Spirited Sharjah rejoice after AFC Champions League Two final victory over Lion City Sailors
SINGAPORE – They have had to survive penalty shoot-outs in the last 16 and quarter-finals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Two last 16 and quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Sharjah were minutes away from being eliminated by Saudi side Al Taawoun, before they scored twice in added time to win 2-1 on aggregate.
It was no surprise that the Emirati side brought the same of the never-say-die spirit to the final against Lion City Sailors at Bishan Stadium on May 18. After breaking the deadlock through Firas Ben Arbi in the 74th minute, they were pegged back by Maxime Lestienne in the second minute of added time.
Instead of holding out for extra time, the visitors went for the kill and were rewarded five minutes later when Marcus Meloni's solo effort sent the 500 away fans, many of whom came dressed in traditional white thobe tunic, into raptures.
Tournament MVP Caio Lucas, a 31-year-old forward, admitted to struggling with the humidity as it rained during the match, and said: 'It was hard, and some players were getting tired.
'In the second half, when I was sprinting and shooting, I could not see anything and I had to lie down. But we still try our best until the final whistle.'
Fellow Brazil-born Emirati Meloni, a 24-year-old midfielder whose goal helped Sharjah become the first team from the United Arab Emirates to win Asia's second-tier club competition, said: 'We are very happy and proud. This means a lot to the players, the team and the country, because we worked very hard to get this title.
'We were talking about it during dinner one day, about our struggle throughout the competition. I'm happy to score for the team and for the coach, because he deserves this.'
The post-match press conference was gatecrashed by the Sharjah players, who cheered and doused their coach Cosmin Olaroiu with energy drinks, having given a perfect send-off to the Romanian, who will take over as UAE coach from their next World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan on June 6.
Olaroiu was vindicated for his decision to forgo the UAE Pro League title challenge to put in their best effort in the ACL2. In their last five matches, they dropped 11 points in the league to cede the championship to Shabab Al-Ahli, and lost in the President's Cup final to the same opponents.
Their reward is a first continental title, along with US$2.5 million (S$3.25 million) for winning the final and US$3.28 million in all.
The 55-year-old said: 'We had eight games in 27 days and we had to try to change players to avoid injury and be effective.
'Sometimes we have to sacrifice some competitions to be ready for another competition. We have to focus on the competition we have the biggest chance in.
'In the end our strategy worked, we had a target and we reached it. We are not happy to lose any game, but we have to accept the way we choose is not always smooth.'
As Olaroiu moves on after winning five cups in four seasons with the team, he hopes Sharjah can build on the success as he attempts to lead UAE to only their second World Cup appearance following their debut in 1990.
He said: 'I hope this is the beginning of a new era for Sharjah, that they will start to build a strong team with a strong mentality. I may be leaving but for them but I hope they won't stop here, that they will continue and be bigger and stronger.
'One of my dreams is to participate in the World Cup and I will do my best to achieve this. I think this fantastic nation deserves it for how they have developed the country and grown the sport.'
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