In its first game since being eliminated in the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals on July 12, the USA will host Uzbekistan in an international friendly at CITYPARK in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET (TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock). , received , FDP).
It will also be Gregg Berhalter’s first game as USMNT head coach since the Round of 16 match against the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on December 3.
The Americans will use Saturday’s encounter as preparation for their crucial Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal on November 16 in Austin, Texas, against an undetermined opponent. The winner of this competition will qualify for the 2024 Copa America, hosted by the United States.
The USMNT is ranked 11th in the current FIFA rankings, while Uzbekistan is ranked 74th.
The USA will play at the home of St. Louis City SC for the second time in just over two months. The Americans celebrated a 6-0 victory over St. Kitts and Nevis in the Gold Cup on June 28, with Jesús Ferreira scoring a hat trick. The Americans played in St. Louis for the first time in 1957 and posted a 7-1-3 record in the city.
Following Saturday’s encounter, the United States will face Oman in another friendly on Tuesday, September 12, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, while Uzbekistan will face Mexico in Atlanta the same evening.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Uzbekistan has never qualified for a FIFA World Cup, but has become one of the strongest teams in Central Asia. The White Wolves finished second behind Iran at the Central Asian Football Association’s inaugural Nations Cup last summer.
The team has qualified for every AFC Asian Cup since joining the Asian Football Confederation in 1994. The team has reached the knockout stages of the last five tournaments, including the semi-finals in 2011.
His first appearance at a Confederation tournament was memorable. Considered underdogs at the 1994 Asian Games (a competition that featured mostly amateur players), Uzbekistan surprised their opponents with a superlative performance. The team defeated Asian power Saudi Arabia 4-1 before recording a 5-0 win over Malaysia and a 1-0 win over Hong Kong before defeating Thailand 5-4. After defeating Turkmenistan 3-0 in the quarterfinals, the team beat another Asian powerhouse, South Korea, 1-0 in the semifinals before defeating China 4-2 in the final.
With 8.5 places (one team advances to the FIFA intercontinental playoffs) available to the Asian Football Confederation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Uzbekistan has the best chance of qualifying for the new 48-team tournament to be held in Mexico will be hosted. Canada and the USA.
USMNT HISTORY VS. UZBEKISTAN
This is the first meeting between the two national teams.
This month’s international window offers the United States a rare opportunity to compete against opponents from the Asian Soccer Confederation. The Americans are 2-1-1 against Asian opponents under Berhalter. The victories came against Qatar 1-0 at the Gold Cup 2021 and against IR Iran 1-0 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
LAST GAMES
The White Wolves have done well this year with a record of 4-1-1. They began with a 1-0 friendly win over Bolivia in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 24, when Eldor Shomurodov scored the only goal in the 48th minute. Three days later, Uzbekistan and Venezuela held a 1-1 draw at the same venue when Jasurbek Yakhshiboev equalized in the 79th minute.
The next four matches took place at the 2023 Central Asian Football Federation Nations Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The team got off to a solid start with a 3-0 win over Oman on June 11th. Jaloliddin Masharipov scored in the seventh and 24th minutes before Khojiakbar Alijonov scored the third in the 89th minute. Uzbekistan kept another clean sheet in a 2-0 win against Turkmenistan on June 14. Shomurodov scored a penalty in the 52nd minute and equalized in the 86th minute.
Three days later, the team defeated Tajikistan 5-1, with five goalscorers sharing the victory. After going down in the 13th minute, Yakhshiboev equalized with a goal in the 53rd minute. Shomurodov’s penalty in the 56th minute gave the hosts a 2-1 lead, which they were unable to reduce. Abbosbek Fayzullaev (73rd minute), Khojimat Erkinov (83rd minute) and Oston Urunov (six minutes into stoppage time) made the final point.
However, Uzbekistan ended their seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2) with a 1-0 defeat against IR Iran in the final on June 20, when Sardar Azmoun scored the only goal in the 48th minute.
UZBEKISTAN MANAGER
Srecko Katanec, a former member of the Yugoslavia and Slovenia national teams, took over as coach on August 27, 2021, replacing Vadim Abramov. He has led the White Wolves to a 13-5-2 record.
The 60-year-old Katanec has the distinction of leading Slovenia to their first FIFA World Cup in 2002. He also managed the national teams of Macedonia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, as well as Gorica (Slovenia) and Olympiakos Piraeus (Greece) at club level.
A defensive midfielder and central defender, Katanec played for five teams during his 14-year career – Olimpia, Dinamo Zagreb, Partizan, VfB Stuttgart and Sampdoria.
He was a member of the Yugoslavia team that won a bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and appeared in three games at the 1990 World Championships. Katanec played 31 games for Yugoslavia, scoring five goals and wearing the Slovenian jersey five times, scoring once.
SCHEDULE
Srecko Katanec brought in 23 players for his North American tour. Sixteen members play domestically as the majority of the squad comes from three Uzbek clubs.
Five players represent Pakhtakor Tashkent (13-3-2, 41 points), which has a seven-point lead over second-place Navbahor Namangan (10-4-4, 34) in the Uzbek Super League. Navbahor Namangan has four players in the squad, as does Nasaf.
The team also includes players from Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Italy and Kazakhstan.
Team captain and striker Eldor Shomurodov, 28, who plays for Cagliari (Italian Serie A), is the national teams’ top scorer with 37 goals. His 66 appearances are the most of any player in the current squad.
Midfielder Jaloliddin Masharipov is the only other player to score in double figures (10). The rest of the team scored a combined 12 goals.
If he wants, Katanec can start with the same club with his entire defense, as Khojiakbar Alijonov, Shahzad Azmiddinov, Farrukh Sayfiev and Dilshod Saitov play for Pakhtakor Tashkent.
Uzbekistan has four players over 30: goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov (32), defenders Umar Eshmurodov (32) and Sayfiev (30) and midfielder Jaloliddin Masharipov (30). Midfielder Oston Urunov is the youngest player (22).
Azmiddinov has not yet played his first international match.
DETAILED ORDER
GOALKEEPER (3): Botirali Ergashev (AGMK; 2/0), Umidjon Ergashev (Nasaf; 0/0), Utkir Yusupov (Navbahor Namangan; 15/0)
DEFENSE (9): Abdulla Abdullaev (AGMK; 12/0), Khojiakbar Alijonov (Pakhtakor Tashkent; 27/1), Husniddin Aliqulov (Çaykur Rizespor/TUR; 12/0), Rustam Ashurmatov (Rubin Kazan/RUS; 23/0), Shahzad Azmiddinov ( Pakhtakor Tashkent; 0/0), Umar Eshmurodov (Nasaf; 16/0), Sherzod Nasrullaev (Nasaf; 12/0), Farrukh Sayfiev (Pakhtakor Tashkent; 42/1), Dilshod Saitov (Pakhtakor Tashkent; 7/0)
MIDFIELDER (9): Azizjon Ganiev (Shabab Al-Ahli/UAE; 11/0), Odijon Hamrobekov (Pakhtakor Tashkent; 39/0), Jamshid Iskanderov (Navbahor Namangan; 28/3), Abror Ismoilov (Navbahor Namangan; 7/0), Jaloliddin Masharipov (Al-Nasr/KSA; 49/10), Otabek Shukurov (Fatih Karagümrük/TUR; 55/3), Azizbek Turgunboev (Pakhtakor Tashkent; 20/1), Oson Urunov (Navbahor Namangan; 15/3)
FORWARD (2): Bobur Abdikholikov (Ordabasy/KAZ; 7/0), Eldor Shomurodov (Cagliari/ITA; 66/37)