HANOI (AFP) -- It may be their glaring inexperience or the punishing tropical weather, but the United Arab Emirates' Asian Cup campaign was likely doomed before they even arrived.

The Persian Gulf Cup champions, fraught with injury problems, were shown the exit when they lost 3-1 to title-holders Japan on a hot and humid night on Friday following a shock 2-0 defeat to unheralded Vietnam in Group B. "I think we needed time to come back from the Persian Gulf Cup we won (in January)," French coach Bruno Metsu said, emphasizing that six of the champion squad had been injured since. "For our team, it is impossible to win anything," he added. "Imagine the Japanese team without six leading players. It's very difficult. Our country is not the same as Brazil, France or Japan." The long-haired 53-year-old, who led Senegal to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals, also pointed out that his squad had only one month to train after the domestic league ended. "This is a team with young players. We made many mistakes," he said. "But if we did not make many mistakes, everything was possible against Japan." Metsu was tasked to help the UAE, the 1996 semifinalists, qualify for the quarterfinals here as a first step toward a second World Cup appearance for the country and himself. But his squad missed midfield architect Subait Khater and left wingback Adel Abdulaziz through injury. The UAE's strike-force of Ismaeli Matar and Faisal Khalil, both of them 24, were also fresh back from fitness problems. "Before we received the first goal, our team played a good game. Our players in the midfield gave no chances to the Japanese team," Metsu said, adding that the UAE defense started to crumble after Japan drew first blood