Week Eleven - November 28th

Sabr vs. Emaan

9PM

Many of us may have begun writing Sabr's obituary a bit early. After a strong win against the league's best Ihsan (albeit a short-handed Ihsan squad), Sabr is now one win away from a playoff birth and a chance to defend their title.

More importantly, Sabr made some adjustment's that really paid off. For instance, moving Arssal Shahabuddin to forward paid off big time as he seemed to develop instant chemistry with Shuaib Hussain, who had four point game. The move also gave the team 3 formidable lines - something they had been missing all season long.

And it's something they'll definitely need against Emaan, which is the quintessential 3 line team. Emaan uses their full bench to their advantage, allowing them to play an extremely high-tempo game, which Sabr has had difficulty with all season long.

The season series between the two teams is all tied up at 1-1-1, the last game being the most memorable, as Emaan scored a shocking 3 goals in the last 1:40 to win the game 4-3.

This is the game of the week. It the first (unofficial) playoff game. Sabr needs a win to advance while Emaan can move unto the next round with a win or tie.

Player to Watch: Shuaib Hussain needs to step up again. When he's a force, Sabr is a much better team. There's no doubt about that.

Who's Hot: Hisham Ali has 7 points in 8 games and has been the epitome of consistency for Emaan. 

Taqwa vs. Ihsan

10PM

This is the dreaded meaningless game. I don't even really want to write this preview, because there's not much to say.

Ihsan will likely continue to rest some of their players for this game, and while I haven't heard the same from Taqwa, you may expect them to do the same. In all likelihood, this game may end up as an opportunity for some players to pad their stats or just get a good run in before the playoffs begin.

It's probable that Taqwa's most intense part of the night will be watching the game beforehand.

Player to Watch: Sami Choudhry and Shaukat Khan are in a race for top spot as points leader. Sami has 15 points and Shaukat has 14 points.

Who's Hot: Mohammad Bilal has 6 points in his last 3 games. A great time to start heating up.