Why was the 2-0 lead lost? Former player reveals reasons for the defeat

Despite leading 2-0 in the friendly match against Russia, the Uzbekistan national team eventually lost 2-3. Conceding three goals in just ten minutes left fans stunned. Most importantly, why did the team, which played in an organized and confident manner in the first half, change so drastically after the break?

Shahboz Erkinov, a former national team player who now works as a youth coach, shared his thoughts on the match against Russia. He focused on the reasons for the defeat, Fabio Cannavaro's substitutions, Abdukodir Khusanov's absence, and the positive changes in our national team.

Uzbekistan in the first half and Uzbekistan in the second half — two different teams

According to Erkinov, our national team displayed completely different football in the first and second halves of the match.

He noted that in the first half, the players moved in an organized manner based on tight positioning. Team pressing worked well, and activity in attacks was also noticeable. However, the situation changed drastically after the break.

"It left two different impressions. A completely different team in the first half, and a completely different team in the second. In the first half, we were playing an organized game based on tight positioning. But after the break, individual errors increased significantly," the expert said.

Erkinov believes that the 2-0 lead might have caused the players to relax a bit. However, he did not attribute the defeat solely to this factor.

He also specifically acknowledged the actions of the Russian national team in the second half. The opponent increased the pace of the game after the break and began to effectively exploit the empty spaces behind the defense through long passes.

Did Cannavaro's substitutions pay off?

One of the most discussed topics among fans and football experts after the match was the players Fabio Cannavaro brought on from the bench.

Because it was precisely after the changes in the second half that our national team lost its previous game tempo and could not withstand the opponent's pressure.

Shahboz Erkinov also admitted that the substitutes were unable to join the game at the expected level. However, he emphasized that it is not fair to evaluate this situation one-sidedly as the coach's mistake.

"They couldn't get into the game, that's clear. I wouldn't say the players who came on in the second half ruined the game. But Cannavaro also has to test them, right? Where will he see them? If he doesn't test new players in such matches, where and with whom will he see them?" he said.

According to the expert, the substitutes should have at least maintained the game rhythm of the first half. But they failed to accomplish this task.

At the same time, the Russian national team strengthened their game through the players they brought off the bench. This further highlighted the difference between the two teams.

Which players' performance did Erkinov specifically praise?

The former player was also asked who left the best impression on him in our national team.

Erkinov Jahongir Urozov's actions were rated positively. He also acknowledged Eldor Shomurodovas a player who performed at his level.

Doston Khamdamov also impressed the expert. Although goalkeeper Nazarov had a misunderstanding with a defender in one situation, he saved several dangerous shots.

"Jahongir Urozov didn't play badly. Eldor is at his level as always. Bravo. I also liked Doston Khamdamov. When Nazarov ran out for the ball, there was a misunderstanding with the defender. Excluding that situation, the goalkeeper also made 2-3 good saves. He initiated all attacks well with his feet," said Erkinov.

In his opinion, the goalkeeper's actions in initiating play with his feet are also worthy of special attention.

"Abdukodir Khusanov would have prevented such situations"

The absence of Abdukodir Khusanov in the match against Russia also caused discussions. In particular, the fact that opposing strikers were frequently able to reach one-on-one situations with the defenders drew attention.

According to Shahboz Erkinov, Khusanov's absence had a very significant impact on our national team's defense.

"Abdukodir's absence had a huge impact. If Abdukodir had been there, there wouldn't have been those one-on-one breakaways. Because he has speed and knows how to judge distance. If Khusanov had been there, they wouldn't have been able to get into one-on-one situations so easily," said the former player.

Indeed, in modern football, a defender's speed, stopping the opposing striker in time, and controlling the space behind the defense are very important. According to Erkinov, it is precisely with these aspects that Khusanov is of great importance to our national team.

Is Cannavaro's "signature" visible?

Despite the defeat in the match, Erkinov noted that head coach Fabio Cannavaro's working style is noticeable in our national team's game.

In his opinion, the players are trying to play more offensively and aggressively, and to start attacks while maintaining tight positioning in defense.

However, the expert pointed to giving opportunities to young players as one of Cannavaro's most important contributions.

"One aspect of Fabio's work that is beneficial is that he is calling up young, undiscovered players and testing them without fear. Perhaps local coaches would be afraid to do this. Cannavaro, however, is not afraid to rejuvenate the squad and rotate. I can say for sure that he is succeeding in this," said Erkinov.

Thus, the former player, in addition to the result, also positively evaluates the process of testing new players and renewing the squad in the national team.

"We are not inferior to Russia in anything": an important conclusion after the defeat

Shahboz Erkinov pointed to the need to fight until the end of the match as the most important lesson learned from the game against Russia.

In his opinion, leading 2-0 is not a guarantee of victory. The Russian players demonstrated in practice that one must fight with full strength until the last minute, even in a friendly match.

At the same time, the former player does not consider this defeat as proof that Uzbek football is behind Russia.

"My personal opinion is that today we have leveled with Russian football in terms of quality. Specifically, in the example of the national team, we are not inferior to them in anything. Because our football has also improved," said Erkinov.

In his opinion, the fact that the Russian national team and their domestic league have been excluded from international competitions in recent years is also having an impact. This can negatively affect the growth of players and the competitive environment.

What lessons should be learned from the defeat?

The match against Russia was a serious warning for our national team. The organized football, team pressing, and attacking activity shown in the first half showed that there is certain growth in our team. But the sharp decline in the second half showed that there are still enough problems that need to be solved.

Especially, it is important for the substitutes to maintain the game tempo, for there to be mutual cooperation in defense, and not to lose focus even when leading in the score.

Perhaps this was the biggest lesson of this match: a strong team does not consist only of a good starting lineup. It must be able to maintain the same game discipline regardless of who enters the pitch.

The Uzbekistan national team lost a 2-0 lead. But if the right conclusions are drawn from this defeat, it can become important experience for future matches.

In your opinion, what should our national team, led by Fabio Cannavaro, change to avoid repeating such mistakes in future official matches? Leave your opinion in the comments!