Uzbekistan crushes South Korea, meets Vietnam in the final
The Central Asian representative won 4-1 against South Korea after having to play two extra periods.
AFC U23 Semi-Finals: Uzbekistan - South Korea
Uzbekistan scored three goals in extra time after a 1-1 draw in regulation. South Korea were down a man in the 74th minute, after Jang Yun Ho was sent off with a second yellow card.
The victory over South Korea helped Uzbekistan qualify for the AFC U23 Championship final for the first time in history. Their opponent is the representative of Southeast Asia, the Vietnamese team. In the third-place match, South Korea will face Qatar.
This year’s final was interesting as it featured two representatives from what are considered footballing underbelly regions such as Southeast Asia and Central Asia. Meanwhile, the two strong regions, West Asia and East Asia, both fell in the semi-finals. On the way to the final, Vietnam eliminated three West Asian representatives, Syria, Iraq and Qatar, while Uzbekistan did the same to three East Asian representatives, China, Japan and South Korea.
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Uzbekistan showed its class against a strong opponent like South Korea. Photo:AFP. |
Uzbekistan showed the strength of the European-style, scientific play, with everything from crosses and headers to through balls. They defeated 2016 champions Japan 4-0 in the quarter-finals and continued to prove their strength against South Korea. Until the loss of a man, South Korea had not put much pressure on the ball and only managed to equalize from a set piece.
If they had been more careful, Uzbekistan could have won within 90 minutes. Midfielder Odiljon Xamrobekov hit the woodwork just minutes before the official end of the match.
Entering extra time, Korea could not hold out despite being one man down and conceded three consecutive goals. The most notable of which was Ganiev's 30-meter long-range shot that forced goalkeeper Hyeon Mu to give up. The defeat in the semi-finals meant that Korea still could not fulfill its dream of conquering the U23 Asian playground despite being well-prepared for this year's tournament.
The final match between Vietnam and Uzbekistan will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 27. The third-place match between South Korea and Qatar will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, January 26.