After the match between “Paxtakor” and “Nasaf” in the 3rd round of the Uzbekistan Cup, the guest coach Ro‘ziqul Berdiyev shared his thoughts about the game.
- I think today was a real cup match. There are usually many goals in cup games. We started the game with a mistake. At the beginning of the match, the score was 2:0, which is a significant lead, but we managed to get back into the game. The decisive moment in the match should have been a penalty when the score was 3:3. After that, Alibek received a red card and left us in a difficult situation. We lost today, and I congratulate the “Paxtakor” team on advancing to the next stage.
- The team has been eliminated in the group stage of the Uzbekistan Cup for the second consecutive season. Last season, the team was the national champion. This year, however, the teams have strengthened significantly. How risky was it for the team to sacrifice the cup?
- As you can see, we are not “burning” too much for the cup. Of course, we wanted to advance. Today, we also fielded many reserve players. Our plans and goals are different. Additionally, we are playing in the Elite ACL, and some matches may coincide in timing. This will put extra pressure on us. I don’t mean to say that we didn’t need the cup with these words.
- In today’s match, Oleksandr Vorobey conceded six goals. I expected you to bring Ne’matov on after the first half. How successful was Vorobey’s transfer? How do you evaluate his performance?
- Both goalkeepers are preparing well in training. As you may remember, he also played in the match against “Xorazm.” In the previous game, Abduvohid also made mistakes. Therefore, we need to give all our players a chance.
Moreover, Oleksandr Vorobey’s transfer was free for us. He is not an expensive player for us; he is a cheap player. We brought him in as a backup after Umid left the team. Today, we not only gave Vorobey a chance but also other players. What made me happiest today was Bahromov’s excellent performance. He stood out compared to others.
- It was mentioned that the goalkeeper made mistakes today. However, there were also mistakes in utilizing opportunities in attack. Is this related to the condition of the pitch?
- I think our biggest problem today was defensive errors. We may have scored fewer goals against “Paxtakor,” but we scored 3 goals today. That’s a good indicator. However, our defensive play raised many questions.
- Based on today’s game of “Paxtakor,” can the team return to the championship race?
- “Paxtakor” is a brand team. They always fight for the championship. They have a good squad. But there are opportunities for the championship not only for “Paxtakor” but also for other teams. Currently, our championship is quite intense. There are many unexpected results. The number of teams competing for the trophy has increased this year. I believe this year’s championship will be very interesting. A large part of the season is still ahead. Many teams will have a chance for the championship.
- This season, you have the strongest attacking line. Many teams dream of such attackers. How do you evaluate the performance of your attackers? Specifically, if we focus on Cheran. He used to score a lot for “Paxtakor.” Now his role seems to have changed a bit.
- Cheran feels quite good in the attack. We mainly utilize him in this line. In every game, he strives to provide maximum assistance. At the beginning of the year, we lost two of our forwards (Abduxaliqov and Marushich). They were quite beneficial last season. This year, we brought in Norchayev and Khebay to replace them. We will work with these forwards throughout the season.
