RIYADH: With just one goal in three games, it would be fair to think that the start of Group A of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers had been a rather dull affair.
But over the course of 270 minutes from Seoul to Tehran to Dubai, there was plenty of action, excitement, and at least five key lessons to be learned.
1. Minnows make life difficult for the group favorites
The statement, “there are no easy games at this level,” is one of the most common football cliches, and the first matchday in a highly competitive third round of the Asian qualifiers proved just why that is.
On paper, South Korea, Iran, and the UAE were favorites to varying degrees as they took on Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, respectively. In reality, it was far from straightforward, with two of the three top seeds in the group dropping points on home soil.
Iraq started the day by putting on a disciplined and spirited display at the Seoul World Cup Stadium to snatch a point from the den of the South Koreans. Syria held Iran for nearly an hour at the Azadi Stadium before Alireza Jahanbakhsh curled home Team Melli’s winner. And for Lebanon there was more to the Dubai trip than sightseeing as the Cedars collected their first point of the campaign in a stalemate against the UAE.
2. UAE unimaginative in the absence of key playmakers
The first challenge for coach Bert van Marwijk, in his pursuit to replicate his success of leading Saudi Arabia to the World Cup four years earlier, came from within.
Playing at home against the lowest-ranked side of the group was supposed to be the optimal way to start the third-round journey, but complications arrived ahead of Thursday’s kick-off.
Two of the UAE’s focal creative midfielders were struggling to overcome injuries; Khalfan Mubarak had missed Al-Jazira’s first two games of the UAE Pro League season and his mere inclusion in the squad came as a surprise to many.
Eventually, it was left for 19-year-old Abdullah Hamad to make his competitive debut under difficult circumstances in a role he is largely unfamiliar with.
The Al-Wahda man, naturally a deeper lying midfielder, should be applauded for his display, but the absence of creativity in midfield was notable and Van Marwijk tried to change that in vain, introducing Abdallah Ramadan for a 20-minute appearance and Mubarak for a six-minute cameo that changed little at the end as the UAE failed to score for the first time since a 1-0 defeat to Vietnam in November 2019.
3. Instant Advocaat impact at old stomping ground
Two months on after the departure of Srecko Katanec, the Dick Advocaat tenure at the helm of the Iraq hot seat started in earnest and as fate would have it, his journey in charge of the Lions of Mesopotamia began from South Korea, where he had managed the national team 15 years ago, leading them to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Advocaat wasted no time in leaving his mark on this Iraq side, handing a debut to 24-year-old Amir Al-Ammari. The Sweden-born midfielder was outstanding at the heart of a 4-5-1 set up, combining tenacity with creativity to form a solid double-pivot with Amjad Attwan.
Ayman Hussein was fielded alone up front, and while he did work the Korean defense throughout the 90 minutes, he was unable to find scoring chances as his side often kept shape to keep Son Heung-min and company quiet, which they did with efficiency.
A point from arguably the most difficult away trip of this group is certain to satisfy Advocaat as he looks to bring Iraq to the international stage for the first time since 1986.
4. Experience counts for Iran as Syria start third Mahrous era with a defeat
A third manager making his debut on the Syrian bench in as many years, and this time it was one returning for a third spell in charge. Nizar Mahrous’ latest coaching reign for the Qasioun Eagles did not get off to the best of starts as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Iran at the Azadi Stadium.
Ironically, the only goal of Group A’s opening day came in the match where both sides were missing their star strikers; Omar Al-Somah ruled out with an injury and Sardar Azmoun serving out a one-match disciplinary suspension.
Mahrous’ Syria were combative, resilient, and organized – some of the same characteristics that helped the country go all the way to the play-off against Australia four years ago – but in the absence of Al-Somah as well as key players such as Mardik Mardikian, it was the experience of Alireza Jahanbakhsh that settled the tie as the Feyenoord Rotterdam forward curled in the winner for his country just before the hour-mark.
5. Fans return in numbers to light up UAE stands
It was seen at Euro 2020 and confirmed in Dubai on Thursday. Unable to enjoy live football for the best part of 18 months due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, fans were hungry to return to the stands, and despite the sweltering September heat and humid evening in Dubai, the Whites played their football in front of a sell-out crowd for the first time since the 2019 AFC Asian Cup semi-final against Qatar.
The attendance was capped at 60 percent of the Zabeel Stadium capacity, but every available seat was filled as UAE fans put on a vocal and colorful display of support for the national squad.
And it was not only the home fans that made themselves heard. At the end of the 90 minutes, it was Lebanon’s players that joined hundreds of away fans in singing the national anthem as they reveled in the aftermath of securing a valuable point on the road against a theoretically superior opponent.
With Iraq, Syria, and Iran all boasting sizeable expat communities in Dubai, the UAE’s upcoming home matches are set to become festivals of sound and color on the stands, which only serves to add to the joy of the Asian qualifiers.
