Abu Dhabi (Aletihad)
The Group A of the FIFA World Cup's Asian qualifiers on the Road to 2026 is still open-ended after four match days even as the UAE went down fighting to Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Tuesday.
A penalty strike in the second half by Otabek Shukorov with rain showering down on the players at the Milliy Stadium meant that Paulo Bento's men conceded further ground in the group to leaders and hosts Uzbekistan.
Shukurov converted from the spot in the 76th minute with the visitors already shorthanded following Abdulla Hamad's sending off 11 minutes earlier for a dangerous challenge on Sherzod Nasrullaev.
The top two teams from the group secure automatic spots while the best third-placed team will head into a play-off. In other results, a comforting direction from UAE's point of view was that Iran thrashed Qatar 4-1 while bottom-table Kyrgyz Republic lifted off with a 1-0 victory over North Korea, who had managed to hold UAE to a draw in the previous meetup in Al Ain.
Iran now head the table with 10 points, ahead of Uzbekistan on goal difference. Uzbekistan hosted UAE in their quest for a maiden berth at the FIFA World Cup while the UAE, who last qualified for in 1990, remain on four points.
The Iran-Qatar clash was played at Dubai's Rashid Stadium, the neutral venue for home side Iran.
Bento's task is cut out in fashioning a more inspired performance than ploughing on with numerical disadvantage in the group as they also did in Tashkent on Tuesday.
The midfielder Hamad was shown a straight red card for a rash challenge on Nasrullaev, catching the Uzbekistan midfielder above the ankle with a lunge that left the Chinese referee Ma Ning with no alternative.
With time running out, Ma pointed to the penalty spot when Bobir Abdixolikov's shot hit Khalifa Mubarak on the arm and Shukurov stepped up to finally break the Whites' resistance with a strike that went in off the inside of the post.
The UAE will next Kyrgyzstan on November 14 at home, wary of the side who pushed North Korea to the bottom table. The Central Asian side never lost control after Alimardon Shukurov's free-kick in the 11th minute took a deflection off Joel Kojo before landing kindly for Khristiian Brauzmann to steer home from close range.
Back in Tashkent, Yahya Al Ghassani forced Utkir Yusupov into a fine save in the 11th minute in a bright start for the UAE, the goalkeeper dropping to his right to keep out an attempt to score at the near post after receiving possession on the left of the penalty area.
The Shabab Al Ahli wide man threatened again soon after, hitting the side-netting following a mix-up at the back among the Uzbekistan defenders in a positive opening for the UAE. The momentum started to shift as Nasrullaev almost unlocked the UAE defence in the 26th minute, the midfielder curling his cross towards the penalty spot where Eldor Shomurodov arrived to power a downward header just wide of the goalkeeper's left post.
Odiljon Xamrobekov's drive down the left set up Shomurodov again moments later, with Eisa eventually blocking the AS Roma striker's goal-bound effort while the Italy-based centre forward tried to set himself up with a late effort, only to lift the ball over the bar.
Uzbekistan were almost caught out three minutes into the second half when Harib Abdalla barged through the defence to be left one-on-one with Yusupov before lifting his shot over the bar while at the other end Abbosbek Fayzullaev was denied by Al Ghassani's challenge.
Azizbek Turgunboev should have put Uzbekistan in front in the 58th minute but sent his shot agonisingly wide of Eisa's right post with the goalkeeper beaten while, seven minutes later, the hosts found themselves with a man advantage as Hamad was dismissed.