AFC U-22 C'ship: Saudi Arabia 1-0 Uzbekistan

With a draw being sufficient to take Uzbekistan through to the final eight by virtue of their superior goal difference, the Central Asians were content to sit back and soak up Saudi Arabian pressure without committing numbers forward for the opening hour of a tight contest which contained few clear-cut opportunities.

However, Al Sudani’s sublime finish from outside the penalty area after an hour of play turned the game on its head.

Now with Uzbekistan facing elimination, the Central Asians desperately pushed forward in search of the equaliser, but Saudi Arabia held on to see out the game in relative comfort to set-up a quarter-final date against Group C winners Australia back at Seeb Sports Complex on Monday.

“We weren’t in a rush in the match, despite needing to win this game; we took our time in an organised fashion. Uzbekistan were a very different opponent from China and Iraq, but it was a style we were able to deal with and we took the three points we needed,” said Saudi Arabia coach Khalid Al Koroni.

“After we lost the first game, I told the players: ‘Forget the match, we must try for better. The only way we can get through is to win the next two games, which we must do.’

“I want these players to experience winning a championship before they move on to the senior team.”

In a conservative opening spell where both teams were loath to push forward and expose their backlines, the game had to wait until 25 minutes for the first chance on goal as Maksimilian Fomin’s header from Dilshod Juraev’s free-kick was parried away by Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais.

Saudi Arabia replied three minutes later through Abdullah Al Ammar as the wide man powered down the right flank and crossed for Abdulfattah Asiri to slide in a shot at the far post that Uzbekistan goalkeeper Akmal Tursunbaev blocked with his feet.

And with 11 minutes of the first half remaining, Saudi Arabia had a better chance as Saleh Al Shehri stole in unmarked at the back-post following a well-worked free-kick only to shoot into the side-netting from close range.

Those few chances aside, a lack of penetration in the final third characterised the opening 45 minutes that lacked much in the way of goal-mouth action.

But on the hour mark, Al Sudani changed the entire complexion of the game with a priceless goal for Saudi Arabia as substitute Mohammed Majrashi found the midfielder on the edge of the penalty area with time to take a touch before he curled over Tursunbaev via the underside of the crossbar.

Now with the roles reversed, Uzbekistan threw men forward in search of the point that would see them qualify for the knockout stage.

Saudi Arabia, though, were content to defend deep and hit the Central Asians on the counter and 10 minutes later Majrashi nearly doubled the lead as he squeezed past Egor Krimets but was unable to beat Uzbekistan custodian Tursunbaev who stood firm and blocked the shot.

With five minutes to go, Krimets caused consternation in his own backline with an over hit lobbed backpass that forced Tursunbaev to tip over his crossbar, an error that the referee penalised with an indirect free-kick from six-yards that Saudi Arabia were unable to punish with a second goal.

A foul by Abdullah Al Hafith gave Uzbekistan one final chance deep into stoppage time with a free-kick in a promising position, but the set-piece by Sardor Mirzayev was struck straight into the Saudi Arabia wall and shortly after the final whistle blew to end Uzbekistan’s time in the competition.

“It was a very painful loss for us; I am very frustrated about the result. We only needed one goal but we were unable to score it,” said Uzbekistan coach Shukhrat Maksudov.

“We focused on not conceding and looked to score in the second half, which explained our conservative play in the first half. Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia scored their goal and we couldn’t find an answer.

“This tournament was a very big experience for me and was a very useful experience for the players.”