The draw for the group stage of the next World Cup, hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, has been drawn. The Uzbekistan national team was placed in Group "K," where Portugal, Colombia, and Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia will play as opponents. The draw results aroused great interest among fans, and football commentator Khayrulla Hamidov also expressed his opinion on this matter.
The commentator noted that it's difficult to immediately say whether it's good or bad to be in the same group as Portugal. However, looking at the table, playing against this team, especially in the second round, can bring certain advantages to Uzbekistan. "Portugal has a high probability of easily defeating Congo in the first match. Therefore, they may not play against us at full strength. This increases the chances of earning points. But to achieve this, we must at least draw against Colombia in the first round," said Hamidov.
He also considers Cristiano Ronaldo's appearance against Uzbekistan a positive development. "In the games Ronaldo plays, the whole team serves him beyond measure. In some matches, he received more than 30 passes. In these situations, he either leads the team and scores goals, or conversely, fails to produce results and gets criticized. Without Ronaldo, there were games where Portugal moved more freely with small passes and scored many goals. Therefore, in some cases, Portugal without Ronaldo might appear more dangerous," the commentator said.
In his opinion, Ronaldo's presence on the field against top teams is a big advantage for Portugal, as he will attract defenders and create space for others. However, Ronaldo's participation in the match against an opponent like Uzbekistan could also benefit our national team.
According to Hamidov, the White Wolves' chances of reaching the playoffs will depend heavily on the result of the first round. A successful match against Colombia will change all calculations.
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