On September 8, the Philippine Azkals will take on their toughest opponents yet.
Uzbekistan are the highest seeded team in the group with a FIFA ranking of 76th in the world. Their country is currently the number six team in Asia and recently reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The Uzbeks recently went through a transition when erstwhile coach Mirjalol Kasimov stepped down after their 4-2 drubbing by North Korea. Samvel Babayan took on the coach’s role just last June and his appointment has led to some minor changes in the squad.
Players to Watch
#19 Vitaliy Denisov (Defender)
The Uzbek left back who sports a long blond hair akin to Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic is playing in the Russian top-flight for Lokomotiv Moskow. A wing back through and through, this player is given the freedom to overlap on the left side to add potency in their attack. Denisov also has a mean throw-in ability, sending in balls that can reach the middle of the penalty box.
#9 Ohdil Ahmedov (Midfielder)
The team captain is the energy guy of the squad with his pace, creativity, and power in the middle. His persistence produced the lone goal scored against Yemen after he was fouled a few yards from the penalty box. At 27, he is already a veteran of Russia’s top flight with his first three years in Anzhi Makhachkala and then in his current team FC Krasnodar. While at Anzhi, he played with footballing legends Samuel Eto’o and Roberto Carlos and was managed by Dutch legend Gus Hiddink.
#10 Sardor Rashidov (Midfielder)
Uzbekistan’s top scorer in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Rashidov was initially used as a left winger against Yemen but was eased into the right wing the rest of the game. Rashidov was the best player against North Korea, providing an assist and scoring from a free kick with his dangerous left foot.
#11 Igor Sergeev (Midfielder)
Though listed as a midfielder, he was deployed as the lone striker in Uzbekistan’s last two qualifying games. At the tender age of 22, this 1.85m (6’1 ft) player has a good goal scoring record for his club Pakhtakor Tashkent. He is known to have a strong left foot, as well as good heading and dribbling skills.
#30 Alexander Geynrikh (Forward)
The veteran forward who plies his trade in Kazakhstan scored the match winner against Yemen after coming off the bench. The 30-year old striker is the top scorer in Uzbekistan’s current lineup scoring a total of 28 goals in his national career.
#5 Anzur Ismailov (Defender)
The rock of the Uzbek defense, this player is the top centerback for his country, meriting him two full games in the qualifiers. Tall and agile, Ismailov scored the opening goal for his country in their loss to North Korea.
#21 Alexander Lobanov (Goalkeeper)
The 29-yea-old 1.9 m (6’3 ft) goalkeeper just earned his first cap for Uzbekistan and is the current keeper of Uzbek top club Pakhtakor Nesterov. Lobanov was given the nod over veteran keeper Ignatiy Nesterov (#12) because of his size advantage (and perhaps because the new coach is a former official of Pakhtakor).
#8 Server Djeparov
The attacking midfielder who plays for Ulsan Hyundai is arguably the most decorated player in this match having twice won the AFC Player of the year award. Djeparov showed his range when he rattled Yemen’s crossbar from afar.He only played his first World Cup qualifying game last September 3 because of injuries he sustained in last January’s Asian Cup.
Possible Starting Eleven for Uzbekistan
Tactics
Uzbekistan is an attacking team through and through. Utilizing a 4-2-3-1 formation, the White Wolves thrive on good passing and overlapping in open spaces. They are intuitive in their passing, producing smooth 1-2’s and they transition the ball quickly from both sides. The ball usually flows through Ahmedov (9) and Rashidov (10) who both can shoot and pass effectively, targeting their lone striker Sergeev (11).
Rashidov is pretty flexible. He can switch easily to either side with ease, bringing the game closely to his side of the area.
In the first half of the Yemen game, the Wolves started their attack from the left with Rashidov and wingback Denisov’s (19) complimentary game. Both players overlapped with each other on the left and provided good crosses into the middle. Ahmedov was also instrumental in mixing things up after adjustments made by the Yemen defense. Rashidov was eventually switched to the right, bringing with him attacking flare that tested the Yemen till the end of the half.
Their best chance came from a thirty yard strike from former captain Server Djeparov (32) which hit the crossbar.
It was desperate times in the second half as veterans Khasanov (6) and Geynrikh (15) were brought in to get the win for the Uzbeks. Khasanov slotted in on the left wing while Geynrikh was the central attacking mid with Rashidov on the right. The new attacking options allowed Ahmedov more space in the middle to receive shots and provide beautiful passes to his teammates.
His persistence paid off when he was fouled on a solo run on top of the box which led to the eventual winner by Geynrikh off a top corner free kick.
Strengths
Uzbekistan’s passing in the final third is so good that it will easily punish a team with a lazy defensive line. Familiarity is also an advantage given that most of the Uzbek players grew up with a specific style and have played with and against each other for years.
Two of their three goals came from well-taken free kicks from top of the box. The Central Asian team are relatively tall and are very dangerous in the air especially Ismailov and Sergeev.
Weaknesses
Defending from corners was a problem in their first match as the first two goals they allowed from North Korea were from scrambles in the box. This was partially fixed by bringing in a new centerback and goalkeeper. Both remain untested against stronger teams such as Bahrain and — dare we say it — the Philippines.
football.com.ph/scouting-report-uzbekistan/