In an important match for the U-17 Asian Cup qualification, Uzbekistan's youth national team achieved a convincing 3:0 victory over the UAE. After the match, the team's head coach Islam Ismailov shared his thoughts.
“First of all, I congratulate all Uzbeks on the victory. However, this cannot be considered an easy game. The UAE is also one of the strong teams in Asia,” said the coach.
High pressing and strong start – the result speaks for itself
Islam Ismailov commented on the team's game plan before the match:
“When we analyzed the UAE, we noticed that they struggle to initiate attacks. Therefore, in the first half, we actively pressed high on the front line. The main goal was to score more goals in the first half, and the boys accomplished that. We did not give the opponent any chances and created many goal-scoring opportunities ourselves.”
Decline in the second half – youthful mistakes
The specialist spoke openly about the second half of the game:
“After the score of 3:0, perhaps due to youth, my players seemed to think they had won too early. Consequently, a certain decline was observed in the game. This is one of the aspects we need to work on. Also, considering the next match, we made several rotations in the lineup.”
The tournament – a test, the players – responsible
Ismailov emphasized the seriousness of the tournament and noted that the physical condition of the players is under constant control:
“This tournament is not easy. It is very important to manage the players correctly and to put them on the field at the right time. We are carefully monitoring the condition of our boys in every game.”
The Uzbekistan U-17 national team is delighting fans with a strong start, high discipline, and attacking play. However, as the coach pointed out, consistency is the key to great success. We hope that in the upcoming matches, our players will perform with high spirits, which will make us all happy.
