Renowned sports commentator Mirzakhakim Tukhtamirzaev, in an exclusive interview with Podrobno.uz, dissected Uzbekistan's 1-3 loss to DR Congo at the World Cup. He explained why the team finished its debut tournament without a single point and evaluated the performance of head coach Fabio Cannavaro.

According to Tukhtamirzaev, the first two matches highlighted a gap in class, while the final game exposed a lack of experience and preparation errors. Against DR Congo, Uzbekistan started aggressively and took the lead, but after halftime, the team retreated into defense, which proved to be a critical mistake.

The commentator praised captain Eldor Shomurodov, calling his performance the best of the tournament: he scored a goal and created several chances. However, Tukhtamirzaev stressed that Uzbekistan should have pushed for a second goal instead of trying to preserve the lead.

Discussing VAR decisions, he noted that DR Congo's disallowed goal was correctly overturned, but the VAR intervention in the Portugal match was questionable. In the second half, Uzbekistan's psychological shift to a defensive mindset allowed the opponent to regain control and score twice.

Tukhtamirzaev expressed disappointment with Fabio Cannavaro, stating that the Italian coach failed to make a tactical impact despite having full support. Cannavaro allegedly struggled to settle on a starting lineup and made substitutions too late. The commentator suggested that the team's aggressive start was more due to player initiative than coaching instructions.

In conclusion, Tukhtamirzaev acknowledged that the World Cup was a dream come true for Uzbekistan, but now players, coaches, and football authorities must learn from the experience. The team leaves without points but with historic goals and valuable lessons for the future.

Source: podrobno.uz