Hopes of attacking football dashed by three first-half goals Igor Stimac had predicted that Uzbekistan would come hard from the start. What was not expected was that India would ship three soft goals in the first half in this Asian Cup group B game on Thursday.
In what was possibly the worst first half under the Croat head coach, Uzbekistan pulled ahead through Abbosbek Fayzullaev in the fifth minute, made it 2-0 through Igor Sergeev in the 18th and just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Sherzod Nasrullaev tapped home in added time.
A rasping left-footer from Mahesh Naorem late in the first half that goalie Utkir Yusupov palmed away for a corner-kick, Rahul KP beginning the second by thudding into the upright and Rahul Bheke’s header that was tipped over were the closest India came to giving their fans, who again comprised a large part of the 38,491 that turned up at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, some cheer.
Naorem’s attempt to press Yusupov was proof of how India, buoyed by the fight in the 0-2 loss against Australia, had wanted to start. It unspooled in the fifth minute and after the first move Uzbekistan managed. Nasrullaev found space on the left and the ease with which his delivery was headed forward by Otabek Shukurov for an unmarked Fayzullaev would embarrass the backline. By the time Sandesh Jhingan realised what was happening, Uzbekistan were ahead.(HT)