The youth (Olympic) national football team of Uzbekistan emerged victorious against Indonesia in the 1/8 finals of the Asian Games. The match, held on September 28 in Hangzhou, China, concluded with a score of 2:0.
The score remained level during regular time, prompting the teams to decide the outcome in extra time. On the 92nd minute, Sherzod Esonov scored a crucial goal. In the dying moments, during the 120th minute, the 20-year-old midfielder completed a brace.
Head coach of the youth national team, Timur Kapadze, acknowledged that the opponent put up a strong fight during the post-match press conference.
"It was a tough match. Thankfully, we won. We're in the quarter-finals now. We'll prepare for the next game. We wanted to win in regular time because every minute plays a significant role in the recovery process [for the players]... The most important thing is that we emerged victorious," he stated.
During the group stage, Uzbekistan claimed the top spot in Group C with two wins against Hong Kong. The matches against Afghanistan and Syria did not take place as they were disqualified from the football tournament.
In the quarter-finals, Timur Kapadze's team will face the winner of the Saudi Arabia vs. India match.
Meanwhile, the women's national team of Uzbekistan is competing against China in the 1/8 finals.
As of the publication time, Uzbekistan is in 4th place in the Asian Games medal standings with 29 medals (6 gold, 10 silver, and 13 bronze). China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan occupy the top three positions.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep up to date on world news.
Comments (0)