Champions domestically, Al Ain continue to find this football lark relatively straightforward.
On Friday, the Garden City club sealed a third UAE top-flight title in four seasons without even playing, when second-placed Al Jazira were convincingly beaten by Baniyas. It presented the trophy to Al Ain with three rounds to spare.
So Arabian Gulf League put to bed, attention transferred Wednesday night to the Asian Champions League instead. Beginning the evening second in Group B, Al Ain travelled to Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia knowing victory could reclaim top spot, a position they relinquished two weeks ago following the home draw with Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor.
Yet it was even better than that. Al Ain’s 1-0 victory — wholly deserved — at a near empty King Fahd International Stadium not only lifted them back to the summit, but coupled with Naft Tehran’s earlier draw with Pakhtakor, it guaranteed progression to the knockout stages, too.
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With one pool match still to come, Al Ain are through, left simply to defend their place at the head of the group in Matchday 6. That they enjoy such a privileged situation is primarily thanks to Asamoah Gyan. The Ghanaian has endured a frustrating few months with injury, but restored to the starting line-up after missing the last round, he again made the difference.
Obviously keen to make up for lost time, Gyan struck just before the hour, springing forward at Shabab’s back post to side-foot home from close range Lee Myung-joo’s inviting cross. It was only Gyan’s second goal in this year’s competition; last season he top-scored with 12.
However, his teammates will not dwell too much on that, given their hugely successful 2014/15 campaign rumbles on. A 12th domestic league trophy was always very welcome, and will be celebrated in the coming weeks, but Al Ain have long craved its continental counterpart, ever since they became the first Emirati side to win it, way back when in 2003. More than a decade on, they remain the only club from the country to do so.
Last season’s semi-final exit therefore stung, but it has focused minds and fostered a collective motivation to go even farther this time round. Shabab easily put to the sword, that bid has acquired fresh impetus.
Al Ain return from Riyadh rich in the knowledge that an already excellent season can still get better. Freshly anointed UAE champions, their quest to also rule Asia lives on.
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