Uzbekistan swiftly deflated any optimism surrounding Indian football with a commanding 3-0 victory, netting three goals in the first half and dispelling notions that India had left the toughest opponent in their group behind.
The Uzbekistan team, clearly one of the top six in Asia and notably superior to Australia, asserted their dominance early in the match, extinguishing any aspirations of a competitive contest for the Southeast Asian team.
Football – India’s fight evaporated swiftly as a slow, looping ball into the edge of the Indian box went uncleared, just three minutes into the game. Sandesh Jhingan, seemingly caught off guard, watched the path of the ball inside the box as Abbosbek Fayzullaev headed it over goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, securing Uzbekistan’s early lead.
The Indians, seemingly slow to warm up, quickly discovered that they were outmatched by Uzbekistan, a team that efficiently executed the fundamentals. Uzbekistan’s dominance was so pronounced that they never had to shift out of second gear throughout the match.
In the 18th minute, Uzbekistan extended their lead, capitalizing on Indian errors rather than Uzbek ingenuity. Rahul Bheke, with ample space and only Gurpreet Singh Sandhu behind him, attempted to dribble the ball between two Uzbek forwards. The hopeful move quickly turned disastrous as Abbosbek Fayzullaev seized the opportunity. His low cutback, although missing its intended target, rebounded off left-back Akash Mishra’s clearance and hit the post before landing perfectly for Igor Sergeev. With no Indian midfielder tracking him back, Sergeev had the simplest of tasks, scoring one of the easiest international goals.
Following the second goal, India tried to implement damage control strategies, focusing on passing within their defense and preventing the ball from reaching the midfield. However, whenever they ventured forward, they were swiftly repelled by a relentless onslaught of Uzbek players, patiently waiting for a response that never materialized.
As the first half approached its conclusion, Uzbekistan added a third goal to their tally. Farrukh Sayfiev delivered a standard cross that most teams would have successfully cleared. However, India found themselves caught off guard once again, with Nikhil Poojary failing to mark his opponent effectively. Sherzod Nasrullaev capitalized on the loose ball, and although his initial attempt hit the post, he secured an effortless tap-in for yet another straightforward international goal.
The second half, India attempted to replicate their strategy of retaining possession without much attacking threat, similar to what they did after conceding the second goal. The introduction of winger Rahul KP injected some energy, resulting in a shot hitting the crossbar for India. Despite a couple of promising opportunities for skipper Sunil Chhetri, he failed to direct the ball towards the goal. Mahesh Naorem showcased a brilliant strike that navigated through a maze of Uzbek players but was safely collected by their goalkeeper, Utkir Yusupov. However, apart from these limited opportunities, India ultimately witnessed and succumbed to their second consecutive defeat in the Asian Cup 2023.
Their upcoming match against Syria presents a slim chance for India to qualify for the Round of 16. Securing a win is crucial, but it also hinges on a series of favorable results, relying on a combination of luck and results from other matches – a scenario that has historically proven elusive for the national team.
