Misfiring War Elephants beaten 2-0 by UAE as Polking puzzles over attack
Thailand were defeated 2-0 by the United Arab Emirates in their second FIFA Day friendly on Tuesday.
Coach Mano Polking had backed Thai players to rebound from their 3-1 loss to Syria in the first friendly on Saturday. But he watched helpless as Harib Abdalla Suhail headed the hosts into the lead in the 55th minute.
The War Elephants, ranked 111th in the world, probed throughout the match but found few gaps in the stubborn defence of 70th-ranked UAE at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Abdul Sallam Mohameed sealed the win for the home side in the 79th minute with a well-struck free kick.
As against Syria, Thailand had more shots on goal. But a failure to convert their chances will send Polking back to the drawing board in search of answers for attacking failures.
Thailand last played UAE in 2007, when the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
The War Elephants flew back home after the match, touching down at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 8am on Wednesday.
