Not an unexpected defeat for the UAE in World Cup qualifying. South Korea is the favorite to win the group, and playing in Suwon … well, it was always going to be tough for the Emiratis.

What made it more painful was arriving in Korea with zero points from the Kuwait match (3-2 loss at home) and the Lebanon match (3-1 loss at Beirut). That wasn’t supposed to happen. Worst-case, the Emiratis were thinking they would have four points from those two.

Abdullah Misfir, who replaced the dimissed Srecko Katanec as coach, put out a plainly defensive 4-2-3-1 formation with Ismail Matar alone up top. Misfir changed out about half the squad from the Beirut debacle, and in most cases he went for older, more-experienced players. Ahmed Khalil (injured?), Amer Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas and Khalid Sabeel were the most prominent players who didn’t make an appearance.

The UAE seemed to be playing for a scoreless draw, but that went out the window when the Arsenal striker Park Chu-young scored in the 50th minute on breakaway. An own goal by Hamdan Al Kamali, who headed into the UAE goal on a corner, made it a 2-0 hole. Matar scored a nice goal in the 90+2 minute, but that was it.

The UAE is not mathematically out of contention for the next round, but at zero points from three matches it’s very unlikely it can finish in the top two. South Korea has seven points now, and Kuwait is on four with a game at Lebanon tonight. The UAE has to be pulling for a draw there.

The UAE was not terrible, against South Korea, especially in the first half, but again lacked enough of a cutting edge to take a lead or regain it.

The status of football in the country is this:  A very good domestic league, a routinely disappointing national team. Which makes the UAE a bit like England.

Rankings for the 13 guys who played, after the break.

Goalkeeper: Majed Naser — 5. Wasn’t tested often, and it would have required a miracle to stop the Park goal, after the Arsenal man came in alone. A miracle wasn’t forthcoming. Had no chance on the own goal.  Might be time to give this job to Ali Kasheif of Jazira.

Left back: Abdullah Mousa — 5. Good to see the Jazira defender there, back from injury; he brought speed to the flank and an ability to make up for mistakes with his legs. Didn’t overlap at all, as he does with Jazira, presumably on coach’s orders, which seems a waste of his attacking potential.

Center back: Basheer Saeed — 4. The Wahda veteran, recalled to the national team for the first time in long while, had some moments, but he looked slow and confused on the goal.

Center back: Hamdan Al Kamali — 4. Yes, that was Al Kamali who fell on the Park goal, and who was responsible for the own goal, but he also is the one guy in the UAE camp who seems to relish a challenge and actually becomes a presence in the back. Hard to say “aside from …” after this one, but that’s what I’m saying.

Right back: Mohammed Ahmed — 6. A quiet time on his side of the pitch, which says something about the defender over there. Also made zero overlapping runs, more evidence of the UAE’s defensive posture.

Holding midfielder: Ali Abbas — 5.  The 31-year-old Al Nasr veteran made his first appearance with the national side in forever and was solid, especially in the scoreless first half.

Holding midfielder: Mohammed Fawzi — 5. Also did well as an extra man in the middle of the park. But his being out there (as is the case with Walid Abbas) means the UAE had one fewer offense-capable players on the pitch.

Left midfielder: Ali Al Wehaibi — 3. The little Al Ain winger is a bright guy and a good teammate, but he lacks the speed and touch to play at this level, which a series of UAE coaches have not been able to recognize. Pretty much invisible aside from when he wasted a chance set up by Ismail Matar by sending the ball into the side netting.

Central midfielder: Subait Khater — 3. He retired after the Asian Cup, and perhaps he should have stuck to his decision. Slow, indecisive, failed to win the ball or move it forward when he did, managed almost nothing in the second half before being replaced. Had one decent free kick, which is supposed to be his specialty.

Right midfielder: Ismail Al Hammadi — 5. The diminutive Ahli veteran is by far the country’s most dynamic attacking player, but he has one fatal flaw — he can’t finish. Had a brilliant first-half run to find himself open just inside the box and promptly skied a shot 10 feet over the bar. That’s how he rolls.

Striker: Ismail Matar — 7. The concerns voiced by his club coach, Wahda’s Josef Hickersberger, that he was coming back too soon from injury, seemed valid for 90 minutes. He was starved of the ball, and didn’t seem to have many ideas, but then he had a moment of brilliance to get the UAE goal, giving it away, taking it back as he sliced into the box, chested it down and pushed it into the goal with his toe as he was sliding. Perhaps the best goal by a UAE player this year. For that alone, he warrants a place in the next match.

Substitutes:

Mohammed Al Shehhi — 5. Brought some pace to the UAE attack when he replaced Al Wehaibi in the 59th minute, after they had begun chasing the game, but the erratic Wahda veteran didn’t have the impact he could have.

Ahmed Jumaa — 6. The Jazira forward was on the “and” portion of the “give-and-go” with Matar for the goal. Replaced Subait Khater in the 82nd minute.

Next up: UAE home to South Korea on November 11. Three matches left, and nine points might not be enough.