The year 2004 will not be remembered with any particular affection by Subait Khater. During those 12 months the dynamic midfielder experienced acute disappointment as the United Arab Emirates' premature exit from the FIFA World Cup followed on Al Ain's first-hurdle (quarter-final) defence of their AFC Champions League title. This year, however, could not have gone better for the 25-year-old. He was named the UAE's Player of the Year as his club claimed the UAE President's Cup title, while his sublime free kicks have blasted the Purples to the final of the Asian Champions League. Now only Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad stand in the way of Khater's life-long dream of appearing at the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005.

Dead ball assassin
It is no secret that Khater's knack of scoring spectacular goals at vital times has been an ace up the sleeve for the nine-times UAE Champions. More a Roberto Carlos than a David Beckham, his fantastic five have all been free kicks bludgeoned from distance.

He opened accounts in the third group match against Al Shabab, putting the icing on the cake to seal a 3-0 victory. Then, in the crucial penultimate match with Al Wahda, he battered an injury-time 30-yarder to hand Al Ain a 3-2 victory and a precious three points. And he boomed in another in the make-or-break last group match 3-2 win over Sepahan.

The midfielder's fourth and fifth came in Al Ain's semi-final first leg 6-0 demolition of China champions Shenzhen Jianlibao. The visiting Shenzhen had proved their defensive mettle by edging out Jubilo Iwata and Suwon Bluewings in the group stage before seeing off Saudi Arabia giants Al Ahli in the quarter-finals. But Khater's dead ball accuracy immediately broke apart the Chinese wall and sparked a goal fest. After Nigerian striker Nwoha Onyekachi had hit a hat-trick and Shehab Ahmed notched the other, the powerful playmaker pummelled his fifth of the competition to join the leading scorers. 

"There is no secret at all behind my skills in free kicks," said Khater modestly. "It is all about training and hard work."

Gulf clash
Having already tasted victory when Al Ain won the inaugural trophy in 2003, Khater is brimming with confidence ahead of the mouthwatering final against their successors. Many observers are billing the confrontation as a "Gulf derby" or "clash of champions", with others pointing to the sides' most recent match - Al Ittihad's 2-0 win at the Tahnon Bin Mohammed Stadium in January 2001 - as a basis for prediction. Khater, whose team will entertain the Saudi side there on Wednesday, unsurprisingly reads nothing from that result. 

"We had already won the tournament before that match (the last game of the five-team Gulf Club Championship), so the result mattered nothing for us," he said.

Khater's confidence is furthered bolstered by their winning record against two other Saudi teams in recent years. Al Ain overcame Al Hilal in 2003 and this year, at the same group stage, topped their table above Al Shabab.

"They (Al Ittihad) are a great team but I don't think there is anything special to fear in the final," he added. "After all, this is not the first time we have met a Saudi Arabia side in the Champions League."
Fighting talk from the free-kick specialist but only time will tell if the champions too will crumble before Khater's swinging right boot.