How did Manchester City react to Husanov's performance yesterday?

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, two participants — the national teams of the Netherlands and Uzbekistan — faced each other in a friendly match. The game, held in New York, USA, was dramatic and ended in a 2-1 victory for the Dutch.

The decisive goals in the match were scored from penalties. Although the Uzbekistan national team managed to equalize late in the game, they were just a few minutes short of securing a draw. This match served as a serious test for Fabio Cannavaro's squad before the World Cup.

Manchester City also paid special attention to this match. The reason is that two of the club's players — Uzbekistan national team defender Abdukodir Husanov and Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders — played the full 90 minutes.

Manchester City official website staff member Neil Leigh commented on the match and touched upon the participation of both players. He wrote that Reijnders and Husanov, in the warm-up match in New York before the World Cup, played the full 90 minutes on the pitch..

The Netherlands national team played against Central Asian representative Uzbekistan in a match held without spectators at a stadium in Manhattan. Cody Gakpo played a key role in the match. The Dutch striker scored twice from the penalty spot to lead his team to victory.

In the opening minutes of the game, the Netherlands looked more active. In the 13th minute, Tijjani Reijnders headed the ball, but it went just wide of the goal. Shortly after, another attempt of his also missed the target.

In the 32nd minute, Crysencio Summerville was fouled in the penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty. Cody Gakpo confidently converted the 11-meter spot-kick to open the scoring.

In the final part of the game, the Netherlands were reduced to ten men. Guus Til received a red card for a handball. This situation gave the Uzbekistan national team the opportunity to increase pressure and equalize.

In stoppage time, the "White Wolves" achieved their goal. Igor Sergeyev scored from close range to level the score at 1-1. This goal gave Uzbekistan a huge morale boost and inspired confidence in the fans for a draw.

However, in the final moments of the dramatic match, another penalty was awarded. In the 97th minute, Jan Paul van Hecke was fouled in the penalty area, and the referee pointed to the spot for the second time. Cody Gakpo did not miss this time either, securing a 2-1 victory for the Netherlands.

Another Manchester City representative, Nathan Aké, remained on the bench during this match. Thus, two of the club's players — Reijnders and Husanov — played the full match, while Aké did not participate.

The Netherlands national team will begin its World Cup campaign on June 14 against Japan. The "Oranje" reached the World Cup final in 1974, 1978, and 2010, and will participate in the tournament with high ambitions this time as well.

Abdukodir Husanov and his Uzbek teammates will play in the final stage of the World Cup for the first time in our country's history. The Uzbekistan national team will play its first match in Group K against Colombia on June 18.

Husanov's performance against the Netherlands can be evaluated in two ways at first glance. On one hand, he made very useful moves in certain situations. The defender made two interceptions, blocked two shots, and at the end of the game, cleared a shot from his Manchester City teammate Tijjani Reijnders off the goal line.

This episode showed Abdukodir's alertness as a defender, his ability to choose positions, and his determination to fight until the end. Clearing Reijnders' shot off the line is not an easy task, especially when fatigue increases at the end of the game.

But on the other hand, there were difficult episodes for Husanov in this match. During a corner kick, he and Rustam Ashurmatov were judged to have fouled Jan van Hecke, and this exact episode led to the decisive penalty.

According to statistics, Husanov won only one out of six duels. He also committed four fouls. At the end of the first half, the referees did not judge his action against Malen in the penalty area as a penalty. So, there were enough dangerous situations for Abdukodir in this game.

It must be admitted here: this is exactly why such matches are needed before the World Cup. When playing against a strong opponent, every small mistake can lead to major consequences. A team of the Netherlands' caliber punishes such situations immediately.

This game will be a great lesson for Husanov. He has potential, physical strength, and defensive ability. But at the World Cup, not only strength but also composure, reading the game correctly, and caution in the penalty area will be of decisive importance.

For the Uzbekistan national team, this match, despite the result, was a useful test. The team fought until the end against a strong opponent, equalized, and came very close to a draw. But the penalty in the final minutes showed once again that concentration must not drop for even a second in major tournaments.

Now, Cannavaro's staff will draw conclusions from this game. Defensive errors, actions in the penalty area, efficiency in duels, and focus at the end of the game — all these must be reviewed before the first match of the World Cup against Colombia.

For Abdukodir Husanov, this game was also a bitter but necessary experience. That is big football: in one episode you become a hero, and in the next, your mistake becomes decisive. The important thing is to draw the right conclusions from it.

The World Cup is approaching. For Uzbekistan, every friendly match, every mistake, and every positive action is now part of a major preparation. In this sense, the match against the Netherlands was a valuable lesson for our national team.