Former South Korea national team coach Paulo Bento showed his colors in his first match with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national team.
On March 13, the UAE defeated Costa Rica, 4-1, in a friendly exhibition match at Stadion Maksimir in Zagreb, Croatia. Bento, who took over the reins of the UAE two months ago, made his debut and showed his leadership skills by leading the team to a resounding victory in his first game.바카라
The UAE’s victory was an anomaly. In the FIFA rankings, an objective measure of strength, the UAE is ranked just 72nd. Costa Rica, a perennial World Cup contender, is ranked 46th. Furthermore, the UAE hadn’t played an official match since the Arabian Gulf Cup in January, so there were organizational issues.
The prediction that the UAE would be hard to beat was proved wrong in the first half. The UAE opened the scoring just 16 minutes into the game when Al Ghassani scored with a right-footed shot from a Fabio Lima pass. Six minutes later, he doubled his tally from a cross in the opposition half.
The UAE continued to force Costa Rica into corners and made it 3-0 in the 37th minute with a long-range effort from Ali Salmin. The UAE’s onslaught had world-class goalkeeper Kyler Navas stretched thin. The UAE’s organized play left Navas unable to make a save.
Bento continued to call for the attack in the second half. In response, the UAE made it 4-0 in the eighth minute of the second half after exchanging passes in the opponent’s box. It was a great pass and move that utilized a teammate in the opposition box. The UAE conceded a goal to Costa Rica in the 19th minute of the second half, but were able to hold on for the 4-1 victory.
“Every time the UAE reached the penalty box, Costa Rica suffered,” said ESPN Costa Rica, “The tactical discipline of the UAE players was very high. They were very disciplined in their tactics, and it showed the clear thinking of Coach Bento.”
Like the Costa Rican media’s analysis of the defeat, the UAE were organized. Despite being outnumbered, they managed a respectable 43% share of possession and showed accuracy, converting five of their six shots on target, four of which were on target, proving their concise and decisive nature.
It’s a familiar assessment. Bento led South Korea for four years, starting in 2018, with similar results. He tried to instill a soccer based on possession and build-up from the back, no matter who the opponent was, and although he was sometimes criticized for his overzealousness, he was praised for his performance at the World Cup in Qatar, where he overcame strong teams such as Uruguay and Portugal in a back-and-forth battle. The result was also successful as South Korea reached the round of 16 for only the second time in their history.
Bento, whose contract with South Korea expired after the World Cup, took a break before signing a three-year deal with the UAE. “I came to the UAE to work, not to vacation,” he said at his inaugural press conference. I will also have a green card,” he said. We are off to a great start and have high hopes.
South Korea, who have made a change under Jürgen Klinsmann, may also meet soon. South Korea and the UAE are familiar faces on the Asian stage. They could meet as early as next January at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar.