UAE heartbreak after Australia defeat ends World Cup dream

Late deflected goal in play-off ends hopes of qualifying for Qatar finals

UAE's players after their defeat in the World Cup 2022 play-off against Australia at the Ahmad bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. AFP

UAE forward Caio Canedo marks Australia's defender Aziz Behich during their World Cup 2022 play-off. AFP

Ajdin Hrustic, right, celebrates scoring the winner against the UAE in Al Rayyan on Tuesday. EPA

Australia's midfielder Jackson Irvine, second right, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opener. AFP

Australia's Martin Boyle celebrates a goal against UAE. AP

Caio Canedo celebrates after scoring UAE's equaliser against Australia. EPA

UAE's forward Caio Canedo scored the equaliser on Tuesday. AFP

Nathaniel Atkinson of Australia vies for the ball with UAE's Harib Abdallah. EPA

Kye Rowles, right, takes on Ali Mabkhout of the UAE. EPA

UAE's defender Khalifa Al Hammadi dribbles past Australia's Alex Wilkinson at the Ahmad bin Ali stadium on Tuesday. AFP

UAE's goalkeeper Khalid Eisa during the World Cup 2022 play-off at the Ahmad bin Ali stadium. AFP

UAE manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena gives instructions. Getty

Ajdin Hrustic’s late volley deflected off Ali Salmeen, and the UAE’s Great Hope was dashed.

Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side were beaten 2-1 by Australia at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan on Tuesday, Australia just about doing enough, the perennial World Cup participants thrust to within one match of a fifth successive global finals.

For the UAE, a 32-year wait widens to 36, at least. Another World Cup cycle has come and gone, extinguished not far from where the Netherlands meet Senegal on November 21 to kick off Qatar 2022.

A winter World Cup, the Middle East’s first, will not have another Gulf nation, after all. Instead, either Australia or Peru will snatch the second-to-last of the 32 available slots.

All the way until that point, it felt almost close enough for the UAE to touch. Having not ventured this far into qualification in more than two decades, they were behind and then level and, with six minutes remaining, behind again. This time, there would be no rapid response.

So Australia emerged triumphant, when they simply outlasted the UAE to see the job through. Their opponents collapsed en masse at the final whistle, their World Cup dream crumbled even if they did put up a heck of a fight.

Harib Abdallah, lively winger and the game's outstanding combatant, departed in floods of tears. No matter the effort given - and it was mighty - it will surely be a while before the disappointment washes off.

It was Abdallah who supplied the spark throughout the first half. He had its only two real chances. Both came after he was set free down the left, and as the angle narrowed considerably, Abdallah could only fire straight at Mathew Ryan in the Australia goalkeeper. To be fair, the Real Sociedad No 1 had left no gap at his near post, with the second save coming via a sturdy left hand.

At the other end, Australia threatened in the loosest sense of the word. Save for a wicked Craig Goodwin free-kick that towering centre-back Kye Rowles failed to connect properly with, the UAE were largely untroubled.

Right at the beginning of the second half, the same combination produced the same result: Abdallah surged forward, then Ryan repelled him down low. Moments later, the contest had lift-off. Martin Boyle escaped down the right, pulled the ball across the UAE six-yard box and, reacting quickest, Jackson Irvine had the most straightforward of finishes.

To their immense credit, though, the UAE responded almost immediately. On 57 minutes, Abdallah – who else? – raced forward and crossed into the Australia area. The ball evaded Ali Mabkhout, but fell invitingly at Caio Canedo’s feet, leaving the forward to smash high into the net. In a flash, the UAE were level. Four minutes separated the respective goals.

Yet, nearly as swiftly, Australia spurned a golden chance to seize back the lead. However, the unmarked Goodwin somehow side-footed the ball over the crossbar. The UAE breathed a collective sigh of relief. On 79 minutes, Khaled Essa saved low from Boyle’s half volley.

Then, the hammer blow. An Australia corner fell to Hrustic on the edge of the area, with the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder’s thumping volley cannoning off Salmeen and beyond Essa. The UAE had six minutes to rescue their World Cup dream.

Arruabarrena threw on Omar Abdulrahman at the death, the 2016 Asian player of the year long past his vintage and still some way short of full fitness, but it had little effect. His last misplaced pass signalled the end of the match.

The end of the game and the termination of the UAE’s World Cup hopes. They should hold heads high following a commendable effort. It was, though, to be in vain.