Abu Dhabi: Following a stunning last goal from their prized player Esmail Mattar, the hosts UAE zeroed in on their maiden Gulf Cup trophy on Saturday night.
The UAE now face Oman, in an all out assault on the title, at the Zayed Sports City tomorrow.
The UAE played Oman in their Gulf Cup opener, losing 2-1. But that defeat will be irrelevant with the hosts now regaining their enthusiasm and motivation.
In fact, that opening loss actually galvanised the UAE, making it necessary for them to win all their games if they were to stay in the tournament.
They gradually improved with each outing and won over the fans' support, not to mention their own self- confidence.
Gulf Cup history will be re-written tomorrow, as a new champion will engrave their name on the coveted trophy. Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have won this trophy so far.
The UAE did not play a beautiful game on Saturday, but the contest was both exciting and balanced. At stake was a berth in the final and this gave the contest its cutting edge.
But the one positive the game threw up was the tutorial in tactics from UAE coach Bruno Metsu.
The UAE think-tank applied a strict zone defence policy and the home team excelled in covering, marking and intercepting, especially as the Saudi attacks came from the flanks.
Hayder Allo Ali on the right and Hilal Saeed in pivot deserved credit for their performance.
Metsu realised that midfield domination was an important factor and his key decisions concentrated around that area.
Metsu realised that games such as this are not decided by a glut of goals. Rather, they are shaped by single decisive strikes. In the end, the UAE's 1-0 victory proved the theory to be true.
