DUBAI: Superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale broke Al-Jazira’s hearts in the Club World Cup on Wednesday, canceling out Romarinho’s shock first-half opener and denying them what would have been the biggest win in their history. We look at five positives the UAE side can cling to after such a heroic performance:
Al-Jazira did the Middle East proud
Fans say they are the Pride of Abu Dhabi, coach Henk Ten Cate said they were playing for the whole of the United Arab Emirates but, at the very least Al-Jazira were flying the flag for the Middle East and now the whole of the region will be claiming them for their own.
That there was a little feeling of disappointment as a team from the UAE — one that had made zero impact in the 2017 Asian Champions League — lost to Real Madrid says it all. It was a controlled and battling performance from the hosts who may not be able to match those titans of world football in terms of ability but were more than their equals when it came to heart, fighting spirit and determination.
The important thing was that the hosts left the pitch with no regrets. They gave everything and almost got everything in return.
It was almost a classic Al-Jazira performance
The gameplan that worked against Auckland City and Urawa Reds in the previous rounds almost worked against Real Madrid. Al-Jazira had just 40 percent of the possession against the New Zealanders in the playoff victory and had been outshot 17 to five.
That share of the ball fell by a further five percentage points in each of the next two games to be at 30 percent by the end of their Madrid match. At half-time, the Spaniards had recorded 17 attempts on goal and yet were behind. It was looking like another counter-attacking master class when the hosts scored right at the start of the second half only for the goal to be just ruled out for offside. The sight of Ronaldo telling his team-mates to keep their heads was a rewarding one.
Their stars put themselves in the shop window as did the coach
Ali Khaseif has been the goalkeeper of the tournament and none of the striking talent assembled managed to find a way past the 30-year-old. His exit early in the second half through injury was a blow for the hosts but he may find himself back in the national team set-up before long and deservedly so.
Then there were the twin goal threats of Ali Mabkhout and Romarinho.
Both have enhanced their reputations over the last few days and there may well be a few questions over availability coming their way in the next few weeks. So much the better. Perhaps the most impressive performer was the coach. Ten Cate has certainly shown that he can get a lot out of a team, no matter what the opposition. Few gave Al-Jazira a chance going into the tournament but under the Dutchman, they almost went all the way.
There is pride and passion in the UAE
Attendances in the UAE league are often depressingly small with Abu Dhabi one of the worst offenders. Yet more than 36,000 came out in force on Wednesday. Sure, the opposition was a certain Real Madrid and there was a prize of a final spot in the 2017 Club World Cup final at stake, but it was encouraging to see much of a big local crowd cheering on a local team. It was not exactly a cauldron of passion but it was a real football atmosphere and showed that when the conditions are right, Abu Dhabi is capable of responding.
Al-Jazira not only gave pride to Asia, they gave hope to Saudi Arabia
It was not supposed to be much of a contest. How could a team that is far from a giant in Asian terms, even West Asian terms, live with the biggest club in the world with all their megastars? The answer was simple: Through hard-work, good organization, great coaching, a little luck and self-belief it can be done.
The same attitude and intensive preparation should be on display at the 2018 World Cup from all five of Asia’s representatives in Russia. Saudi Arabia are at the World Cup for the first time since 2006 and nobody expects them to get out of their group. A little Al-Jazira style application and attitude and they can dare to dream.
Jazira left down but not out by Real Madrid
Jazira left down but not out by Real Madrid
Expo City Dubai to host NBXL, the first US-Middle East professional basketball league
- The city will become the home of UAE league matches
DUBAI: Expo City Dubai has signed a partnership agreement with the NBXL, the world’s first US-Middle East-based independent professional basketball league.
The city will become the home of UAE league matches and give it naming rights to one of four teams representing Dubai in the inaugural 2025 season.
The signing was a preview to the main launch on Oct. 5, when Expo City Dubai will unveil its team name, logo, key players, merchandise, staff and schedule. The announcement will also reveal three other teams, with entertaining basketball activities and opportunities for fans to meet and greet players.
With NBXL teams featuring elite players from around the world, UAE league matches will be played at Expo City Dubai with additional league games planned in the US and Saudi Arabia.
No stranger to the UAE, the NXBL hosted two days of basketball activities during Expo 2020 Dubai. It also took part in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Dubai Schools Games Basketball Championships — an initiative by Dubai Sports Council featuring more than 150 private and public schools.
The partnership reflects Expo City Dubai’s commitment to boost the health and well-being of the community by actively engaging the public in sports, fitness and wellness events.
Young Afghan side ‘among the favorites’ for T20 World Cup
- Afghanistan celebrated their stunning eight-wicket victory against Pakistan in the ODI World Cup in October last year
- They finished sixth, ahead of defending champions England who they also beat, stoking hopes for T20 tournament
KABUL: A young Afghan side with an average age of just 25 have vowed to give audiences back home rare cause for jubilation at the T20 World Cup after a breakthrough performance at the 50-over showpiece.
Kabul’s skies were raked with fireworks when Afghanistan celebrated their stunning eight-wicket victory against Pakistan in the ODI World Cup in October.
They finished sixth, ahead of defending champions England — who they also beat — stoking hopes for the T20 tournament in the United States and West Indies starting on Saturday.
“In the past when we would defeat a bigger team, our victory was tagged as an ‘upset’,” 22-year-old Sediqullah Atal told AFP on the phone from their training camp in the West Indies.
“The word ‘upset’ is no longer in the dictionary and we are ranked among the favorites,” the left-handed opening batsman said, insisting his team is “no less than anyone.”
Afghanistan has been through decades of war, but the country’s passion for cricket has never gone away.
“When you have the support of 40 million people and they motivate you, it is a feeling of absolute delight,” said 20-year-old all-rounder Nangeyalia Kharote.
It’s “a matter of great joy” to represent his country, though they must now “match the high expectations” of supporters, he told AFP in Kabul ahead of his departure for the Caribbean.
“The love from the Afghans both at home and abroad is remarkable,” Sediqullah Atal added.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), which manages the men’s team, has the full backing of the country’s Taliban government, which forced the United States and its allies out of the country before seizing power in 2021.
The Taliban rulers, yet to be recognized by any country, have effectively banned women from sports however under their austere interpretation of Islam.
Afghanistan’s participation in the World Cup therefore comes with some controversy, skirting the International Cricket Council’s rules which stipulate all Test-playing nations must have a women’s side.
The ICC has previously said the matter is “pending,” allowing Afghanistan to compete — although England and Australia have refused to play them outside the World Cup.
Despite decades of war and poverty Afghan cricket has strengthened, with new academies, sponsorship deals and tournament financing.
Their first match at the 2024 World Cup is on June 4 against Uganda in Guyana.
“Our team has arrived and are playing at a very high level in a short space of time,” cricket enthusiast Afzal Khan, who trains at the Rashid Khan Cricket Academy in Kabul, told AFP.
“They are our heroes, they will have a place in my heart forever,” said the 19-year-old, who hopes to fill the shoes of Afghan captain and ace spinner Rashid Khan.
“They have struggled through lots of difficulties to bring the team and our cricket to this level.”
In an interview published by the ACB last week, Khan pledged: “We will shine well in this World Cup too, and match the expectations of our compatriots.”
Back home in Kabul, another young cricketer in training made those expectations very clear. Naseem Khan told AFP “this will be the best World Cup for Afghanistan.”
T20 warmup match between England and Pakistan abandoned due of rain
- The first match of the series was also wiped out, before England won the second T20 by 23 runs
- The weather condition in England has jeopardized the T20 World Cup preparations for both teams
CARDIFF, Wales: The T20 World Cup preparations of England and Pakistan were further hurt after the third match of their warmup series was abandoned Tuesday without any play possible in Cardiff because of rain.
The first match of the series was also wiped out, before England won the second T20 by 23 runs in Edgbaston on Saturday.
The fourth and final match of the series is at The Oval in London on Thursday. Bad weather is forecast then, too.
The T20 World Cup begins on Saturday in the United States and the Caribbean, with England’s opening match against Scotland in Barbados on June 4 and Pakistan playing for the first time on June 6 against the US.
US looking for wins in T20 World Cup debut
- US earned debut spot at T20 World Cup as a result of co-hosting the tournament with the West Indies next month
- Cricket has curious history in US, lingering influence of colonial-era game faded as baseball gained prominence
FORT LAUDERDALE, United States: The US will make their debut in the T20 World Cup and while they earned the spot as a result of co-hosting the tournament with the West Indies, they are determined to show they can make an impact among the big boys.
Cricket has a curious history in North America — the first ever international match featured the US against Canada in 1844 but the lingering influence of the colonial-era game faded as baseball gained prominence.
The US has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1965 and frequently competed in the tournaments for non-Test nations.
But the Americans have never featured in either the T20 World Cup or the ODI version, with their only appearance in a major tournament at the 2004 Champions Trophy, where they were roundly beaten by New Zealand and Australia in the group stage.
Grassroots participation has grown over recent years though with thriving local leagues and the T20 format has been used to develop a stronger base with Minor League Cricket and Major League Cricket emerging in the past few years.
It is too soon for those structures to have had an impact on the national side but smart use of the qualification criteria has seen the side become increasingly competitive.
The team coached by Australian Stuart Law head into the tournament on the back of a 2-1 T20I series win over Bangladesh that has provided them with real belief.
The Americans won the opening two games before resting several key starters to provide some opportunity for their back-ups.
The US, captained by Monank Patel, will have to face giants India and Pakistan along with Ireland and Canada in the group stage.
The addition of former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson has introduced some World Cup experience and top-class quality into the squad.
Anderson moved to the US in 2020 playing domestic cricket and — as his last game for New Zealand was in 2018 — he was able to switch in 2022 due to the ‘four year rule’ which applies in these cases.
Vice-captain Aaron Jones, who was born in New York but grew up playing in Barbados, says the American team is determined to make a statement in the tournament.
“We want to show everybody in the world that US can actually be a cricketing country and obviously be role models for the kids coming up,” he told AFP.
Jones is one of a number of players with experience of playing cricket outside the US and he has been impressed by the standard of the associate level nations.
“It’s just about getting the opportunity and obviously grasping that opportunity. Afghanistan is a really good team right now and they came through from associate. Ireland obviously came from associate. So the opportunity is there and we just need to really and truly take it and showcase our talent to the world,” he added.
Law has been able to work with a fixed core of players including pace bowler Ali Khan, who grew up in Pakistan and has played in the Caribbean Premier League.
Left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh represented India in the Under-19 World Cup in 2012 while Miami-born Steven Taylor has extensive experience in Caribbean cricket.
Jones, who was persuaded by Taylor to join the US team, rejects any idea that the US is in the tournament just to make up the numbers.
“We want to win games. We want to bring as much competition as any other team in the tournament,” he said.
The shortest form of the game does create the opportunity for more surprises and Jones believes his team are capable of producing some.
“We are a very good team. Obviously we showed that against Bangladesh, one of the best teams in the world,” he said.
“I wouldn’t call it an upset if we beat Pakistan or India. I will just say that we played better cricket on the day. It is a game of cricket. The bigger teams can lose as well.”
Towns, Edwards lift Wolves over Mavs 105-100 to avoid sweep in West finals
- The Wolves avoided being the 16th team out of 21 to get swept after losing the first three games of a series that started at home
- Luka Doncic had 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his sixth triple-double of these playoffs, but he and co-star Kyrie Irving were just 13 of 39 from the field
DALLAS: Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half and the Minnesota Timberwolves held off the Dallas Mavericks 105-100 on Tuesday night to avoid a sweep in the Western Conference finals.
Anthony Edwards had 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Wolves stayed alive in their first trip to the conference finals in 20 years, and just the second in the franchise’s 35 seasons.
Towns, who was shooting 28 percent from the field in the series coming in, was 9 of 13 from the field, including four of five from deep.
“He got himself going by going to the hoop,” coach Chris Finch said. “Played quick off the catch. Stayed confident. He didn’t really look much for his 3 until the second half. He just had his feet set. He was ready. And they were huge.”
Now third-seeded Minnesota head home for Game 5 on Thursday night to see if they can make the series even more interesting against No. 5 seed Dallas.
Luka Doncic had 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his sixth triple-double of these playoffs, but he and co-star Kyrie Irving were just 13 of 39 from the field. Irving, who was 14-0 in his career in closeout games coming in, finished with 16 points.
“That game’s on me. Just didn’t give enough energy,” said Doncic, who was 7 of 21 from the field, including 1 of 5 in the fourth when he and Irving had combined as closers to build the 3-0 series lead. “They won one game. We’ve just got to focus on the next one.”
The Wolves have led in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter of every game in the series, and this time they finished.
Towns, who picked up his fifth foul midway through the third quarter, put the Wolves ahead for good on a 3-pointer with 5:41 remaining, then hit another from deep the next time down.
Edwards put the Wolves up five with a jumper just inside the arc with 39 seconds left, and Minnesota hung on despite Edwards fouling Doncic on a made 3-pointer for a three-point Dallas deficit with 12 seconds to go.
Doncic missed the free throw, and Naz Reid hit a bucket to push the margin back to five with 11 seconds remaining.
Towns appeared to be finding a rhythm, scoring 10 points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter before picking up his fifth foul for elbowing P.J. Washington Jr. in the face as Towns went up for a shot.
The call against Towns prompted a technical foul against Finch from the second row, where he’s been confined since the start of the second round of the playoffs because of a knee injury that required surgery. Assistant Micah Nori has been roaming the sidelines.
Finch flirted with a second technical, which would have meant an ejection, a few minutes later when Edwards was called for his fourth foul going for a steal against Daniel Gafford.
Towns fouled out in the final two minutes, while Edwards and Rudy Gobert finished with five apiece.
“We weathered a lot of foul trouble out there, which was frustrating to say the least,” Finch said. “Credit to our guys. They found a way to win the game. It was a lot like Games 1 and 2, and we were able to get it done tonight.”
The Wolves avoided being the 16th team out of 21 to get swept after losing the first three games of a series that started at home. Now they’ll try to be just the fourth to force at least six games.
Mike Conley scored 14 points for Minnesota, and Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Jaden Hardy scored 10 of his 13 points in a 3:38 stretch that spilled into the first bucket of the fourth quarter, a corner 3 that pulled Dallas within two. Four of the game’s 11 lead changes came in the fourth.
The Mavs were without rookie center Dereck Lively II, who injured his neck when Towns accidentally kneed him in back of the head in Game 3.
Maxi Kleber, who has been out since May 3 with a separated shoulder, returned to give Dallas another option inside. But Daniel Gafford didn’t have his regular tag team partner as a rim protector at center, and the Wolves shot series-best 53 percent from the field.
