A press conference was held on the eve of the quarter-finals of the U-23 Asian Cup. The head coach of the Uzbekistan youth national team, Ravshan Haydarov, and our footballer, Sardorbek Bahromov, participated and shared their thoughts on the mood and preparations for the decisive match against China.
Ravshan Khaydarov first of all noted that the task of the group stage was completed and congratulated all the teams that made it to the playoffs. According to him, now the most important game on the path to goals lies ahead - the match with China.
"Assalamu alaikum, good day everyone. We are glad that we have completed the first task set before us. Tomorrow, the most important game for our goals against China will take place. We organized the recovery process well, analyzed the opponent's matches, and studied them sufficiently. Our team is ready for the match," said the head coach.
The air in Jeddah and recovery: "we've adapted, it won't have an effect"
It was also mentioned that our national team traveled from Riyadh to Jeddah, where the weather is slightly warmer. But Khaydarov said that this situation will not be a problem for the team.
"We flew from Riyadh to Jeddah. The weather is a little hot, but we've gotten used to it. The difference isn't very big. "This will not affect our team," he said.
"We rested a lot for one day," but...
At the press conference, there was also a question about whether Uzbekistan rested one day longer than China. Khaydarov assessed this as a conditional advantage: although part of the time was spent traveling, the recovery plans were fully implemented.
"Yes, we played the day before China. But even that day flew by. Nevertheless, we have fulfilled all our plans for restoration. All the necessary work has been done," the coach said.
At the same time, important news regarding the squad was announced: almost all the players in the team are ready for the game. There is only one loss - Ibraimov will miss tomorrow's match due to two yellow cards.
"Except for one player, everyone is in combat. Ibraimov will miss tomorrow's game because he received two yellow cards," Khaydarov clarified.
Assessment about China: "a disciplined, respectable team"
The head coach recalled that he had known the Chinese national team for a long time and had met them many times in various competitions. According to him, China is growing year by year and has now reached its best position.
"We have known China for a long time. We have played in many competitions. It's getting better year by year. Now they are at their best. A very good generation has gathered. The coaching staff has been working for a long time and has instilled the style of play in the players. An orderly and respectable team. We are also preparing accordingly, we are studying the strengths and weaknesses," Khaydarov said.
Sardorbek Bahromov: "There is no choice of opponent, we will go for victory"
Our footballer Sardorbek Bahromov also congratulated all the people of Uzbekistan on reaching the quarter-finals. He emphasized that after this stage, there will be no easy opponents - everyone will compete for the final.
"Peace be upon you all! I congratulate all of Uzbekistan on reaching this stage. Tomorrow is an important game. We had difficult matches, there's no opponent left to choose. We will step onto the field and strive for victory," Bakhromov said.
He assessed China as one of the strongest teams in Asia, stating that the opponent performs equally well in both attack and defense.
"China is a good national team. Both adults and children have always played a fighting game against them. One of the best teams in Asia. They played equally well in both defense and attack. Tomorrow we will try to prove ourselves in every way and get to the next stage," the footballer concluded.
In short, our team is in good spirits: the training plan has been fulfilled, adapted to the climate, and the opponent has been studied. Now the most important thing is practical performance on the field. In the playoffs, there's not much to say, the result speaks.
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