moral victory

SME-Written by/ Ali Al-Basha
Alialbasha540@gmail.com
The first victory for our national team in the Gulf Cup (26) in Kuwait will give a great morale boost to our players, especially since it came at the expense of the Saudi national team, before facing Iraq tomorrow in the second round of Group Two, and it put us a man in the semi-finals, and above all, it confirmed the technical staff’s confidence in the lineup that it started with, and I believe that it will not deviate from what it started with!
Of course, the victory comes as a result of technical and administrative factors. Our players, who we have said more than once that they have gained accumulated experience from their elite and club participations, were up to the responsibility and were not affected by the previous statements about the Saudi team not being at its usual level. They did not want to be taken by surprise, so they played against the strong Greens. With the same spirit with which they played in Jeddah, they faced the Greens at Jaber Stadium. With the saying, “We invade them, and they do not invade us,” the extraordinary performance in the first half and the exit with two clean goals and the slight decline in the second half was only to absorb the enthusiasm of their competitors. When they sensed the danger of reducing the difference, they returned to increase it, until the result went to those who deserved it in the end. We do not want to underestimate the performance in the second half: but there were mistakes in the defense that require the coach (Dragan) to have addressed them so that they are not repeated in (tomorrow’s) match against Iraq because in the second half they almost cost us (the lead) with the Saudi team’s substitutions and attempts to deceive our players from the sides, because they focused on one side to open the other side. Also, we should not underestimate the administrative aspect that was represented in the presence of officials from the General Sports Authority and the Football Association to train the team before the match, which in my opinion had its importance in raising the morale of the players, which made them feel that the Gulf Championship is important to the sports community, and is no less than any other championship, but rather prepares them morally for the World Cup qualifiers. Finally, we say, “He who does not thank the creation does not thank the Creator.” So, a salute to the fans who insisted on traveling behind the team, not caring about the cold weather, but encouraged and supported the team, raised the morale of the players, and increased their enthusiasm. They returned the debt to them and presented a match worthy of their desire to achieve a second title. It was not strange for them to greet them and say, “Our dear fans, thank you.”