MUHLIS (offline)
10-11-2003, 08:10 AM
Al Ain hold on to win AFC Champions League
BEC Tero Sasana 1 (Therdsak 59) Al Ain 0 (Al Ain win 2-1 on aggregate)
Champions League final, second leg
Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
AL Ain, of the United Arab Emirates, have won the inaugural AFC Champions League, beating Thai side BEC Tero Sasana 2-1 on aggregate.
In Saturday night’s game in Bangkok, Bruno Metsu side, holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg, lost by a single goal, scored by Therdsak Chaiman in the 60th minute, but held on to become the first winners of Asia’s premier club competition.
For BEC Tero, it was a case of so near yet so far as Attapol Puspakom’s side took the lead 14 minutes into the second and then had what looked like a perfectly legitimate headed goal seven minutes later ruled out by referee Saad Kameel. The goal would have put the two sides level on aggregate.
BEC Tero, playing a 3-5-2 formation, played by far the more adventurous football in the first 45 minutes, as the visitors, who seemed happy to absorb the pressure and release front duo Faisal Ali, playing in place of the injured Farhad Majidi, and Mohammed Omar, only occasionally showing the attacking verve which saw them put seven goals past Dalian Shide in the semi-final.
It was Ain, looking to become the first side from the United Arab Emirates to win an Asian club title, whohad the first chance of the half, giant French defender Kadjo Afanou heading a flicked-on corner from Rodrigo Mendes against an upright after just five minutes.
The near-miss was Ain’s only real chance for the next 40 minutes, although Ain nearly stole a first-half lead they did not deserve when Faisal Ali, whose touch and skill had so impressed in the latter stages of the second leg, found himself in space down the right. His first touch took him into the box, but he shot straight at the legs of BEC Tero and Thai national keeper Phansa Meetsattham.
In between, BEC Tero dominated large periods, with midfielder Therdsak Chaiman, the Emirates MVP of the final, at the heart of his side’s best moves. His pace and direct running, together with his ability to spread the ball wide to the flanks, were a constant threat, although his influence waned as the game wore on.
Therdsak should have opened the scoring for the Thai side on 22 minutes. BEC Tero skipper Worrawoot Srimaka, taking up a good position at the far post, headed a deep cross from the left, to Therdsak, six yards out. His first-time drilled shot seemed destined for the back of the net but hit Waleed Salem’s legs as the keeper lay prone on the ground.
Seven minutes later, Therdsak was again denied by Waleed, the keeper getting his fingertips to a fierce shot from the BEC midfielder after a mazy run had left the Ain midfield trailing in his wake.
BEC continued to push forward for the remainder of the half, but could not find a way past the Ain defence, which seemed happy just to boot the ball upfield whenever they got the chance to slow the pace of the game and build from the back.
It was always going to be difficult for the home side to maintain the prodigious work rate of the first half and, as BEC Tero began to tire, so Al Ain, who replaced skipper Salem Jawhar with Sultan Rasheed at the break, began to exploit the wide open spaces of the Rajamangala playing surface.
The first chance of the second half fell to Faisal Ali on 50 minutes but his left-foot scissor key was tipped around the post by Phansa.
Nine minutes later, BEC Tero, now playing a 4-3-3 formation, were ahead on the night. Therdsak, picking the ball up on the half-way line, shrugged off the attentions of his marker before setting Datsakorn Thonglao free down the left. The midfielder cut in from the left and as he entered the box, was felled by Humaid Fakher. The referee pointed straight to the spot. Therdsak composed himself and put the penalty to into the left hand corner of the goal with the keeper going the other way.
The goal lifted BEC Tero and the home supporters, who raised the roof on 66 minutes when Pherartat Phoruandee rose to meet Therdsak’s deep corner to angle a header across the line. BEC Tero joy was short-lived, however, as the referee immediately blew for an infringement, presumably on Ain keeper Waleed.
BEC Tero continued to press forward but, with the clock ticking away, their composure and touch began to falter and Ain began to exert pressure of their own.
On 73 minutes, Ain substitute Ali Ahmed beat the offside trap only to see his chipped shot rebound off the crossbar. Four minutes later, Subait Khater’s stinging shot from 30 yards was tipped round the post by Phansa.
In the last 10 minutes, BEC Tero forsook the passing game that had served them so well in the first half and opted instead for hopeful long balls. But, try as they did it was not enough and Ain held on to claim an historic win and the US$500,000 winnerss's purse.
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Anyway, I am happy with the results. It was good, in my opinion that Al Ain have won this title not Bec Tero. Thailand, before this team I did not even know that there is a football in this country, so their participation was extreamly successful for them. Had Bec Tero won the title, I would have thought that Asian football is declining.
Me,
BEC Tero Sasana 1 (Therdsak 59) Al Ain 0 (Al Ain win 2-1 on aggregate)
Champions League final, second leg
Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
AL Ain, of the United Arab Emirates, have won the inaugural AFC Champions League, beating Thai side BEC Tero Sasana 2-1 on aggregate.
In Saturday night’s game in Bangkok, Bruno Metsu side, holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg, lost by a single goal, scored by Therdsak Chaiman in the 60th minute, but held on to become the first winners of Asia’s premier club competition.
For BEC Tero, it was a case of so near yet so far as Attapol Puspakom’s side took the lead 14 minutes into the second and then had what looked like a perfectly legitimate headed goal seven minutes later ruled out by referee Saad Kameel. The goal would have put the two sides level on aggregate.
BEC Tero, playing a 3-5-2 formation, played by far the more adventurous football in the first 45 minutes, as the visitors, who seemed happy to absorb the pressure and release front duo Faisal Ali, playing in place of the injured Farhad Majidi, and Mohammed Omar, only occasionally showing the attacking verve which saw them put seven goals past Dalian Shide in the semi-final.
It was Ain, looking to become the first side from the United Arab Emirates to win an Asian club title, whohad the first chance of the half, giant French defender Kadjo Afanou heading a flicked-on corner from Rodrigo Mendes against an upright after just five minutes.
The near-miss was Ain’s only real chance for the next 40 minutes, although Ain nearly stole a first-half lead they did not deserve when Faisal Ali, whose touch and skill had so impressed in the latter stages of the second leg, found himself in space down the right. His first touch took him into the box, but he shot straight at the legs of BEC Tero and Thai national keeper Phansa Meetsattham.
In between, BEC Tero dominated large periods, with midfielder Therdsak Chaiman, the Emirates MVP of the final, at the heart of his side’s best moves. His pace and direct running, together with his ability to spread the ball wide to the flanks, were a constant threat, although his influence waned as the game wore on.
Therdsak should have opened the scoring for the Thai side on 22 minutes. BEC Tero skipper Worrawoot Srimaka, taking up a good position at the far post, headed a deep cross from the left, to Therdsak, six yards out. His first-time drilled shot seemed destined for the back of the net but hit Waleed Salem’s legs as the keeper lay prone on the ground.
Seven minutes later, Therdsak was again denied by Waleed, the keeper getting his fingertips to a fierce shot from the BEC midfielder after a mazy run had left the Ain midfield trailing in his wake.
BEC continued to push forward for the remainder of the half, but could not find a way past the Ain defence, which seemed happy just to boot the ball upfield whenever they got the chance to slow the pace of the game and build from the back.
It was always going to be difficult for the home side to maintain the prodigious work rate of the first half and, as BEC Tero began to tire, so Al Ain, who replaced skipper Salem Jawhar with Sultan Rasheed at the break, began to exploit the wide open spaces of the Rajamangala playing surface.
The first chance of the second half fell to Faisal Ali on 50 minutes but his left-foot scissor key was tipped around the post by Phansa.
Nine minutes later, BEC Tero, now playing a 4-3-3 formation, were ahead on the night. Therdsak, picking the ball up on the half-way line, shrugged off the attentions of his marker before setting Datsakorn Thonglao free down the left. The midfielder cut in from the left and as he entered the box, was felled by Humaid Fakher. The referee pointed straight to the spot. Therdsak composed himself and put the penalty to into the left hand corner of the goal with the keeper going the other way.
The goal lifted BEC Tero and the home supporters, who raised the roof on 66 minutes when Pherartat Phoruandee rose to meet Therdsak’s deep corner to angle a header across the line. BEC Tero joy was short-lived, however, as the referee immediately blew for an infringement, presumably on Ain keeper Waleed.
BEC Tero continued to press forward but, with the clock ticking away, their composure and touch began to falter and Ain began to exert pressure of their own.
On 73 minutes, Ain substitute Ali Ahmed beat the offside trap only to see his chipped shot rebound off the crossbar. Four minutes later, Subait Khater’s stinging shot from 30 yards was tipped round the post by Phansa.
In the last 10 minutes, BEC Tero forsook the passing game that had served them so well in the first half and opted instead for hopeful long balls. But, try as they did it was not enough and Ain held on to claim an historic win and the US$500,000 winnerss's purse.
////////////////////////////////////
Anyway, I am happy with the results. It was good, in my opinion that Al Ain have won this title not Bec Tero. Thailand, before this team I did not even know that there is a football in this country, so their participation was extreamly successful for them. Had Bec Tero won the title, I would have thought that Asian football is declining.
Me,