At the Al Ain Cup in the UAE, our national team started the competition with a match against a very strong opponent - Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, and at the same time showed a memorable game. Cannavaro's side put their opponents in a difficult position from the first minute and secured a deserved 2-0 victory, qualifying for the final.
One of the biggest heroes in this contest was undoubtedly Oston Urunov. His two accurate shots not only decided the fate of the game but also lifted the fans' spirits. Especially his first goal, which he left unanswered, earned widespread recognition.
After the match, the experienced specialist Ja'far Irismetov spoke with Sports.uz and shared his thoughts on the game.
According to Irismetov, the action in the first half clearly showed who dominated the field. According to him, it was felt that our national team is developing to a level where it can play a worthy game against any opponent. He explained the decrease in attacks in the second half by saying the guys paid more attention to defense in order to maintain the result.
He expressed satisfaction with the overall game and approved of the tactical approach chosen: scoring the necessary goals in the first half and maintaining the result in the next half is the most correct course of competitive football.
In his assessment of Oston Urunov, Irismetov noted that he has great potential. Despite not fully recovering from injury, he has demonstrated excellent performance, and when fully recovering, he could perform even stronger at the World Cup.
In response to a question about Fabio Cannavaro's presence in the national team, the expert said: "Of course, certain aspects were evident in the match against Egypt. We surprised the opponent with defensive tactics and counterattacks. Egypt didn't expect such a game, so we were a surprise for them."
Iran is in the final again. When asked if he wasn't bored with this pair, Irismetov responded seriously, noting that the match would be very interesting, that Iran is one of the strongest teams on our continent, and that playing against such an opponent would only be beneficial. He mentioned that Mashaaripov's soon return to the squad would also give strength to the team.
At the end of the conversation, he also clarified the unconfirmed information circulating among journalists about Irismetov starting work at Navbahor next season. He noted that such statements appear every year, but there is no concrete proposal yet. "We have the strength to build a good team, we will not stop working, regardless of which club it is," he said.
The final will be held on November 18. We are confident that our national team will be able to please the fans even in the final with such confident performances.
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