Al-Wasl’s victory is deserved… and the Dubai Derby is always full of pressure

Portuguese Luis de Castro, coach of Al-Wasl team, confirmed that his team deserved to win over Al-Nasr with a score of 2-1 in the match that brought them together this evening, Saturday, in the sixth round of the ADNOC Professional League, noting that the match was full of pressure, as derby confrontations usually are, but the most important thing is to achieve victory and collect the three points.

De Castro said in the press conference after the match: “The match was a real derby, and there was a lot of pressure on the players, but this is normal in such matches. The most important thing in the end is that we achieved victory, and this is what we were looking for.”

He added: “Al-Nasr relied on high balls, and succeeded in scoring its goal from one of the opportunities, while we committed some mistakes in the second half that gave them the opportunity to return to the match. However, we maintained our balance until the end.”

The Al-Wasl coach explained that his team did not feel that Al-Nasr was numerically inferior after the expulsion, saying: “We did not feel that they were playing with ten players because of their way of playing and their good defensive organization. They played a really good second half.”

De Castro spoke about the impact of the international break, saying: “The break certainly affected the team, especially with the absence of important players like Fabio Lima and Ali Saleh. However, their presence today was very influential, and we did not feel that they had been absent from the team throughout the past period.”

The coach concluded his speech by sending a message to Al Wasl fans:
“I thank the fans for their great support and strong presence in the stands, as they are always the 12th player who gives the team additional energy.”