Alkass Digital
Uzbekistan showed they will be a team to be reckoned with in the knockout stage of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ after an emphatic 3-0 win over Vietnam at the Khalifa International Stadium on Tuesday.
A first half surge saw Uzbekistan hit the back of the net three times as the 2018 champions concluded their Group D campaign with a perfect nine points.
They meet defending champions Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals on Friday while Vietnam, who also advanced despite the defeat, will go up against Iraq.
Having already clinched their respective quarter-final spots with a match to spare, Vietnam rotated their squad with head coach Hoang Anh Tuan making eight changes to his starting lineup, while Uzbekistan included Abdukodir Khusanov and Ibrokhimkhalil Yuldoshev, the players having been released by their French and Russian clubs respectively.
It didn’t take long for Uzbekistan to assert their supremacy, with the Central Asian side taking the lead as early as the fourth minute.
The play unfolded with Jasurbek Jaloliddinov delivering a well-timed pass to Ibrokim Ibragimov, who beat the offside trap to set up Alisher Odilov, who tapped home from close-range.
Vietnam looked to hit back and had a chance of a counter attack in the 20th minute but Nguyen Minh Quang, after intercepting a pass from Muhammadkodir Hamraliev, opted to shoot rather than pass to Vo Nguyen Hoang, with his shot going wide.
The 2018 runners-up kept pressing but were undone in the 36th minute when Ruslanbek Jiyanov sprinted past the defence to receive the ball from a long-range free kick, finishing with a superb shot into the bottom-left corner.
Four minutes later, Odilov doubled his tally by heading home Saidazamat Mirsaidov’s cross, giving Uzbekistan a comfortable lead going into the break.
Hoping to spark a second half comeback, coach Hoang introduced four fresh players, but Vietnam remained on the defensive, struggling to withstand the relentless pressure from Uzbekistan.
Vietnam became more assertive as the match progressed but it was Uzbekistan who came the closest to scoring with Ibragimov and substitute Diyor Kholmatov denied by the upright in the 74th and 84th minutes respectively.