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DAMMAM: After Qatar narrowly beat Yemen to book their place in the 27th Gulf Cup semifinals earlier in the evening, there was an expectation that defending champions Bahrain would respond after their 2-0 opening defeat to the Maroons and attempt to at least steal a point from the UAE.<\/p>\n
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Unfortunately for Bahrain supporters, that was not to be \u2014 the two-time champions fell 3-0 to the UAE to bow out of the competition on Sunday.<\/p>\n
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In a battle between Croatian head coaches Zlatko Dalic and Dragan Talajic, it was Dalic who triumphed as the UAE took complete control from the first minute.<\/p>\n
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Yuri Cesar and Richard Akonnor were constant threats down the flanks, with fullbacks Marcus Meloni and Ruben Canedo providing valuable support through their forward runs and positioning in the half-spaces.<\/p>\n
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The UAE had been rampant against Yemen, but with Bahrain posing little threat on the counter there was no need to rush. The deadlock was broken at the half-hour mark when Cesar delivered his first assist for the UAE \u2014 a pinpoint cross to Ousmane Camara, who headed into the bottom corner.<\/p>\n
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Bahrain went the first half without a touch in the opposition box, with just 45 minutes left to rescue something from the contest. On came striker Mohammed Al-Romaihi and midfielder Mohammed Abdulkayoum, with Komail Al-Aswad pushing up into an attacking midfield role.<\/p>\n
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Once again, it was not enough for Bahrain \u2014 and it would ultimately be the Emirati substitutes that made the difference.<\/p>\n
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Three minutes was all Shabab Al-Ahli winger Guilherme Bala needed to make his mark on his national team debut. After coming on for Camara in the 63rd minute, he latched onto a well-timed long ball from Meloni in behind the Bahraini defense, before taking a touch and finishing into the far corner for the UAE\u2019s second.<\/p>\n
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Ali Saleh, brought on in the same double substitution as Bala, added the UAE\u2019s third in the 88th minute when he got on the end of a Fabio Lima pass before lobbing Bahrain goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla to seal the win.<\/p>\n
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The UAE\u2019s victory moves them to the top of Group B on six points, alongside Qatar, who they lead on goal difference. Both sides have secured their place in the semifinals, but the two sides meet on Wednesday for the first time since their World Cup qualifying decider last October \u2014 a fixture that promises to be an enthralling clash.<\/p>\n
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Before that, Matchday Three of the Gulf Cup gets underway with Saudi Arabia and Iraq battling for top spot in Group A, while Oman hope for an Iraqi defeat and a heavy win over Kuwait to keep alive their slim chance of qualifying.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n