Although he was somewhat bogged down by the protective boot on his right foot, a result of the injury that cut short his Asian Champions League semi-final, Erik was still lit up at the thought of what had just happened .
And, more importantly, what’s to come.
“Brother, too much emotion for me,” said the Al Ain full-back. The Nationalas the feeling of propelling the club to a first continental final in almost a decade began to sink in. “Only God knows what I have given in the last months… of my life.
“Always, when I go to training – the extra training, [eating the right] food, [getting enough] sleep – I do my best because the life of a professional gamer is like that. You must work.
“And receive this gift from God today? I am very happy about this.
Al Ain fans will also be grateful for Erik’s contribution, however limited it was on the night. The Brazilian-born defender equalized in the second leg against Al Hilal in Riyadh on Tuesday – a goal that ultimately proved decisive.
Al Ain lost the encounter 2-1 at the Kingdom Arena but, after triumphing 4-2 in last week’s corresponding match at Garden City, they won 5-4 on aggregate.
So the 2003 Asian champions – Al Ain remain the only UAE team to win the trophy – beat the four-time winners to book a place in next month’s final.
For Erik, it was pleasure after pain. Moments after his 11th-minute goal in the second leg, he went down under a challenge from Saud Abdulhamid and had to be quickly substituted. Much to his anguish, he watched the remainder of a difficult match from the bench.
Hilal, who needed another goal to force extra time, wasted a succession of golden chances in the second half to salvage the tie. To be fair, goalkeeper Khalid Essa was inspired; the Al Ain captain was later named man of the match.
Naturally, with Erik watching the clash unfold from his position in the away dugout, it wasn’t pleasant to watch – until the final whistle.
“My heart stopped [watching from the bench]”, said Erik. “It was very difficult for me to stay outside. But I saw my friends, my players, my family running a lot and sacrificing, and it’s very, very beautiful. Really.”
Al Ain survived and now face Yokohama F Marinos for the most coveted trophy in Asian club football. The Emiratis, runners-up twice since winning the title 21 years ago, will battle in the first leg in Japan on May 11 before hosting the decider two weeks later.
Having played the quarter-final and semi-final second legs against Saudi Arabia’s top two away teams, Erik recognizes the importance of what is sure to be a packed Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on May 25.
“We saw today, we saw at the Al Nassr stadium [Al Ain won the quarter-final on penalties after losing the second leg in Riyadh 4-3]: if you have a good first match and go home, it’s like half a step to win [the tie]”, he said.
“Because the second home game, the atmosphere, the fans want to help – and it’s very nice for us.”
Only 23 years old, Erik was two years old when Al Aïn made history almost a quarter of a century ago. Building on his semi-final success, he looks forward to seeing more next month.
“It’s our dream, the most beautiful dream,” he said. “We have the opportunity in our hands and we don’t know when it will come again. And of course, the team will give 200 percent.
“I want to say thank God, because 23 years from now, for me to be part of this story, I’m very grateful.
“As I said, I don’t know when the opportunity will present itself again. Al Ain have won the trophy once in their lifetime and now we have the opportunity to go to the final and give this gift to our fans.
Updated: April 26, 2024, 3:45 a.m.
