Everything is possible for us, says Al Ain coach Mamic
abu dhabi — Al Ain survived a scare from Team Wellington in the first round match of the Fifa Club World Cup.
At one stage, the hosts were trailing 0-3 and the spirited Kiwi side had almost shut the door on Al Ain dreams. However, inspired by coach Zoran Mamic’s half-time speech, Al Ain staged an incredible comeback to level and later clinch a historic win on penalties.
Coach Mamic was elated as Al Ain emerged winners of the nearly three-hour battle at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
“We controlled the match until they scored the first goal. That unbelievable goal (Mario Barcia’s 11-minute long ranger) shocked us. We lost stability and confidence in front of our fans. They scored two more goals and it was very hard to come back. But the goal by (Al Ain midfielder) Tsukasa Shiotani gave us an opening to return into the match in the second half,” Mamic said.
The coach noted that his pep talk during half-time worked and players were more focused and determined to prove themselves to the world. “We wrote history as I don’t think any team came back from 0-3 to win in this competition. I gave them a team talk in the dressing room. They reacted very well in the second half. I know they have good quality but such things happen in football. You expect something from the opponent and something else is delivered,” he said referring to a change in Team Welly’s tactics which unsettled Al Ain’s game.
Mamic pointed out that star striker Marcus Berg was unwell and could be used only as a substitute. The Swedish star, however, scored an all-important equaliser to push the match into extra time.
“Marcus was in a very good shape but on Tuesday night caught fever. He was in bad condition on Wednesday. Also, Yahia Nader was unwell. So that’s why Berg didn’t play from the beginning. I thought it was always better for Berg to — Photo by Ryan Lim come later into the match. He came in and had two chances and scored a goal. He risked his health to help the team,” he said.
The Croatian added that Al Ain players displayed true character to see through the day.
“This is a great team with character and confidence. We came back from three goals down and this is a great point for our next game. We believe everything is possible. This is a great result for the fans, the club and the country,” Mamic added.
Al Ain will now take on CAF Champions League winners Esperance Sportive de Tunis in the second round match at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday. The winners will book a semifinal date with Copa Libertadores champions River Plate.
We wrote history as I don’t think any team came back from 0-3 to win in this competition Zoran Mamic