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MATCH RESULT China have used a strong second half performance to upend favourites Uzbekistan 2-1 at Suncorp Stadium.
Both sides started well, with numerous chances going unrewarded in the first half before Odil Ahmedov opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. Uzbekistan kept that 1-0 lead until the 54th minute, when Wu Xi equalised for the Chinese. Sun Ke will be the hero in China tomorrow after he scored the winner in the 68th minutes with a stunning strike from outside the area.
China have now wrapped up a place in the Quarter Finals, while Uzbekistan faces a stern test in Saudi Arabia, with a win being the only result that will see them through.
MATCH PREVIEW
The Asian Cup is in full swing and the winner of Group B could be decided tonight as China takes on Uzbekistan in Brisbane. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 8:00pm (AEDT).
Previous Results:
Uzbekistan got their tournament off to a fine start against North Korea, taking home a 1-0 win in terrible conditions in Sydney last week. After dominating possession (60%), and showing great efficiency with the ball (84%), Uzbekistan should be confident going into this clash.
China also took home a 1-0 victory in their first group game, but a missed penalty from Naif Hazazi of Saudi Arabia could have drastically changed the result. It wasn’t a flashy win for the Chinese, but they will certainly take the points ahead of this tough clash.
The Game:
Uzbekistan will start favourites for this game, and they should control possession for long periods of time. They had 16 shots on goal against North Korea in their opening match, a testament to their attacking potential.
China will be happy to just soak up pressure in this game, and the counter attack may be their only realistic avenue to goal in this clash. They only managed 4 shots against Saudi Arabia, and that number could be even lower against Uzbekistan.
Players to watch:
For Uzbekistan, it all comes down to one man: Igor Sergeev. The 21 year old has five goals from his first nine International Caps, and has all the attributes required to take over a game.
Yu Hai scored China’s only goal in their opening clash, and he may cause some headaches for the Uzbekistan defence. He has enough speed to create some nervous moments in the back half.
Prediction:
This game all comes down to the kind of start Uzbekistan gets off to. If they score an early goal, the game will open right up, and we could see a fairly high scoring affair. If China do manage to hold them off for the first 45 minutes, they will most likely “park the bus” in the second half.
Having said that, Uzbekistan should win, with a potential quarter final against South Korea (or Australia) on hand.
Uzbekistan 2-0.
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