Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bursa: Uzbekistan missed out on the win they needed to book their place in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup with a match to spare after drawing 1-1 with Croatia on Wednesday.
Buoyed by an impressive display in their 3-0 opening win over New Zealand, Uzbekistan began the game with purpose and should have taken the lead on the quarter-of-the-hour mark when Igor Sergeev, top scorer at the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship and provider of the second goal against the Junior All Whites, crossed invitingly for Abbosbek Makhstaliev to convert at the far post.
But Makhstaliev, who opened the scoring against New Zealand before setting up Sergeev for the second in a virtuoso display from the Pakhtakor midfielder, fired inches wide with the goal at his mercy.
The Uzbeks did take the lead ten minutes later when Sardor Rakhmanov he got on the end of a flick on from Jamshid Iskanderov’s free-kick only for Marko Livaja to slot in Ante Rebic’s 65th minute set-piece and ensure both sides earned a share of the spoils from an evenly-fought encounter at the Attaturk Stadium.
The draw put the Uzbekistan and Croatia level at the top of Group F on four points, with Uruguay – who the Uzbeks play on Saturday in their final group stage fixture – in third on three points. The Croatians round off their campaign against bottom of the table New Zealand.
Photo: AFP