going to a football match in Dubai
Jan 12th 2013, 2:00 pm
#31
Shark Fisherman
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Doha
Posts: 4,568
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Positioning awareness and finishing worthy of RvP - set up the first goal for himself to finish and calmly judged the incredibly acute angle of the second goal despite all that forward momentum (he's a big guy). Oh and he plays for Al Ahli of Dubai (though he hasn't been showing that kind of form recently in the league in fairness). U12 level????
Jan 12th 2013, 2:22 pm
#32
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,107
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
And where do all the national team (first and second string) play their league football? Along with three foreign players per club, some of whom transferred directly from major clubs in Europe and South America....
Jan 13th 2013, 11:24 am
#34
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: No longer in Dohell. Thank fvck.
Posts: 359
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
.....sigh....
You see there are two things I just don't understand in the positions being taken by dubaiguy and britexpat:
1) Why the need to take such an obviously exaggerated position - UAE league football is like U12 football or the worst league in the world - and so aggressively defend it with an irrelevant claim to unimpeachable expertise - played pro or worked for a UAE club? And in dubaiguy's case, throw in a bit of random personal abuse as a bonus.
Nobody is claiming that UAE football is comparable to European big leagues nor is expecting to see that when they go to a match. Another poster claimed League 1 as a comparison. That may be a bit generous but lots of people attend League 2 and Conference matches and enjoy them. It's the same here with the added bonus of participating in a bit of local culture and colour that you might otherwise miss. Which brings me to my second point...
2) We all have numerous complaints about living here, many of them justified and we are right to express them. I certainly don't subscribe to the "if you don't like it, leave" school of thought. Most of us here make very positive contributions to local social and economic development, pay all of our fees and charges and would be severely missed if we left en masse. Although the political systems do not give us a direct voice, that doesn't mean we don't deserve one (and expats do have a good deal more indirect influence on policy and governance than is usually publicly acknowledged). However, that is not the same as pouring vicious scorn and derision on everything connected with local culture and institutions. There are many things here which are good and valuable and many wonderful local people. If you really hate everything about this place so much, why on earth would you stay here?
Anyway, for those who waded through all that, here is a treat. UAE played Oman in yesterday's Gulf Cup qualifier. UAE had already qualified as group winners by virtue of two wins; Oman needed to win, likely by more than a goal to survive. UAE team was mostly young reserves. It was a tight match with the UAE repelling wave after wave of Oman attacks which really lacked any penetrative power. Then UAE's Ahmed Khalil came off the bench (for Ismail Mattar) and did this in the space of four minutes:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cOs4XtadSdE
Positioning awareness and finishing worthy of RvP - set up the first goal for himself to finish and calmly judged the incredibly acute angle of the second goal despite all that forward momentum (he's a big guy). Oh and he plays for Al Ahli of Dubai (though he hasn't been showing that kind of form recently in the league in fairness). U12 level????
You see there are two things I just don't understand in the positions being taken by dubaiguy and britexpat:
1) Why the need to take such an obviously exaggerated position - UAE league football is like U12 football or the worst league in the world - and so aggressively defend it with an irrelevant claim to unimpeachable expertise - played pro or worked for a UAE club? And in dubaiguy's case, throw in a bit of random personal abuse as a bonus.
Nobody is claiming that UAE football is comparable to European big leagues nor is expecting to see that when they go to a match. Another poster claimed League 1 as a comparison. That may be a bit generous but lots of people attend League 2 and Conference matches and enjoy them. It's the same here with the added bonus of participating in a bit of local culture and colour that you might otherwise miss. Which brings me to my second point...
2) We all have numerous complaints about living here, many of them justified and we are right to express them. I certainly don't subscribe to the "if you don't like it, leave" school of thought. Most of us here make very positive contributions to local social and economic development, pay all of our fees and charges and would be severely missed if we left en masse. Although the political systems do not give us a direct voice, that doesn't mean we don't deserve one (and expats do have a good deal more indirect influence on policy and governance than is usually publicly acknowledged). However, that is not the same as pouring vicious scorn and derision on everything connected with local culture and institutions. There are many things here which are good and valuable and many wonderful local people. If you really hate everything about this place so much, why on earth would you stay here?
Anyway, for those who waded through all that, here is a treat. UAE played Oman in yesterday's Gulf Cup qualifier. UAE had already qualified as group winners by virtue of two wins; Oman needed to win, likely by more than a goal to survive. UAE team was mostly young reserves. It was a tight match with the UAE repelling wave after wave of Oman attacks which really lacked any penetrative power. Then UAE's Ahmed Khalil came off the bench (for Ismail Mattar) and did this in the space of four minutes:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cOs4XtadSdE
Positioning awareness and finishing worthy of RvP - set up the first goal for himself to finish and calmly judged the incredibly acute angle of the second goal despite all that forward momentum (he's a big guy). Oh and he plays for Al Ahli of Dubai (though he hasn't been showing that kind of form recently in the league in fairness). U12 level????
Jan 14th 2013, 7:27 am
#37
Bored liberal
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Over there ----->
Posts: 13,713
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
On the women at football front this is entertainingly retarded
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/foot...tir-on-twitter
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/foot...tir-on-twitter
Retarded indeed.women at a match would "lose the spirit of modesty and chastity".
Um, how exactly? I don't believe it's complusory for female football fans to strip and shag during a game. Perhaps it's be 'safer' for them if the men knew how to behave decently?
Jan 14th 2013, 10:19 pm
#38
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: No longer in Dohell. Thank fvck.
Posts: 359
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Jan 15th 2013, 3:34 am
#39
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,096
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
got some Fitba in Abu Dhabi this weekend at Zayed Sports City...
Matchworld Cup: Fixtures
January 16 2013
5pm: Zenit St Petersburg v Al Hilal
8pm: Zamalek v Shakhtar Donetsk
January 19 2013
5pm: Shakhtar Donetsk v Al Hilal
8pm: Zenit St Petersburg v Zamalek
Saudis, Egyptians, Ruskies and Ukrainians. Maybe a chance to see The Hulk!
Matchworld Cup: Fixtures
January 16 2013
5pm: Zenit St Petersburg v Al Hilal
8pm: Zamalek v Shakhtar Donetsk
January 19 2013
5pm: Shakhtar Donetsk v Al Hilal
8pm: Zenit St Petersburg v Zamalek
Saudis, Egyptians, Ruskies and Ukrainians. Maybe a chance to see The Hulk!
Jan 15th 2013, 7:30 am
#40
Gold-Helmeted Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Setubal-ish
Posts: 688
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
I had a brazilian friend who played for Al Wasl until year or so back when Maradona came in. I went to see a few games, but we just drove up with his mrs and they let us straight in the VIP area without any ID or tickets etc.
If you go to the main areas, you're not going to have a problem getting a ticket or space. The stadiums are always empty. There are people in the VIP section of course, which is fairly large. There was also a large group of men (and it was only men) on the other side of the stadium who would chant in organized fashion and sway from side to side. But other than that one block, the whole place was deserted. Not a single person literally in maybe 60-70% of the stands. I reckon no game I went to had attendance of more than 2-3000 people absolute tops.
Southampton games in league one still had 20,000 people turning up and had atmosphere. Top flight games here have less atmosphere (and spectators) than a non-league game in England.
My friend went on to play for Botofogo in Rio after his years here. I'm not sure which one paid the best, but surely playing in Brazil for a top team in front of tens of thousands of screaming fanatics must be better than the soulless kickabout that a typical UAE football game amounts to.
The players here are probably fairly decent judging by the other clubs they come from and go to after playing here, although maybe not prem quality. But it's amazing how lack of crowd and atmosphere really kills the experience even though the fans you do meet are nice guys, even if they're supporting the other team.
If you go to the main areas, you're not going to have a problem getting a ticket or space. The stadiums are always empty. There are people in the VIP section of course, which is fairly large. There was also a large group of men (and it was only men) on the other side of the stadium who would chant in organized fashion and sway from side to side. But other than that one block, the whole place was deserted. Not a single person literally in maybe 60-70% of the stands. I reckon no game I went to had attendance of more than 2-3000 people absolute tops.
Southampton games in league one still had 20,000 people turning up and had atmosphere. Top flight games here have less atmosphere (and spectators) than a non-league game in England.
My friend went on to play for Botofogo in Rio after his years here. I'm not sure which one paid the best, but surely playing in Brazil for a top team in front of tens of thousands of screaming fanatics must be better than the soulless kickabout that a typical UAE football game amounts to.
The players here are probably fairly decent judging by the other clubs they come from and go to after playing here, although maybe not prem quality. But it's amazing how lack of crowd and atmosphere really kills the experience even though the fans you do meet are nice guys, even if they're supporting the other team.
Jan 15th 2013, 8:46 am
#42
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,096
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
My friend went on to play for Botofogo in Rio after his years here. I'm not sure which one paid the best, but surely playing in Brazil for a top team in front of tens of thousands of screaming fanatics must be better than the soulless kickabout that a typical UAE football game amounts to.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/timvicker...vickery_2.html
but still a better atmosphere than a full St Mary's and the Dubai derby
Jan 15th 2013, 9:07 am
#44
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,096
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Jan 15th 2013, 9:14 am
#45
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 0
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
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