We showed many positive aspects – Cannavaro

Uzbekistan’s national football team played a friendly match against the Netherlands on the night of June 8-9 ahead of the World Cup. Fabio Cannavaro’s side lost 2-1. After the match, Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro shared his thoughts on the game.

“I think we were able to show many positive aspects. Even after the score became 1-0, we did not lose our organization and structure on the field. We continued to play as a team and fought until the end. It is not easy to play against national teams of this level. However, I saw many positive aspects in my team’s performance. These are exactly the kinds of matches we need. When you play against opponents like this, you always learn something and gain experience. Overall, I am satisfied with the match,” Cannavaro said.

Speaking about defensive mistakes, the Uzbekistan head coach said it is impossible to play without making errors, adding that he also saw many positive aspects in the team’s defensive performance.

“We started preparations more than a month ago, while our foreign-based players joined the team later. Nevertheless, I believe we have done good work in terms of physical preparation. Of course, there are still issues involving some players that we need to resolve, and we will continue working on them,” the coach said.

Uzbekistan lost the main match against the Netherlands 2-1. The Dutch side first took the lead in the 32nd minute after being awarded a penalty following a foul by Jahongir Orozov, with Cody Gakpo converting from the spot. Igor Sergeyev equalized in the 90+2nd minute, during added time in the second half. However, near the end of the match, in the 90+8th minute, Gakpo completed his brace and secured victory for his team.