Sports / Teams |
Uzbekstan (Group C)Updated: 2007-07-07 20:38 Hopes were high for Uzbek football when their national team emerged victorious in their first-ever venture in Asian football in 1994, but the former Soviet republic have since failed to deliver on the international stage. Having gained independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan enjoyed a sensational debut at the 1994 Asian Games as Rustam Akramov's side swept all before them in Hiroshima, winning all seven of their games to capture the gold medal. However, the Central Asian side would be brought back down to earth in the United Arab Emirates two years later when they took part in the Asian Cup for the first time as they missed out on the knockout phase of the competition. Their participation in the 2000 tournament in Lebanon would prove an embarrassment as Yuri Sarkisyan took charge of the side barely three months before the tournament commenced following the sudden resignation of Russian coach Paval Sadryin. Having drawn their opening game with Qatar 1-1, they were then torn apart by Japan, who thumped the Uzbeks 8-1, the second largest margin in Asian Cup history. A 5-0 hammering by Saudi Arabia in their final group match meant that they bowed out of the tournament having conceded an astounding 14 goals in only three games. They proved a far more competitive outfit four years later and emerged as one of the tournament favourites in China after becoming the only team to take maximum points during the opening round, setting up a pulsating quarter-final in Chengdu against Bahrain. But there would be no happy ending for the Uzbeks as they went out on penalties. There would be further heartache at the hands of the Bahrainis a year later when they were controversially defeated in a World Cup qualification play-off by the Gulf state. The Central Asians had a 1-0 home win annulled after a technical error by referee Toshimitsu Yoshida and the Bahrainis took full advantage, holding Uzbekistan to a 1-1 draw in the replayed game as they advanced on away goals. Englishman Bobby Houghton stepped down after the World Cup qualification exit and former Russian Vladimir Nepomniatchi took charge for the Asian Cup qualification campaign in 2006. Uzbekistan were the top ranked team in Group F and they had a solid start with a 5-0 destruction of Bangladesh in their opener. But a 2-1 defeat against Qatar and a sloppy 2-2 draw in Tashkent against Hong Kong put their qualification hopes in some jeopardy. An unconvincing goalless draw in Hong Kong followed before the Uzbeks finally sealed their place in the finals with a 4-0 victory in Bangladesh and a 2-0 win against group winners Qatar. With former Uzbekistan U-23 boss Rauf Inileyev now in charge, the Central Asians will be hoping that they will be able to rediscover their form in Malaysia this July and improve on their display at the 2004 Asian Cup. Despite last year's retirement of Kasimov, Inileyev has a talented squad at his disposal with Dynamo Kiev's Maksim Shatskikh still in his goal-scoring prime while Server Djeparov has taken over much of the creative duties since Kasimov stood down. Goalkeepers |
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