DUBAI // Hugo Viana said Al Wasl would "fight" to end this season with silverware, as the club prepared to kick off their President's Cup campaign on Friday night.
The Dubai club were one of the Arabian Gulf League's most consistent sides during the second half of 2014/15, losing once in their final 11 matches – Sunday's season-concluding 4-2 defeat to Al Jazira – to finish sixth in the table.
Wasl have excelled under coach Gabriel Calderon, who replaced Jorginho in October, with the Argentine seeking to continue that run with an extended challenge in the President’s Cup.
Calderon takes Wasl to Baniyas, his former club, for the last-16 encounter on Friday, a match Viana warned will prove a tough test.
“It’s one game, anything can happen,” the Portuguese midfielder said.
“We’re not thinking about anything other than winning. We want to win every game to reach the final, but we have to respect all the teams because, like Al Wasl, they want to win also. So we are ready to fight.”
Wasl have been prolific in attack, registering 53 goals to be third on the scoring chart.
They have, though, had problems at the back, conceding 45 times to make them the second most breached defence in the league’s top eight clubs behind Jazira.
Viana said Wasl must improve in that area if they are to contest for major titles next season and believes Calderon is the right man to lead that quest.
“The coach did a very good job in the league,” the former Newcastle United and Valencia player said.
“When he arrived we weren’t in good position. To finish where we did was good for Wasl, especially if you compare to last season – they finished in 12th place. This season we were fighting for fourth.
“All the players did a very good job in the second round of the league. We have to be happy with our work, but we also have to criticise ourselves.
“The players have to do more, we have to be better, and, at the end of the season, the first idea we can take is we have to be more concentrated.
“In the end, we lost points very easily, so we have to be more concentrated and do a very good job in the next season.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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