Tag: Uzbekistan

Mexico completed a face-saving comeback against Uzbekistan…then fumbled it away

One normal El Tri game, that’s all we ask…will never happen

Oh, Mexico, when will it ever be easy for you?

When it comes to the men’s national team at least, the answer appears to be “who knows?” El Tri fell behind twice against Uzbekistan — fresh off of a 3-0 loss to the United States, and currently the 74th best in the world in FIFA’s rankings — before coming back to take a late lead.

Just when the job seemed done though, Mexico slipped up one more time, stumbling to a 3-3 draw on Tuesday.

Coming off of a match against Australia that required a late goal to pick up a 2-2 tie, Mexico couldn’t have started its clash with Uzbekistan off in a worse way. Bobur Abdikholikov was marked by two players, yet still rose up to plant a header beyond Memo Ochoa’s reach.

Raúl Jiménez had an immediate reply, getting El Tri level just three minutes later with a classic striker’s finish. Crisis averted everyone, Mexico is surely on track for a win.

Well…about that. The same sort of transition threat the Uzbeks posed against the U.S. men’s national team popped up again in Atlanta, only this time Mexico didn’t benefit from a miss or a timely save from its goalkeeper. Instead, with nearly the final kick of the first half, Azizbek Turgunboev fired the unfancied White Wolves back in front.

Mexico could hardly believe what was going on, as the game had been played nearly entirely in the Uzbek half. As the second half wore on, El Tri was staring at an embarrassing loss.

However, as has so often been the case, Jiménez popped up with a goal right when his side needed him, seizing on some miscommunication to beat several Uzbekistan players to a ball in the box.

A pro-Mexico crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium encouraged Mexico to find a winner, and it seemed like El Tri delivered in comical fashion. Jiménez went on a journey trying to find an opening for a shot against a scrambling Uzbek defense, only for his effort to eventually end up blocked.

Uzbekistan had their chance to escape, only for Uriel Antuna to pounce with a block of his own, with a disastrous clearance attempt caroming off the Cruz Azul winger and giving Mexico a 3-2 lead.

Whew! That was close. Good thing there’s no way this exhausted Uzbekistan team could have anything left in the tank, right?

Right guys?

Oh no.

Otabek Shukurov caught Ochoa leaning for a cross, tucking an angled free kick over the wall and just under the crossbar, giving Uzbekistan a shocking stoppage-time equalizer.

“It’s a bitter taste,” a deflated Santiago Giménez told TUDN after the match. “That’s the reality, because we had already earned the turnaround, I believe, with passion, with heart.”

Despite his brace, Jiménez wasn’t as ready to cut his side any slack.

“We have to be more self-critical and realize that we didn’t play a good game,” said the Fulham striker. “There are many aspects that we need to continue improving. Jimmy [Lozano]’s ideas are there, we just have to hone them well.”

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Berhalter, despite Uzbekistan win, cites USMNT shortcomings: ‘We need to improve’

Berhalter wants to see the USMNT speed play up at the right times, among other things

A 3-0 win over a potential future World Cup foe is normally a time for praise, but the U.S. men’s national team is focused on how to improve.

That’s the word from head coach Gregg Berhalter, who honed in on elements of a victory over Uzbekistan that was far closer than the scoreline indicates.

The USMNT snagged an early lead through Tim Weah, but only secured the three-goal margin of victory late while enjoying a man advantage due to a late injury for the Uzbeks.

“How Uzbekistan competes, how they go in for everything, how they leave their bodies in, it shows us that we can improve,” Berhalter told reporters at a post-game press conference. “And, we will.”

Berhalter dug into a few specific aspects of the USMNT’s performance that will need work. Some were simple, with the newly reappointed manager acknowledging some poor turnovers. Others will require a bit more nuance and a sense of timing from the players on the field.

“When we were building, and were methodical about our build trying to attract the opponent, I thought then, we lacked [in] speeding up the attack, once we broke through [Uzbekistan’s] front five,” explained Berhalter. “That could have been better.”

Later, Berhalter returned to the point, saying that the tempo can be slower as long as the USMNT knows when to add in some aggressive choices on and off the ball.

“I don’t really mind the slower rhythm as long as it’s intentional, and then as long as there’s a change of pace when we’re in the attacking area,” said Berhalter. “If we had to take our time to draw out their defense and then find someone, once we break their top five, then we need to speed up the attack. We need to have numbers getting forward, we need numbers entering the penalty box, we need runs behind the back line. And I thought that’s what we lacked.”

Berhalter added that his team’s counter-press, which had been a strength during his first run in charge of the USMNT, needed to sharpen up as well, an unsurprising thought given how often Uzbekistan was able to convert a change of possession into an attack in the second half.

“Our press after loss [of the ball], defensive transition, needs to get better,” said Berhalter. “I think we gave them too many opportunities to get behind us when we could have been positioned better to win the ball immediately after we lost it.”

Turner, substitutes draw praise from Berhalter

Nonetheless, the press conference could hardly be characterized as entirely negative. Berhalter started off by name-checking several players who he felt came in and had a positive impact.

“Really, really liked the mindset in the last 10 minutes of the game,” enthused Berhalter. “You can see the guys still wanting to push. It wasn’t about holding on to the 1-0, it was about getting aggressive… I liked that the guys wanted to attack it. Kristoffer [Lund] comes on, and [was] just trying to get forward. Brenden [Aaronson] trying to get forward, Malik [Tillman] and Ricardo [Pepi], so I think that was really good.”

Berhalter then turned his attention to goalkeeper Matt Turner, who produced a top-drawer save late in the first half to deny Eldor Shomurodov’s breakaway.

“The other person I’d love to single out is Matt Turner,” said Berhalter of his No. 1, who revealed to TNT’s broadcast crew post-game that he would be heading back to England ahead of the birth of his second child.

“I thought he made the saves when he needed to make [them] —  particularly that one-on-one, was an amazing save — and you know that’s why he’s playing at the level that he’s playing.”

One last positive? Let’s go back to the scoreboard.

“Happy with the three goals,” noted Berhalter. “Obviously they [were] a man down when we scored the last two [due to Khojakbar Alijonov’s injury]. But Uzbekistan doesn’t concede goals. I think they conceded maybe six all year last year.”

Uzbekistan had in fact given up just five goals in 10 games played over the last 12 months, producing six shutouts and losing only once.

“With the back five, 5-4-1 [formation], they’re very difficult to break down. So, happy with that part.”

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USMNT strikes early and late in tougher-than-expected win over Uzbekistan

Don’t let the score fool you: this was a tough one for the USMNT

The U.S. men’s national team welcomed Gregg Berhalter back with a big win on the scoreboard, without necessarily providing the performance to go with it.

The USMNT defeated Uzbekistan 3-0 at St. Louis’ CityPark on Saturday, getting an early striker from Tim Weah before padding the lead with two stoppage-time goals from Ricardo Pepi and Christian Pulisic.

Fans expecting an easy game against an unfancied opponent didn’t get that, however, as the Uzbeks caused danger on the break and used some hard-but-clean tackling to unsettle the USMNT for long spells.

Any worries about a slow start to the second Berhalter era ended quickly, as an enterprising run from Luca de la Torre — who would depart after 33 minutes with a potential broken nose — sparked a USMNT attack that eventually ended with Weah’s powerful strike.

Uzbekistan were struggling whenever the U.S. got numbers forward, with Folarin Balogun heading off the post in the 17th minute after good work from Weston McKennie teed him up.

That said, a rare foray forward nearly gave the Uzbeks a stunning equalizer. Khojakbar Alijonov raided forward from his right wingback role before cutting inside and launching a rocket that was only denied by the crossbar.

Despite the USMNT’s overall control, a gift nearly handed Uzbekistan an equalizer just before halftime. Tim Ream simply took a poor touch preparing for a backpass to Matt Turner, handing striker Eldor Shomurodov a chance to race in alone on goal from 50 yards. Shomurodov tried to shoot back across goal after dragging Turner to one side, but was denied by a huge stop from the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper.

Turner was tested again by Alijonov in the 61st minute as Uzbekistan was becoming a more frequent threat by playing early balls in behind the USMNT back line.

The positive U.S. start seemed like a distant memory as the game wore on, with Uzbekistan’s ability to get in behind causing fits. Berhalter got less than ideal news elsewhere: both McKennie and Antonee Robinson joined de la Torre as substitutes whose fitness will be in question for Tuesday’s match against Oman. Robinson came off having received treatment for some kind of hamstring discomfort (allowing Kristoffer Lund to make his USMNT debut), while McKennie had gestured at his left hamstring in the minutes preceding his exit.

The U.S. needed something to give the match more of a positive feel, and got it in stoppage time from Pepi. The move started with his PSV teammate Sergiño Dest, and ended with Pepi simply overpowering goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov.

Substitute Malik Tillman still found time to win an even later penalty kick, with Pulisic firing past Yusupov five minutes into stoppage time.

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Cremaschi headlines USMNT roster for September friendlies

The Inter Miami teenager is a dual-national who is also still eligible to represent Argentina

Inter Miami midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi was named to Gregg Berhalter’s 24-man U.S. men’s national team roster for September friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman.

Cremaschi, 18, has spent time with the youth national teams of the U.S. and Argentina, and remains eligible for both. The midfielder has impressed with Miami in his first season of senior-team action, and said recently that he’d been speaking with Inter Miami’s Argentine superstar Lionel Messi about his international future.

Along with Cremaschi, Kristoffer Lund is the other newcomer to the USMNT roster. The 21-year-old Palermo left back represented Denmark throughout his youth career, but has filed a one-time change of association to switch to the USMNT.

The USMNT will host Uzbekistan on September 9 at CityPark in St. Louis (5:30 p.m. ET, TNT, Telemundo), before facing Oman on September 12 at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

The two games will also mark the return of Gregg Berhalter, who was re-hired as head coach in June following six months away from the team.

“We are thrilled to have a number of core players in this group while also being able to introduce some new faces to the senior team,” Berhalter said. “Uzbekistan and Oman are types of teams we could face in the World Cup, so it’s an important opportunity to gain that experience.”

Berhalter’s roster features 12 players who were part of the 2022 World Cup squad, including Christian Pulisic, who has the most caps on the current roster with 60.

Some key players will miss out due to injury, including Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Walker Zimmerman, Taylor Booth and Josh Sargent.

USMNT September 2023 roster (club; caps/goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Drake Callender (Inter Miami; 0/0), Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; 8/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest; 32/0)

DEFENDERS (9): Sergiño Dest (PSV; 26/2), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo; 0/0), Mark McKenzie (Genk; 11/0), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; 0/0), Tim Ream (Fulham; 51/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; 10/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham; 36/2), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 25/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; 6/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; 7/0), Ben Cremaschi (Inter Miami; 0/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo; 16/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus; 44/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan; 27/0), Malik Tillman (PSV; 4/0)

FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin; 32/7), Folarin Balogun (Arsenal; 2/1), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; 8/1), Ricardo Pepi (PSV; 16/7), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan; 60/25), Tim Weah (Juventus; 31/4)

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USMNT September friendlies see first-ever matches vs. Uzbekistan, Oman

September’s FIFA window will see two unfamiliar foes for the USMNT

The U.S. men’s national team’s first post-Gold Cup friendlies will see two games against first-ever opponents visit in September.

The USMNT will host Uzbekistan on September 9 at CityPark in St. Louis (5:30 p.m. Eastern, TNT, Telemundo), before taking on Oman three days later at Minnesota United’s Allianz Field (8:30 p.m., TNT).

“We are very intentional and committed to presenting different challenges to our team during the next three years as we continue to develop the program,” said head coach Gregg Berhalter in a press release announcing the games. “Uzbekistan and Oman are first-time opponents for us and both are preparing for the AFC Asian Cup, so we expect them to be good tests. We look forward to visiting two excellent soccer facilities and performing in front of the fantastic supporters in St. Louis and the Twin Cities.”

Berhalter will be making his return to the touchline for the USMNT in these games, with interim coach B.J. Callaghan carrying on with the squad that is currently participating in the Gold Cup.

Not the teams the USMNT planned on facing

Fox Sports reported on Wednesday that U.S. Soccer had tried to line up some blockbuster friendlies in this window. Argentina and Brazil were reportedly closing in on deals to be the opposition in September, but with CONMEBOL electing to use the full window for World Cup qualifying, the USMNT had to look elsewhere.

That resulted in looking towards Asia, where like CONCACAF the FIFA window wasn’t yet occupied by competitive matches. That search ended with two teams that are currently ranked 73rd (Oman) and 74th (Uzbekistan) by FIFA.

Neither side has ever qualified for the World Cup, but both have been close at times. Uzbekistan has made the knockout round in the last five AFC Asian Cup tournaments, while Oman broke through for the first time in the 2019 edition.

Both have qualified for the 2023 Asian Cup, which will be played in January 2024 to avoid the summer heat in host nation Qatar.

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Embattled AIBA mulls name change as part of reform

AIBA is looking to change its name after missing out on organizing the boxing tournament for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

AIBA, the embattled organization that oversees international amateur boxing, is mulling a name change after losing out on the opportunity to organize the boxing tournament for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

“There is a wish to reform, and a change of the name is also a part of reform,” Mohamed Moustahsane, AIBA’s interim president, said in a statement to the Associated Press. “It will be discussed at the next (executive committee) meeting to be presented at the Congress in March.”

The International Olympic Committee suspended AIBA in June 2019 for issues related to debt and governance and assumed the reins for overseeing the boxing competition of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

AIBA is reportedly at least $16 million in debt. AIBA’s last president Gafur Rakhimov, who has had alleged links to organized crime and drug trafficking, stepped down last July amid an IOC investigation. The U.S. Treasury Department accused Rakhimov of being “one of Uzbekistan’s leading criminals,” according to the Associated Press.

Moustahsane, who was voted in as interim president last March, noted to AP that he is working with AIBA’s creditors.

“It’s a heavy heritage, but I am confident that the creditors are fully aware of AIBA’s financial situation,” he said. “Chinese and Azerbaijani companies are our main creditors, the good thing is these countries are deeply involved in the sport, especially in boxing. I am sure that we will reach an agreement for the best interest of the sport.”

The boxing competition at the Tokyo Games begins July 25 and runs through Aug. 9.