UAE manager Bert van Marwijk says a poor first-half performance was the reason for Thursday's defeat against South Korea , as their World Cup hopes suffered another blow.
The national team, searching for a first victory in the final round of qualifying, were beaten 1-0 at the Goyang Stadium on Thursday, when Hwang Hee-chan’s first-half penalty proved decisive.
However, the UAE were outplayed for the majority of the game, with South Korea hitting the woodwork three times – twice in a hugely dominant opening 45 minutes – and creating a series of other chances.
For the UAE, their only real opportunity of note came around the hour, with Tahnoun Al Zaabi’s effort from range saved well by home goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu.
The result means Van Marwijk’s men sit second bottom in Group A at the halfway stage, eight points off the automatic-qualification spots and two behind Lebanon in third. Third place offers a path to the World Cup through a series of play-offs. The UAE take on Lebanon in Sidon on Tuesday.
Speaking after the South Korea defeat, Van Marwijk said: “We knew already that we played against the best team in this group and that it would be a difficult game for us.
“The whole week we trained and we coached that the team needs courage to play football here, because we can play football. We did it in the second half, but not in the first half. And that was our problem.
“Every game we prepare the team to try to play to win, and if you give away the initiative too easy like we did in the first half, it’s more difficult to win. Also in this game, where Korea get a lot of chances, then you always get one or two chances. And we had one, and the goalkeeper of Korea made a good save.
“Then you can also play 1-1. Maybe it’s not the result we deserve, but it’s possible. It’s football.”
The UAE are attempting to qualify for a World Cup for only the second time in the country's history having played the tournament in 1990. In contrast, South Korea are bidding to make a 10th successive global finals. Sitting second in the group, two points behind leaders Iran, they face Iraq in Doha on Tuesday.
On Thursday’s victory, manager Paulo Bento said: “It was a very good performance in all the moments of the game as we controlled and dominated from the beginning. The victory is fair, but the difference should have been bigger. We created a lot of chances that should have decided the game earlier.
“The media put the focus on the number of goals scored rather than the opportunities created. People should see the way we play and the chances we have created in many games. The goals will come if we keep creating the opportunities that we have been.”
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
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The Bio
Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
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Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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