The Uzbekistan U-17 national team, participating in the prestigious international tournament in Spain, started the competition with a match against England and lost the opportunity with a score of 1:3.
However, in the second round, our guys came out on the field even more united and fought against Canada. The regular time ended with a score of 2:2. According to the competition regulations, a penalty shootout was used to determine the winner. In the penalties, the Uzbek guys showed will and composure and won with a score of 6:5.
Following the match, Uzbekistan national team head coach Islom Ismoilov shared his detailed thoughts on the game with Sports.uz.
- When asked about the match against Canada, the coach said: "I cannot say that the score fully corresponded to reality. We dominated almost the entire match. But the inattention and mistakes made at the beginning of the game cost us dearly. Nevertheless, the guys showed willpower and managed to change the situation in our favor."
The coach also commented on the team's overall impressions, adding: "We expected a very uncompromising match even before the match. And so it happened. Every player put in all their effort. Although the opponent is strong, we have seen in which aspects we need to improve further. In general, a positive conclusion can be drawn from the game."
Islam Ismailov noted that the team showed significant growth compared to the first match against England: "Compared to the match against England, our players showed significant improvement in discipline and teamwork. In the second match, both willpower and effort were at a higher level. This shows that the team is developing step by step on the right path."
The head coach also emphasized the importance of not abandoning the style against strong opponents: "Of course, this process will be gradual. We strive to maintain an attacking style even against strong opponents. The guys are growing from game to game, especially mentally. Therefore, I believe that in the future we will be able to show the football we want even with strong opponents," Islam Ismailov concluded.
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