Paris, France, July 24, 2024: Uzbekistan’s first game in the history of the Olympic men’s football tournament ended in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of European aristocrats Spain at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Wednesday afternoon.
Spain, having won the UEFA European Championship with their senior team in Germany earlier this month, came out on top with goals from Marc Pubill in the 29th minute and Sergio Gomez on 62 minutes after the Manchester City player had seen a penalty saved just three minutes earlier.
The Uzbeks, cheered on by the majority of the large crowd in the sun-baked stadium thanks to the relentless drums and chants of a cheer squad, had pulled level at 1-1 just before half-time with a penalty from captain Eldor Shomurodov.
Although Uzbekistan pushed hard for an equalizer in the closing minutes, Spain held out for the win to collect three points in the first game of Group C as they look to win Olympic gold for the first time since the Barcelona 1992 Games.
Uzbekistan, who finished runners-up to Japan in the AFC U23 Championship to seal one of Asia’s three berths in Paris, will now play Egypt and the Dominican Republic in their bid to finish in the top two and qualify for the quarter-finals.
Uzbek captain Shomurodov had mixed emotions after the game. “We had chances to make the result a bit better at the end but the performance was ok for the first game.
“Although I am the first player to score a goal for Uzbekistan in the history of the Olympic Games, I would have preferred to win the game.”
After a sluggish start, Spain finally woke up from their afternoon siesta in the 13th minute when a free kick from 25 metres out by Alex Baena brought a low save from Uzbek keeper Abduvohid Nematov.
It was no surprise when Spain took the lead in the 29th minute with a well-worked free kick. Gomez swung the ball in left-footed from the left wing and Uzbekistan failed to react to Abel Ruiz’s near-post run and flick. At the back post, Spain right back Pubill got ahead of Uzbek left back Ibrokhimkhalil Yuldoshev and steered it home for 1-0.
Uzbekistan, playing in an all-white strip, began to make inroads down the right wing through Abbosbek Fayzullaev but the Spanish defence stood firm.
As the match approached half-time, the referee was called to the monitor by the Video Assistant Referee to check a possible foul on Uzbek right back Muhammadkodir Hamraliev in the Spain box by Pau Cubarsi. The ref decided a foul had been committed and captain Shomurodov took the responsibility and stroked the ball into the bottom corner to make it 1-1 in the third minute of added time.
Spain began the second half like they meant business and had a wonderful opportunity to regain the lead, but Gomez’s left-footed penalty was saved acrobatically by Nematov with an outstretched leg in the 59th minute. The penalty was awarded for a trip by Fayzullaev on Aimar Oroz.
Gomez would make amends just three minutes later when he fired home first time with his left foot from 15 metres from Juan Miranda’s low pass from the left.
Uzbekistan came close to equalizing in the 73rd minute when captain Shomurodov sent a left-foot shot flashing just wide of the far post with the keeper Arnau Tenas at full stretch, but time ran out and the Uzbeks finished their historic first game empty-handed.