Amman — Al-Hussein Irbid’s delegation has arrived in the Omani capital, Muscat, ahead of its match against Oman’s Al-Seeb tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. in the second round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two.
اضافة اعلان
The “Royal Yellow” side will be looking to secure a positive result to get its campaign back on track and strengthen its chances of claiming one of the two qualification spots for the knockout stage.
Al-Hussein began training in Muscat, holding its first session on Sunday with all players taking part as the team prepared physically and technically for the upcoming encounter. Spanish head coach Curo Torres is aiming to get the squad in the best possible shape and assess the players’ readiness ahead of the match.
The coaching staff focused on improving the players’ readiness and implementing tactical elements the team intends to use against Al-Seeb. Given the importance of the match, Al-Hussein needs a positive result to boost its chances of reaching the next round.
Al-Hussein enters the fixture seeking to make amends after stumbling in its opening match against India’s East Bengal at Amman International Stadium. That result makes a positive outcome in Oman particularly important to avoid dropping more points early in the continental campaign and keep its qualification hopes alive.
The match against Al-Seeb carries added significance for Jordan’s representative, with the standings in Group D closely contested and the team needing to make the most of its upcoming fixtures. Another setback could make its task in the remaining rounds more difficult. Al-Hussein will therefore need to approach the game with a high level of concentration, seek to impose its style of play and maintain a balance between defensive responsibilities and attacking effectiveness to secure a result that serves its ambitions.
On the technical front, Spanish coach Curo Torres faces a challenging task, with limited time to fully assess the team’s capabilities and the players’ strengths while establishing his tactical ideas ahead of important continental fixtures.
The challenge has been compounded by the fact that five Al-Hussein players were with the national team during the recent international break. This limited the coach’s opportunity to work with them sufficiently in group training, assess their physical and technical readiness, and determine how well they can implement his requirements on the pitch.
Torres has managed just one match with Al-Hussein in the Jordanian Pro League since taking charge, leading the team to a convincing 4–1 victory over Al-Arabi. The result provided a morale boost and gave the coach an initial opportunity to identify areas that need improvement in the coming period.
The coaching staff is expected to have used the Al-Arabi match to test several tactical ideas and patterns that could be deployed against Al-Seeb, including attacking movements, build-up play, defensive organization and pressing. The fixture also offers Torres another opportunity to evaluate the players and identify the most suitable starting lineup for the nature and importance of the match.
However, the rapid transition from domestic league action to continental competition requires the coach to take a realistic approach to the team’s capabilities and the limited preparation time. Asian competition demands high concentration, attention to the details of a match, effective use of scoring opportunities and the avoidance of mistakes that could cost the team valuable points.
Al-Hussein’s challenges extend beyond technical matters, as the team faces a congested fixture schedule during this period. Managing the players’ physical workload is therefore among the key issues Torres must handle carefully.
The Spanish coach and his staff will need to balance the need to field the players in the best condition with preserving the squad’s fitness, particularly with domestic and continental fixtures coming in quick succession.
The victory over Al-Arabi came at an important time for Al-Hussein, following inconsistent results and technical difficulties during the opening three rounds of the Pro League. The team began its campaign with a 5–0 defeat to Al-Jazeera, followed by a goalless draw with Al-Baqa’a and a 3–3 draw against Shabab Al-Ordon.
These results cast a shadow over the team’s start to the season, prompting the club’s management to terminate head coach Ahmad Hayel’s contract and appoint Spanish coach Curo Torres in an effort to reorganize the squad and correct its course in line with the club’s domestic and continental ambitions.
Al-Hussein Irbid sit second in the group with the same number of points as India’s East Bengal. Iraq’s Al-Shorta lead the standings with three points after defeating Al-Seeb in the opening round, while Al-Seeb sit bottom of the group without any points.
Al-Hussein will continue its AFC Champions League Two group-stage campaign with two matches against Iraq’s Al-Shorta. The Jordanian side will visit its Iraqi opponent on Tuesday, October 27, at 9:15 p.m. at Al-Zawraa Stadium in Baghdad, before hosting Al-Shorta on November 3 at 7 p.m. at Amman International Stadium.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Mohammad Arabiyat
