Three early goals conceded in the opening half proved to be their undoing as the Bangladesh Under-23 football side were outplayed by tournament favourites Uzbekistan 3-0 in both the teams’ second Group B match in the 17th Asian Games at the Ansan Wa-Stadium in Incheon, South Korea yesterday.
Vokhid Shodiev netted a brace - in the 13th and 20th minutes - while Sardor Rasidov added another for Uzbekistan to hand the Red and Green their first defeat in the event.
Following a morale-boosting victory against Afghanistan in the opening game, Bangladesh were unable to sustain their momentum against a top-seed Uzbekistan side as they replicated the identical result against the same opponents four years ago in the last edition of the Asian Games in Guangzhou.
Ranked third in Asia, Uzbekistan exhibited a solid performance on the pitch and showed why they are tipped as one of the competition’s favourites to win the football title. With a neat passing display, they rarely let the Bangladesh players get control of the ball.
Bangladesh, however, started to initiate plays themselves after shipping three goals in the first 33 minutes. Playing with five defenders – Tapu Barman, Yeamin Munna, Rayhan Hasan, Yeasin Ahmed and Keshto Kumar – hardly helped matters in the opening half.
Star of the last match, skipper Mamunul Islam, was not at his best while Sohel Rana and Hemanta Vincent Biswas were also outclassed by the tactics, strength and skill of the Uzbekistan side.
It took the Uzbeks 13 minutes to break the deadlock through Vokhid. A free-kick by Iskanderov Jamshid hit the far post and Vokhid was there to tap the ball into the net.
Vokhid doubled the lead just seven minutes later. From close rangem, the Uzbekistan forward headed home a cross from the right-flank. Sardor netted Uzbekistan’s third goal in the 33rd minute. Iskanderov was the architect of the goal again with a free-kick which found Sardor inside the penalty area. Sardor sent the ball past Bangladesh keeper Russel Mahmud Liton.
Bangladesh had their first shot on target in the 41st minute although Vincent’s sudden strike from 25 yards did not trouble Uzbek keeper Suyunov Eldorbek.
Bangladesh put up a better defensive display in the second half. Muktijoddha keeper Liton produced a couple of saves to rescue Bangladesh from further peril, including one at the hour mark when Liton made a superb save to deny Musayev’s lovely effort.
Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif used only one substitute when winger Zahid Hossain replaced Toklis Ahmed in the 83rd minute.
Uzbekistan now top Group B with four points. Hong Kong, who beat Afghanistan 2-1 in the other group match, are in second position with the same number of points. Bangladesh now have to beat Hong Kong in their last group match on September 22 to progress to the second round.
