Harib Abdallah departed in tears, barely consolable but betraying a player who had given his all when still it wasn’t enough.
Ali Mabkhout and Omar Abdulrahman, upon whom hopes have felt perennially pinned, slipped by the media post-match, muttering just enough to decline requests for reaction.
Caio Canedo was the only to stop on his way from the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium and the scene of the anguish, the forward having hauled his side level once on the night but regrettably not a second time. He reappeared showered and changed, yet still seemed spent - understandably.
The UAE had lost the penultimate match to make the next World Cup, slipping to a 2-1 defeat to Australia in Qatar on Tuesday, and the emotion was raw. It hurt, Canedo said. He likened the atmosphere in the dressing room to a funeral.
There was to be no march on to the decider against Peru, no final gargantuan push towards Qatar 2022. For that is what it surely would have taken. Ultimately, though, the UAE would not get the chance.
Despite the endeavour and the enterprise against Australia – the Emirati side could conceivably have got the win having initially carved the better chances – the country’s wait for a second World Cup appearance widened once more.
Thirty-two years extends to 36, for now at least. The stars of 1990, feted for that even-now unique feat, remain unmatched.
Predictably, the latest failure will be detailed and dissected. Immediately after the match in Al Rayyan, some supporters and analysts questioned Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s suitability as manager. But such is football.
Once the dust settles, the hope is fresh optimism will emerge. Even in microcosm, the Australia encounter hinted at a better future.
As mentioned, Abdallah was excellent, the game’s standout player. Aged 19, the young winger played with a fearlessness allied with freakish talent. While expectation should of course be tempered, he carries prodigious promise.
And this on his second competitive start for the UAE. In the other, the Group A climax in March that made possible the play-offs, Abdallah scored the winner against previously unbeaten South Korea.
Against Australia, at the heart of defence, were Mohammed Al Attas and Khalifa Al Hammadi. They are 24 and 23, respectively, each into just his third year with the national team. Ahead, the effervescent Abdallah Hamad is 20, Abdullah Ramadan 24.
Indeed, only four of the UAE’s first XI on Tuesday have crept beyond 30. Khalid Al Dhanhani, 25, was making his official debut, performing admirably at right-back. On the bench, Ali Saleh (22), Tahnoun Al Zaabi and Majed Rashid (23), Yahia Nader and Yahya Al Ghassani (24). All, you would imagine, will have roles to play going forward.
UAE v Australia player ratings
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UAE RATINGS: Khalid Eisa – 6. No chance with Irvine’s close-range finish, but made a fine stop to deny Maclaren later on, low to his left. Similarly, could not be faulted for Hrustic’s deflected knockout blow. AFP -
Walid Abbas – 7. The UAE captain had minimal traffic coming his way because Australia spent much of the game trying to find a solution to the attacking threat of Harib Abdallah in front of him. Getty -
Khalifa Al Hammadi – 6. Followed a stretching early clearance with a foul on the edge of the box in a nervy start, but put his body on the line to try to keep the Aussies out. AFP -
Mohammed Al Attas – 7. Made one vital intervention when Maclaren, the substitute, was poised to score. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Khalid Al Dhanhani – 7. Did well twice in the same play to limit the damage of a loose pass by Mabkhout in the first half. Tenacious throughout. EPA -
Ali Salmeen – 5. Lucky to escape a booking after a late clip on Mooy. Allowed Boyle to wriggle away from him to create the opening goal. Could not block Hrustic’s blazing shot for the winner. AP -
Abdullah Hamad – 7. A bundle of energy throughout despite the sapping conditions. Photo: UAE FA -
Abdullah Ramadan – 6. Botched a good attacking chance when he blazed a free-kick from the right flank nowhere near his attackers. Needed to get on the ball more and look to find Abdallah. AP -
Harib Abdallah – 9. Sensational performance. UAE’s hero in their last game against South Korea was played wide left this time, and his pace made him the game’s most potent threat. Brilliant assist for Canedo’s goal. EPA -
Caio Canedo – 7. So clearly motivated, and dragged his side back into the game almost immediately after Jackson Irvine opened the scoring. Getty -
Ali Mabkhout – 4. Way off the pace. Isolated. Lax in possession. Booked for a clumsy foul. So disappointing from UAE’s greatest scorer on his return to the side. Getty -
SUBS: Ali Saleh (Mabkhout 75’) – NA. Immediately made his presence felt with a tenuous-looking foul on Behic; Yahya Nader (Ramadan 75’) – NA. Had few chances to impress after coming on in the second phase. AFP -
Omar Abdulrahman (Hamad 88’) – NA. Found the ball in space three times despite only having a tiny amount of time to make a difference, but each time his passes were painfully errant; Sebastian Tagliabue (Candeo 88’) – NA. Won a flick on as UAE chased the game in the dying moments, but that was the extent of it; Majed Hassan (Salmeen 88’) – NA. Looked fresher than anyone, but had minimal chance to make an impression as part of the late treble substitution. AFP -
AUSTRALIA RATINGS: Mathew Ryan – 7. Australia’s captain twice made close-range blocks from Abdallah, then made another from the same player low down at the start of the second half. AFP -
Nathaniel Atkinson – 5. The right back was defenceless against the speed of Harib Abdallah. EPA -
Kye Rowles – 6. The Hearts defender had arguably the best attacking chance of the first half, but the ball slipped off his forehead and away as he aimed a header at goal. EPA -
Bailey Wright – 7. The Sunderland centre back was ever willing to put his head where it could potentially hurt. Getty -
Aziz Behich – 7. Given the temperature, his willingness to race up and down the left touchline was highly commendable. AFP -
Aaron Mooy – 6. Deployed in a deep-lying midfield playmaker role. Too often contented himself with unambitious, lateral passes. EPA -
Ajdin Hrustic – 8. The Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder posed a threat with his crisp left-footed crossing, and went close with a curled shot from range. Booked for unnecessary roughness. Then decided it with a blockbusting volley. Getty -
Jackson Irvine – 7. One of the players who broke UAE’s hearts in Sydney four years ago, looked to have done the same here when he opened the scoring from close range. Lost Canedo for the equaliser moments later. Getty -
Martin Boyle – 8. Prominent in the early throes down the right flank, notably with a slaloming dribble, and played the vital role in setting up Irvine for the opener. AP -
Craig Goodwin – 5. Wasted a fine attacking opportunity in the first half when he badly over-hit his left-footed cross. His miss with a half volley in the second half was worse. Getty -
Mathew Leckie – 6. Needed to pick a more meaningful pass on one of the few chances he had to make difference. Huffed and puffed the rest of the time. AFP -
SUBS: Jamie Maclaren (Goodwin 72’) – NA. Introduced with just under 20 minutes to go, and twice found himself dangerously placed, only to be denied by Al Attas then Eisa. Getty -
Milos Degenek (90'+1 Hrustic) – NA. A late introduction to chew up time and close up space with Australia holding the lead. AFP -
Awer Mabil (Leckie 90'+1) – NA. Given just moments at the end as Graham Arnold looked to shut up shop. Getty
Meanwhile, Fabio De Lima, the naturalised attacker who brought much to the team before he was cut down by season-ending injury in January, will soon be available again.
The UAE have to rely no longer, or as heavily, on Mabkhout and Abdulrahman. The country’s all-time leading scorer, Mabkhout had little impact on Tuesday; Abdulrahman, diminished significantly to this point by persistent injury, was introduced with two minutes remaining.
Arruabarrena, remember, is three qualifiers into international management. He accepted the job in February. While an inexperienced coach at this level, the Argentine is undoubtedly a gifted manager, and the players have embraced his methods.
Patience, then, is required - in him and his young squad. This was always a campaign of transition, one entrusted originally to Bert van Marwijk, irrespective of the fact it endured all the way to the play-offs, to two games from a global finals.
Most of those involved on Tuesday will be better for the experience. The expectation is others will come through, too.
The UAE should build back with Arruabarrena, Abdallah and Co and look to what’s on the horizon. The Arabian Gulf Cup in January, the Asian Cup next summer. Arruabarrena’s contract runs through to then.
After Australia, Qatar 2022 has become Canada, Mexico and the United States 2026. An expanded World Cup, with near double the slots (8) given to Asian representatives.
Of course, the play-off pain will linger. It should. But, as Canedo highlighted in its wake, there is reason for optimism. Tuesday could yet prove an important juncture in finally realising the dream.
