The league should be getting interesting at this stage of the season but instead things have ground to a halt.
The Etisalat Cup will rumble on this week to much fan apathy. The second leg of the semi-final takes place this weekend.
The momentum of the season has been lost with yet another break. The international break is inevitable but there is now a week or two either side. The league season cannot be made as long as most European leagues because it involves only 12 teams.
I think there could be a case for condensing the league into a shorter period, thus making it more of a spectacle and keeping the momentum over a season.
One player who has been outstanding in the second half of the season is Andre Diaz. I saw him pre-season for Al Ain and he did not look fit at all.
He was at Al Wasl last season and suffered with a number of injuries. His appearance as substitute against Al Wasl in the final game before the mid-season break proved a turning point. He scored twice to win the game for Al Ain and since then he has been on fire.
He looks incredibly fit compared to the start of the season, his work rate is excellent and the goals have flowed. He has scored eight in the second half of the season and his hat-trick against Al Jazira last week in the Etisalat Cup just went to prove he is well and truly back. I have met him and he is a genuinely nice bloke, so it is great to see him doing so well.
No distractions
This weekend will see the UAE play in North Korea in the World Cup qualifiers. This could be a chance to experiment with youth for the national team coach and for Faisal Khalil to make his long-awaited comeback. The fact it is in North Korea means that there won’t be any distractions for the players.
North Korea is not famed for its shopping or nightlife – it is not famed for anything apart from annoying America. The Etisalat Cup semi-final second legs take place and it looks like plain sailing for Al Ain and Al Wahda. Al Ain are 4-1 up from the first leg and Al Wahda 3-1. The final is on April 14 and could well be Al Ain’s second of the season. I would not expect to see too many first team players out for any of the four sides this weekend as this has always been the UAE equivalent of the League Cup.
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