Saudi, UAE scoreless in Group A action
Saudi stay on top on goal difference
KUWAIT: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates played to a goalless draw in their Group A match of the 23rd Gulf Cup yesterday at Jaber AlAhmad International Stadium. Both teams played cautiously at the start of the game, with no real scoring opportunities in the first 30 minutes. The play mainly centered in the midfield throughout the first half. The first scoring chance came after eight minutes when a UAE shot missed its target. UAE kept pressing in the following 10 minutes, but all of their attacks presented no real danger to the Saudi goal. Momentum shifted to Saudi Arabia after the 30minute mark, whose first real scoring chance came when a shot towards the goal was blocked by the UAE goalkeeper. Saudi kept up the pressure briefly but they could not capitalize on their momentum as the game went scoreless into half-time.
The pace of play quickened at the start of the second half, with UAE having two missed scoring chances in the first 10 minutes. The UAE goalkeeper was once again called into action with a great save in the 53rd minute. UAE immediately took advance of Saudi’s offensive play and jumped into a counterattack that saw a shot only narrowly miss the target. Three minutes later, a wayward shot by the Saudi midfielder went flying above the post. As the game passed the hour mark, Saudi Arabia started pressing intensely and had several opportunities to score including a free kick that narrowly went above the post, and a cross into the penalty area that was caught by the UAE goalkeeper before it could reach the eager Saudi attackers.
The pace slowed down considerably in the final 10 minutes, with play constantly dipping back to centerfield. UAE had one final chance on goal in injury time which missed its target, before the referee blew the final whistle. With this result, both teams are now at four points, with Saudi Arabia leading the group in goal difference. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia plays its final match against Oman, while the UAE squares off against the host country Kuwait. The game was played before a crowd of 47,566.