Road to redemption

After all the talk, the time has indeed come to walk it. The UAE step on to the pitch on the morrow against Thailand, with a steely resolve and a prayer on their lips, to put their Russian dream back on track.
Almost three months ago, that dream had lay in tatters, twin defeats to Japan and Australia forcing Emirati tactician Mahdi Ali to call time on his journey with the National team. Perhaps, Mahdi Ali's reign had run its course and it was probably time to infuse fresh thinking and a new outlook.
And the UAE Football Association believe Edgardo Bauza is the best suited man to take this team bustling with wonderful Emirati talent to a new era. It is not the most ideal of circumstances for the UAE and, for Bauza himself, as both find themselves seeking redemption.
The Whites are just hanging on by the skin of their teeth in tough Group B, filled with Asian heavyweights like Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia. They are fourth in the group and the fact that they have to win their three remaining fixtures - against Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, to be in contention, is not lost on them.
Redemption is indeed the theme and so it for Bauza too. The 59-year-old's ill-fated spell with Argentina and the likes of Lionel Messi and co, lasted only eight games. And Bauza, knows more than anyone that this new challenge that has presented itself, is an opportunity to correct the wrongs and set things straight.
And he begins his reign, hoping to write a new chapter with the UAE.
The World Cup qualifier against Thailand at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Tuesday evening represents his first competitive game with the UAE after the friendly against minnows Laos last week.
Perhaps, in some ways, the game against Thailand is a softer initiation, a chance to get into the groove, so to speak, with tougher battle to come for Bauza, later. Thailand, the basement dwellers in the group, are already out of contention and a win against The War Elephants will be a nice way to hit the ground running for The Whites as well as Bauza.
Bauza, who was only appointed last month, has had very little time to prepare the team and instill his new ideas. He has had 12 days in all with his new wards but Bauza felt that the team is ready to roll against Thailand.
It will be interesting to see if the squad has bought into Bauza's ideas but with the core of the squad being more or less the same with a few additions, the UAE are firm favourites to beat Thailand, ranked 127 in the world.
"I am confident that my start will be a good match for the UAE against Thailand, given the good players' situation and their appearance at a good level and with a positive response during the training and preparations that preceded the game," Bauza said at his pre-match press briefing.
"I would have preferred to spend at least a month preparing for the team, not just 12 days. Overall, we tried to use that short period well and prepare the players technically and physically for the first task. We hope that we will succeed in that task and that we can make the fans happy," he added.
Bauza said that the training camps as well as the friendly against Laos has given him more knowledge about the abilities of the players.
"We had good preparation in the UAE, Malaysia and Thailand. We benefited greatly from the experience of the friendly against Laos and we have been able to formulate a plan to garner three points against Thailand," said Bauza.
Thailand go into the game on the back of a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan in a friendly last week. The match against the UAE also represents Milovan Rajevac's first competitive match in charge of Thailand.
Beat Japan 2-1 in Saitama, Japan, September 2016
Lost to Australia 1-0 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, September 2016
Beat Thailand 3-1 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, October 2016
Lost to Saudi Arabia 3-0 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, October 2016
Beat Iraq 2-0 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 2016
Lost to Japan, 2-0 in Al Ain, UAE, March 2017
Lost to Australia 2-0 in Sydney, Australia, March 2017

Source: Khaleej Times