As I’ve been posting here, the growth and development made in recent years is remarkable!

While I was watching this Game, I was thinking about the elements that influence these developments.

And the United Arab Emirates, just as the region countries, have been facing an enormous exodus of expat families, Coaches, Players.

In different proportions, naturally.

But UAE has a big advantage on this, as a country of many nations united in a single territory.

As I’ve always mentioned, my deepest belief is that competition promotes developments (even with some pain-points in between).

With that said, over the last decades, players have been exposed to different methods and methodologies, different Coaching styles and Training Sessions.

From local Players, local Coaches and Directors, to expat Coaches and families, everyone gets exposed to different contexts and needs to adapt to a new reality.

Everyone learns, everyone gets involved.

Deeply involved, once you understand the impact that measures (as the ones we have in this country) allow every agent involved in Sports, from Directors, to Coaches, to Players, to Player Agents, to families, fans, etc, to change the direction of a country.

And, as many studies have shown us that, the dream is closer than ever.

But I will go back to this by the end of this text.

Apart from my thoughts, the match represented exactly this element of exposure.

UAE team imposed a rhythm (in my eyes deeply connected to the competitiveness existing locally at their Leagues) that the National Team of Kuwait couldn’t handle, specially on the first half.

Total control, good tactical awareness with different formations on attacking moments and defensive moments. 

On the defensive stages, the team opted preferably for a GK+4+2+3+1 with high-pressing at times, taking advantage of some insecurity of the opposite team.

Offensively, specially on the first half, the team opted to drop one of the midfielders to create a line of 3 along with the CB’s, allowing the 2 side backs to go deeper on the field and creating space for the wingers to also use central areas. It was crystal clear the players tactical awareness on these movements, with many swaps between side backs and wingers, with one of them exploring the inside spaces and the other staying wide.

As a future tendency to work upon this formation, although Kuwait wasn’t able to create a lot of danger on the first half, is to work on the ball reaction, offensive-defensive transitions and opposition counter-attacks, in cases where the team loses the ball.

The second half, though, presented 2 things: on one side, Kuwait came more aggressive on the attacking transition, using more direct and long passes to the Striker and to one of the wingers, causing some problems to the home team; secondly, the UAE players weren’t able to keep their rhythm at the same intensity as the first half, until a great goal closed the match’s story, per say.

This lack of resistance levels can be based on lack of physical capacity to keep the rhythm high during the entire match, which although is somehow normal at this ages, it necessarily matches the tiredness of the opposition teams.

Or, on the other side, can result in a lack of mental readiness to be constantly connected to the match at the same time. 

This is a challenge for everyone in the Game, specially for younger players.

Specially when they felt the first half they were so dominant, it’s easy to assume they mind immediately relaxed on the second half.

This brings me always back to the importance of keeping training levels always in higher intensity and with levels of complexity that are simultaneously achievable and challenging, to keep their mental readiness always 100% connected on the task ahead.

And, here, is where things start to be connected – the reality, the developments and the dreams.

The dream it’s simple, and similar to everyone in the region: to take players to the European stages!

And, probably, some years ago this could be a dream for virtually everyone, every country here.

There were efforts made in the past, truth to be said, but yet no clear results, no clear impact on the generations to come.

Someone with the same impact that Paulo Futre, Luís Figo, Rui Costa or Paulo Sousa had in Portugal for us back there.

But, as time goes by, players and coaches develop, National Teams get stronger, National Leagues improve significantly, as we are now starting to see movements in the region.

And it will come to UAE soon.

It only takes one player: someone able to have an impact on the Youth Players and everyone to understand this (now) dream is very achievable.

From there, Coaches will start their path, National Team will get stronger and better results, the Pro League will be more attractive for more players, etc.

It only takes one player.

One with impact.

It’s definitely getting closer!