While the U-17 national soccer team is scheduled to meet Uzbekistan in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-17 Asian Cup, the opposing team, Uzbekistan, is playing defensive football with organizational power. It seems to be unfolding, so you should be prepared for it.
Korea, led by coach Byeon Seong-hwan, will play the quarterfinals against Uzbekistan at Pathum Thani Stadium in Thailand on the 29th at 11:00 pm (Korean time).
Korea advanced to the semifinals by beating hosts Thailand 4-1 in the quarterfinals, and Uzbekistan beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 to advance to the semifinals.
The most noteworthy player in Uzbekistan is goalkeeper Sovirov. Sovirov saved a penalty kick in the 18th minute of the first half when the match was 0-0 against Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals. Even in the extra time of the first half, Sovirov overcame the risk of conceding goals based on his wide defensive range and excellent concentration.
Uzbekistan, which builds a strong defensive wall around Sovirov, has allowed only one goal in four matches in this tournament. Uzbekistan, along with Iran스포츠토토, is the country with the least goals in this tournament. Uzbekistan scored only 5 goals in 4 matches, and its offensive power is evaluated to be rather weak compared to its defensive power.
However, the core of Uzbek’s defense is missing in the semifinal against Korea. In the quarterfinal against Saudi Arabia, Zumatov was cautioned. Zumatov cannot play in Korea due to accumulated warnings. Zumatov is a player who can play both as a right fullback and as a central defender, and is the core of the defense, having played in all four games of this tournament.
For Korea, this match against Uzbekistan could be a revenge match. Earlier, at the U-20 Asian Cup held in Uzbekistan in March, Korea, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, but drew 0-0 with the home team Uzbekistan in the semifinals. They lost 1-3 in the penalty shootout.
At that time, in the penalty shoot-out, the Uzbek goalkeeper came to the goal line before the Korean players kicked the ball, but the foul was not declared and Kim Eun-jung-ho only finished third. Kim Eun-joong reached the quarterfinals at the U-20 World Cup this month, but Uzbekistan was eliminated in the round of 16.