Al-Wasl football club received a wake-up call after its surprising exit from the President's Cup against Diba on penalties in the Round of 16. This result halted the team's winning streak from recent weeks before it stumbled again with a draw in the seventh round of the ADNOC Pro League against Khor Fakkan, ending 1-1. This has increased concerns about the team's situation before tomorrow's match against Al-Muharraq from Bahrain in Zaabeel, as part of the fourth round of the group stage of the "AFC Champions League 2". The matches against Diba and Khor Fakkan revealed some gaps in attacking focus and finishing chances, despite Al-Wasl's dominance for long periods in both games. These results came at a sensitive time for the team, which had been moving steadily and confidently before these encounters, serving as a warning to review the details and avoid stalling at crucial moments. The upcoming match against Al-Muharraq will be a real test of the team's ability to overcome the shock of cup elimination, the league setback, and quickly restore its balance. Any further stumble could affect its position in the league table and slow down the pace of the race for the top spot. Therefore, the coaching staff, led by Portuguese manager Luís Castro, understands the importance of returning to winning ways to confirm that what happened in the last two matches was just a temporary blip and does not reflect the true level the team has shown since the start of the season. In contrast, Al-Wasl had been moving with confidence and stability this season under the guidance of Portuguese coach Luís Castro, who restored the team's technical identity and attacking effectiveness, presenting a remarkable performance in various tournaments since the season's start. Despite an early defeat in the second round of the ADNOC Pro League against Al-Zafra by three goals to one, that loss became a turning point in the team's journey. It was followed by a series of positive results that restored balance and confidence for the team on both domestic and continental fronts. Al-Wasl has played seven matches in the ADNOC Pro League, winning four and drawing three. Their results are as follows: a win over Bani Yas 2-0 in the first round, a loss to Al-Zafra 3-1 in the second, a draw with Al-Ain 1-1 in the third, a win over Al-Bataeh 1-0 in the fourth, a win over Sharjah 2-1 in the fifth, a valuable win over Al-Nasr 2-1 in the sixth, and then a draw with Khor Fakkan 1-1 in the seventh. In the "AFC Champions League 2", Al-Wasl leads Group 1 after achieving three consecutive wins, including two away victories over Jordan's Al-Wehdat and Bahrain's Al-Muharraq, raising their tally to nine points and getting closer to an early qualification to the second round. The team has presented strong performances that have shown the team's continental character and its big ambitions in the tournament. Meanwhile, the team continued its excellent domestic results by qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup after overcoming Al-Zafra on aggregate over the two legs, maintaining a strong presence in all competitions. Naser Issa: Al-Wasl needs a striker and a "championships coach" Sports analyst Naser Issa confirmed that the defeat suffered by Al-Wasl against Diba in the President's Cup Round of 16 will negatively impact the team's path in the coming period, stressing that this impact was directly reflected in its match against Khor Fakkan in the league. He emphasized that the "Emperor" urgently needs to sign a striker in the winter transfer window, along with the need to evaluate the work of coach Luís Castro. He told "Al Ittihad" newspaper that the cup exit has put the team in a difficult situation, explaining that "any loss in upcoming matches will push the team away from the league title race, so the club's management must intervene decisively to adjust the team's situation early on." He added: "I believe that Brazilian Matheus Saldanha has not delivered the expected performance from him, in terms of numbers and goals scored, or his overall level with the team." He continued: "I hope the club works on signing a striker in the winter transfer window, especially as it's clear there is a problem with the team's performance at the attacking line, which is also due to the inconsistency of key experienced players like Fabio Lima and Nicolas Gimenez." And concluded: "Al-Wasl needs a coach who competes for championships, not just a good coach. Luís Castro had a previous experience with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nasr that was not successful, so he needs to be evaluated and attention must be paid to the impact of the team's cup exit, so that Al-Wasl doesn't lose its strong start in the current season and quickly returns to the path of victories."
