So, the UAE Olympic team, mostly guys 23 or younger, played a team from Hungary the other night, and crushed them, 5-0.

UAE football officials were not pleased that the Hungarians put up so little resistance — though it was 0-0 until the 40th minute. (Less than two weeks ahead of their London 2012 opener, at Old Trafford, against Uruguay, the Emiratis understandably want strong competition in friendly matches.)

The team apparently had been represented to the UAE, by someone in the Hungary federation, as their “Olympic” team — which generally means a 23-and-under side.

After I wrote the match report about the lopsided game, I got several emails from people in Hungary who said their country doesn’t field a U23 team. Well then.

With the aid of a journalist in Hungary, we finally figured out who those guys were 1) wearing Hungary’s colors and 2) speaking Hungarian, which is one weird language.

The credit for this goes to a Hungarian journalist by the name of Balazs Fogl, after I had described to him what I could of the “Hungarian” team.

No team list was provided, at the UAE-Hungary match, and only one guy in the game had a name on his jersey — the goalkeeper.  And I mentioned that name, “Jakab” to the reporter in Hungary.

He took it from there, as noted in the story that I wrote for The National, and reported back to me via email on his findings, mostly based on information from someone in the Hungary football federation.

If you didn’t follow the link, the team apparently was the Hungary Under 17 National Minority Team, made up of members of the country’s Romani (Gypsy) community.

They had done well in a recent tournament, in Germany, for European national minorities, finishing second in a field of 20, and Hungary federation members were not incorrect to present the kids as a national team.

However, UAE officials were left with the idea that Hungary was sending its “Olympic” team, and it seems to have been someone in the Hungary federation who created that expectation.

Hungary is not in the London Olympics in soccer, perhaps leaving them feeling free to suggest a national age-group side could be an “Olympic” team.

Fogl, the journalist, said he was surprised the Hungarian team lost as heavily as they did. Even as young as they are, he thought they would have been more competitive.

The UAE is not the only country that will get perhaps less than what they hoped for, from this Hungary team.

The Olympic team from Gabon, also in Austria as it prepares for London 2012, plays the Hungarian kids in the next day or two.