In the Uzbekistan Cup semi-final, "Pakhtakor" dramatically defeated "Dynamo" and advanced to the final. Following the match, head coach Kamoliddin Tojiyev participated in a press conference and shared his thoughts on the game, the team's performance, and the upcoming final.
"Today we played against a good team. We struggled a bit in the first half, we didn't play well. In the second half, we came to our senses, acted actively, and created chances. Dynamo also had their chances, and the overall score was tied. Today, two strong teams competed on the field," the coach said.
He emphasized that he intended to open the scoring in regular time, but the matter escalated to penalties: "We put every player on the field based on their physical condition. The opponent is not in high positions for nothing. Of course, we wanted to resolve the issue in regular time, but luck was on our side, and we won in the penalty shootout."
Kamoliddin Tojiyev also addressed the difficulties in the attack: "It's true, we haven't been able to score in the last two matches. In the match against "Shurtan," the opponent defended with 10 men, which was not easy to break through. Today we created chances, but luck wasn't on our side. Such things happen in football."
The coach firmly emphasized the necessity of winning the Cup: "There is no favorite in the final. We must win the prize. Participating in ACL-2 is also one of the important goals, so winning the Cup is of great importance to us."
When asked about his preparation for the penalty shootout, he replied: "We didn't conduct any special training, but the goalkeepers studied the opponent's penalty shots in advance. As a result, our goalkeeper made two saves and made a significant contribution to the victory."
He also commented on the condition of the "Jar" stadium: "Thank you to those who are supporting the field. The stadium is under heavy load, it's practically not resting. Therefore, players can slip in certain situations. But still, the field is not bad, I am grateful to the people who are working."
In the end, the coach admitted that the team showed signs of fatigue: "The players in the national team are playing every 3-4 days, which naturally leads to fatigue. This was felt in the first half, and in the second half and overtime, we found our game."
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