Soccer: Bahrain's high-tech approach to NZ match

Dartfish has nothing to do with fishing, but is seen by Bahrain coach Milan Macala and his staff as the vital tool in preparing their team to hook the All Whites in Sunday's World Cup first-leg qualifier in Manama.

But, if the odds being offered by Australian bookmakers Centrebet are to be believed, the Middle Eastern nation has little to worry about.

At yesterday's call, they had Bahrain at $1.57, New Zealand at a juicy $5.50 and the draw at $3.65.

Obviously the man on the street in Bahrain is taking scant notice of those odds as a poll conducted by the English newspaper Gulf Weekly shows 70.12 per cent in that country believe Bahrain will not reach the World Cup finals whereas just 29.88 per cent reckon they will.

Dartfish may well swing it their way. A computer software programme developed in Switzerland, Dartfish has been used by the Bahrainis in the past, but Macala will double its usage as he leaves nothing to chance in going head-to-head with Ricki Herbert and his New Zealand team.

Widely adopted in international sport, the programme was used by 138 medal-winning athletes at last year's Beijing Olympics and has become a vital coaching tool in a wide variety of sports including tennis, skiing, figure skating, softball and soccer.

In soccer, Dartfish allows pinpoint accuracy in analysing all facets of the game in breaking down play situations, set play (including throw ins, freekicks and goalkicks), and the management of the game including on-field communication, substitutions, injuries. It also allows coaches to develop systems including the use of diagonals.

It is a biomechanical analysis designed to provide coaches with access to state of the art video-recording equipment.

The technical team working with the Bahrain squad have decided to call for more sessions before Sunday's game.

"We usually have two or three Dartfish sessions before every match," said technical team member and programme expert Khalid Taj. "But this time we decided to increase the number of sessions up to six once all the overseas players are available."

There is a heavy emphasis on the opposition teams and their tactics.

The Bahrainis have done their homework on the All Whites, believing the first leg holds the key to their success in claiming a coveted spot in next year's World Cup.

Team supervisor Abdulrazzaq Mohammed has expressed his feelings, saying he is happy they have home advantage for the first leg in the hope they will take that advantage to Wellington for the deciding tie.

"Our previous play-off with Trinidad and Tobago which we lost by a narrow aggregate of 1-2 gave the players more experience for this edition's qualifying competition," said Mohammed.

"The players are now more keen to take advantage of this golden opportunity to book their first-ever berth in the World Cup finals.

"The Bahrain team are well acknowledged of their opponents and we have enough information on them."

Qatar-based professionals Mohammed Hussain and Faouzi Aaish arrived in their homeland yesterday to ensure a full turnout at training.

The seven other professionals in the squad, including UAE-based captain Mohammed Salmeen, returned earlier from their bases in Switzerland, Belgium and other Middle East countries.

They joined the 13 players from the Bahrain first division who had been in camp in Riffa.