Durability continues to trump dynamism for the UAE.
A fourth-successive draw came last night at a sticky Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, this time in goalless fashion against Asian Football Confederation heavyweights Australia.
To stand as equals with the Socceroos, Norway, Lithuania and Paraguay shows creditable progress. The next step still awaits Mahdi Ali's men.
Al Jazira forward Ali Mabkhout came closest to finding the breakthrough. His deft chip in the first half defeated goalkeeper Mathew Ryan but was foiled by Alex Wilkinson's diligent goal-line clearance.
Tight defences win league titles, but toothless attacks can prove costly in intense tournament battles. This is the challenge for the upwardly-mobile Whites ahead of next month's Gulf Cup defence and the generation-defining trip Down Under for January's Asian Cup.
Australia, who impressed so many at the summer World Cup, rarely threatened. But neither did the hosts.
Uzbekistan on Tuesday should provide less sterner opposition.
The draining heat and humidity in Abu Dhabi had a larger influence than any player or tactic. Australian pair Massimo Luongo and Robbie Kruse were visibly the most effected, arms on hips and short of breath
With the trip to Riyadh ever looming, each selection from coach Ali increases with importance.
The most notable change came with Ismail Ahmed dropped to the substitute's bench. The Al Ain centre-back paid the price for a shoddy start to the season, culminating in Mirko Vucinic's four-goal haul during last Sunday's Al Clasico.
Superstar playmaker Omar Abdulrahman's boots were harder to fill. The 23-year-old was away in Barcelona receiving treatment for a knee injury, his creative presence notably absent.
Opponents Australia are going through a similar experimental process with a less immediate deadline. January's Asian Cup on home soil dominates the thoughts of coach Ange Postecoglu.
The match began with a bang. Mathew Leckie burst clear of Abdelazziz Sanquor but shot disappointingly wide.
Proceedings soon fragmented. Possession was exchanged with a frequency that visibly exasperated the roaming bosses on the touchline.
So far, so nondescript. A burst of adrenaline was provided by Bani Yas schemer Amer Adbulrahman just before the half-hour mark.
The deep-lying playmaker possesses a clarity of thought shared by few others. A look up on the half-way line saw Mabkhout breaking clear from out wide.
A perfectly-weighted pass deserved a finish his team-mate was, narrowly, unable to provide.
Goals have dried up for the UAE. Sanqour's scrappy late leveller against Lithuania their only effort in three previous, undefeated matches.
The conditions grew ever draining, the second half a test of endurance as much as aptitude.
Socceroos substitute Tim Cahill took seconds to introduce himself after coming on. The New York Red Bulls forward, the star name in the squad and whose stupefying volley against the Netherlands provided arguably the finest goal in Brazil, rose in trademark fashion to head over.
Finer chances followed for both sides. Winger Ismail Al Hammadi, the UAE's best performer on the night along with Amer Abdulrahman, showed great poise to exchange passes with Mabkhout inside the box only to provide a needlessly-rushed finish that went high into the deserted stands.
A better opportunity was fluffed at the other as the clock ticked into injury time. Cahill, again, connected with a corner, only for his downwards header to be met with a defender's finish from Trent Sainsbury to captain Ali Khaseif's relief.
