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Abu Dhabi: UAE head coach, Bruno Metsu has every cause to be happy after his team defeated Kuwait 2-0 on Wednesday in the opener of the Asian qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.
"I am pleased with the team. They played a good match and deserved to win. I thank my players for their fighting spirits and determination," Metsu said.
"It was a strong match but we applied our plan and won the points which will give the players a motive to go further in the competition."
The UAE did not only win the three points, but presented one of their best performances in a while and ended a goal drought which had lasted for six friendly matches.
The match proved Frenchman Metsu was correct when he said he was not worried about his team's failure to score in friendly matches and that they use the friendlies to try their tactics and to provide experience for his young players.
Headache
Metsu should be given his fair share of the praise. He applied an attacking plan with his best players to implement it, using both Esmail Mattar and Faisal Khalil up front, aided on the flanks by the gifted young players, Ahmad Dada and Mohammad Al Shehhi, who were a headache for the Kuwaiti defenders and custodian, creating many chances for their colleagues inside the penalty box.
The UAE showed great tactical discipline, especially in their quest to score a fast goal to cool their tempers and they succeeded in taking the lead only 13 minutes into the match.
Metsu, it seems, was happy with the attacking moves his players organised more than with the goals as he was seen applauding some of the moves more than the goals.
The fact the two goals were an outcome of dead balls prove the team have solved one of their biggest problems - how to benefit from free-kicks. Subait Khater regained his golden touch as a dead-ball expert.
The goals scored by Al Shehhi and Khalil, respectively are very special.
The Al Shehhi's goal was the 100th for the UAE in their participations in the qualifiers of the World Cup, which started in 1985.
Faisal's goal was the 500th for the UAE senior national team since its formation in 1972 following the establishment of the UAE in December 1971.
"I am pleased that we won the match more than with my personal achievement. The goal was the result of all my colleagues."Al Shehhi told Gulf News.
MVP award winner Faisal, who has scored more than 100 goals for his club Al Ahli, said: "I thank my colleagues for their cooperation and support. I am overjoyed with our win and my teammates and myself are dreaming of playing in the finals of the World Cup which means we have to do even better in the remaining matches of the qualifiers to realise our dream."
Ahmad Dada, one of the best players in the match, thanked the fans for their support and dedicated the victory to them. "Our fantastic supporters played a big role to motivate us. It is good to win but we still have more difficult matches to win if we want to reach the fourth round of the qualifiers."
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