists some pressure on Al-Jazira to ensure they do not slip on the banana skin that is a match against the semi-professional outfit, who are playing in their ninth Club World Cup tournament.
A win against Auckland City will not be as easy as it appears on paper, either. Just three years ago they almost pulled off a shock by making it all the way to the final, with Argentine giants San Lorenzo needing extra time in the semifinal to overcome the plucky New Zealand side, while last year Kashima Antlers had to come from a goal down to register a 2-1 win in the opening match.
So it’s imperative that Al-Jazira head into this match with the right mindset and attitude, because a win sets them up for a potential showdown with Real Madrid in the semifinal.
Should the Abu Dhabi side get past Auckland City, they set up a clash against AFC Champions League winners Urawa Reds, who have had less than two weeks to prepare for this tournament after their win over Al-Hilal ten days ago.
Win that and the entire world will be watching when Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team-mates roll into town.
If they are to get that far they will be relying on the experience of their Brazilian midfielder Romarinho, one of their new signings who has impressed this season.
While this may be Al-Jazira’s first appearance at the Club World Cup, that is not the case for Romarinho, with the 26-year-old winning the tournament with Corinthians in 2012 when they defeated English Premier League giants Chelsea 1-0 in the final.
It may be unlikely that he’ll repeat that feat this year with Al-Jazira, but as Japan’s Kashima Antlers proved last year, when they made the final and almost knocked off Real Madrid in a pulsating final, anything is possible if you can get on a good run.
And that all starts tonight against Auckland City. It is time to do the Emirates proud.
It also presents a golden opportunity for the side to restore a little pride of their own after a difficult start to their title defense.
Last season’s remarkable triumph came as a surprise to all followers of the local game in the Emirates, and surprised even those at the club after they flirted with relegation the season previous.
With the audacious signing of national team striker Ahmed Khalil from rivals Al-Ahli, — which was a real statement of intent regarding their ambitions for this season —along with the former Marseille and Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra, as well as Romarinho and Sardor Rashidov from Qatari side El-Jaish, they clearly entered this season confident of repeating their success, and with an eye on making an impact at the Club World Cup and next year’s AFC Champions League. But just ten games into the season those plans are already in tatters. Khalil hasn’t settled, playing just twice in the opening ten rounds, partly due to injury, and is already rumored to be on his way back to Dubai, while Diarra and Rashidov have struggled to have any real impact.
While they have recovered well after winning just one of their first five matches, they still sit six points from top spot and a good performance in the Club World Cup is important to give them the confidence they need heading into the second half of the season.
It’s a point coach Henk ten Cate will emphasize to his players ahead of tonight’s match.
“Do you realize that maybe billions, or hundreds of millions of people are watching you?” he said when asked what his pre-match address to his players will be.
“It’s promoting Al-Jazira but especially Abu Dhabi, so do you understand how important this tournament is for your club and for your country? And also for yourself? You’ll be in the spotlight like never before. How many times in your life will you get to participate in a tournament like this?’ It’s something special. It’s huge, man. Huge.”
But to do that they first need to get past Auckland City.
With the Emirates hosting the FIFA tournament for the first time since 2010, there exists some pressure on Al-Jazira to ensure they do not slip on the banana skin that is a match against the semi-professional outfit, who are playing in their ninth Club World Cup tournament.
A win against Auckland City will not be as easy as it appears on paper, either. Just three years ago they almost pulled off a shock by making it all the way to the final, with Argentine giants San Lorenzo needing extra time in the semifinal to overcome the plucky New Zealand side, while last year Kashima Antlers had to come from a goal down to register a 2-1 win in the opening match.
So it’s imperative that Al-Jazira head into this match with the right mindset and attitude, because a win sets them up for a potential showdown with Real Madrid in the semifinal.
Should the Abu Dhabi side get past Auckland City, they set up a clash against AFC Champions League winners Urawa Reds, who have had less than two weeks to prepare for this tournament after their win over Al-Hilal ten days ago.
Win that and the entire world will be watching when Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team-mates roll into town.
If they are to get that far they will be relying on the experience of their Brazilian midfielder Romarinho, one of their new signings who has impressed this season.
While this may be Al-Jazira’s first appearance at the Club World Cup, that is not the case for Romarinho, with the 26-year-old winning the tournament with Corinthians in 2012 when they defeated English Premier League giants Chelsea 1-0 in the final.
It may be unlikely that he’ll repeat that feat this year with Al-Jazira, but as Japan’s Kashima Antlers proved last year, when they made the final and almost knocked off Real Madrid in a pulsating final, anything is possible if you can get on a good run.
And that all starts tonight against Auckland City. It is time to do the Emirates proud.
