Uzbekistan national team head coach Fabio Cannavaro held a press conference following his side's 3-1 victory over Iran. He addressed questions on the team's new tactical system, the injury to Abduvohid Ne'matov, competition within the squad, playing with two central defenders, and preparations for the Asian Cup.
Cannavaro stressed that the match was not easy. According to him, the team had only three days to prepare. In that short time, the coaching staff tried to explain the new tactical system to the players and emphasize the need to stay focused, especially in the first 20 minutes. The head coach said he had analyzed Iran through several matches and identified that the opponent posed a threat mainly from set pieces — free kicks and corners.
“The players performed very well. They showed they care about the national team and that when we act as a team, we can play against any opponent. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but I ask the players to give everything on the pitch. Today even those who came on in the last six or seven minutes did something the team can be proud of,” the coach said. Journalists then began asking questions.
The first question concerned Abduvohid Ne'matov's injury. Cannavaro replied that it was not unexpected and that he trusts all his players: “Ne'matov picked up an injury yesterday, so he could not play today. We also watched Vladimir Nazarov in his last Champions League match, and he played well there. All the players called up to the national team deserve to play. I said yesterday: the doors of the national team are open to everyone. The additional bonuses given to some players during the World Cup qualifiers are now over. From now on, only the most deserving and ready players will play. The Asian Cup is ahead, and we must arrive in top form.”
Despite the win, Cannavaro pointed out areas for improvement: “Today Iran did not take advantage of some of our shortcomings, but in the future other opponents may punish such mistakes. In particular, our three midfielders need to play more compactly. When we have the ball, we need to open up more between the lines. I also asked them not to commit unnecessary fouls near the penalty area. Unfortunately, the goal we conceded came from such a situation. Modern football demands more intensity and a high tempo. Therefore, we still need to improve many aspects.”
Speaking about the tactical setup, Cannavaro confirmed the team played in a 4-3-3 and denied that any player had a free role: “We don't have a free player. There is a clear system — 4-3-3. In this system, the midfielders are required to move a lot. Depending on the situation, they must open up between the lines, go wide, or run behind the defenders. Akmal Mozgovoy, Aziz Ganiev and the substitutes did this job well. This system also allows us to cover the two central defenders better. Another thing: we have started to take more risks because we now have players like Behruz Karimov and Jahongir Orozov who have become legionnaires. When you have players of such high quality, you take more risks. But it also depends on the opponent; for example, against top national teams, perhaps we need to play differently. We play based on the opponent, but I have always played with four defenders. Today Iran did not create many chances, mainly threatening from corners. There are still two months until the Asian Cup, and during this period we will try to further refine the system.”
Asked whether it is risky to play with two central defenders and press high, Cannavaro replied: “That is the demand of modern football. If defenders are afraid to step forward, the opponent's players between the lines will be given freedom, and the team may suffer. Therefore, we told the central defenders to meet the opponent higher up and not be afraid of that. Of course, for this, defenders, midfielders and forwards must act together and organize the pressing correctly. In the first half we pressed high and created a number of good chances. Now we need to forget about the World Cup and focus on the Asian Cup. There we can play against any opponent.”
Source: www.gazeta.uz