In the breathless air of Mexico City, Colombia overcame a spirited Uzbekistan 3-1 in the first FIFA World Cup game involving a Central Asian side.
In a game otherwise devoid of quality, the difference-maker was Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz. He created Colombia’s first goal, scored the second after Uzbekistan had briefly equalized, and gave the favorites a cutting-edge that they had otherwise lacked.
For Uzbekistan, the defeat was not a humiliation. Abbosbek Fayzullaev’s second-half equalizer, the first World Cup goal scored by a Central Asian country, will go down in history. There was even a spell late when Colombia were made to sweat, camped in their own half against a side that many saw as easy pickings. In the end, Jaminton Campaz’s third in the eighth minute of stoppage time gave the result a gloss that perhaps flattered the South Americans, who were not at their best.
Worlds Apart
It is hard to think of two more contrasting countries than Uzbekistan and Colombia.
One is arid and double landlocked, the other tropical, with coasts on the Pacific and the Caribbean. One is a staunch tea culture, the other one of the world’s great coffee exporters. Colombia is in the middle of a febrile election campaign, with a runoff vote due on June 21 that pits the far-left and the far-right. Uzbekistan, by contrast, has never had an election where the winner has received less than 80%.
Fortunately, they both quickly found common ground on the pitch by playing some insipid, uninspiring football.
Uzbeks are rightly famed for their hospitality, and there was no shortage of accommodation for the Colombian forwards as Uzbekistan welcomed the opposition into their half, sacrificing possession to maintain a solid defensive shape.
Sitting back and inviting pressure was always a risk. Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, 2,200 meters above sea level and the scene of the World Cup finals of 1970 and 1986, was full of canary yellow Colombia shirts whose raucous cacophony grew as their side dominated possession of the ball.
Toward the end of the first half, the spaces began to widen. Diaz hit the post, and soon after he fashioned the breakthrough, floating a delightful ball over the top for the onrushing Daniel Muñoz, the Crystal Palace right back who, until that point, had had little to do. His improvised finish sent the hordes of Colombians into delirium.
Uzbekistan did well to keep the game tight until the break, after which they played higher and with more aggression. On the hour mark came the moment that those watching across Uzbekistan will have been dreaming of. Eldor Shomurodov, who had spent much of the game isolated up front, sent a crashing volley that forced the Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas into a hurried save. The ball spilled loose, leaving Fayzullaev with the simplest of tasks to nod home from point-blank range.
Uzbekistan had their first World Cup goal. For five glorious minutes, it looked like another vindication for FIFA’s expanded tournament. The 48-team format has been derided as bloated and money-grabbing, but the early days of this World Cup have already given apparent underdogs a chance to trouble more illustrious opponents. In the group’s earlier kick off, Portugal were held by the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now Uzbekistan had dragged Colombia back to 1-1.
Alas, then came the sucker punch. Uzbekistan needlessly gave the ball away in their own half and Díaz was released through on goal. His tame effort should really have been saved by Utkir Yusupov, but he could only watch as his weak parry allowed the ball to trickle over the line. A charitable take might be that the Uzbek players were giddy with exhilaration, or on the thin Azteca air, but it was a sloppy goal to concede.
To their credit Uzbekistan recovered and pushed forward once more. Colombia were made to spend large parts of the final stages camped in their own half and Uzbekistan had several promising opportunities from set pieces. Time and again, however, the delivery let them down.
In the final moments, Akmal Mozgovoy squandered a glorious opportunity to level the match and secure a famous point. A few minutes later, with Uzbekistan committed forward, Hernández battled down the wing and whipped in the cross that allowed Campaz to head in Colombia’s third.
It gave the scoreline a decisiveness that did not quite reflect the game, but it would be hard to argue that Colombia did not deserve the win.
Putting Central Asia on the map
For many Uzbeks, the result was only part of the story. This game was in many ways about representation.
“Being at the World Cup means a lot to Uzbek people and also to Central Asians, because we have been invisible to the rest of the world,” said Nilufar Khamdamova, a journalist in Tashkent. “There’s nothing that makes a country known to the world more than sport and more than football. This is a big moment for all of us. Not only our people, but people around the CIS are cheering for Uzbekistan.”
Uzbekistan’s qualification has become a shared Central Asian event. Videos circulated before the match of Kazakh fans waiting outside the arrivals hall to greet the Uzbek players in North America. Other clips showed supporters from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan gathering together to support the side.
While the game kicked off on Wednesday evening for the players in Mexico City, supporters in Uzbekistan were waking up for a 7 a.m. start.
Fan zones were set up across the country, including 11 in Tashkent. Others packed into tea houses. In the southern city of Termez, Abror Kurbonmuratov watched at the fan zone organized at the sports complex of Termez State University, where large screens had been installed for supporters.
“We all understand how historic this moment is. Simply qualifying for the World Cup is already a huge achievement and a national celebration for us,” Kurbonmuratov told TCA before kickoff. “Even if Uzbekistan loses, nobody will be too disappointed.”
In much of the country, watching in public spaces was a male-dominated affair. Kurbonmuratov noted that almost no women were present in the public viewing areas in Termez.
In Tashkent however, the tournament has widened football’s audience. “This World Cup participation has been quite uniting, making the gender divide smaller in a way,” Khamdamova said. “Everyone is coming together to support the team. Before, when people would be discussing football, people would say, ‘Oh, what do women know about football?’ But now no one cares.”
Tough Tasks To Come
Uzbekistan’s players will not have long to dwell on defeat. On Tuesday they play Portugal, whose earlier 1-1 draw has put a question mark over a side considered among the favorites to win the tournament.
After that comes the Congo, likely the decisive fixture if Uzbekistan are to keep alive hopes of reaching the knockout stage. Given the Congolese players’ robust display against Portugal, that task may be harder than it once looked.
But in many ways, the tournament is already a success.
“For us, simply seeing Uzbekistan compete at the World Cup is a dream come true. Regardless of the results, the players have already become heroes for our nation.” said Kurbonmuratov.
“Just participating is a huge feeling for us,” Khamdamova said. “We are saying, ‘We are here, we exist and we are capable of something.’ That’s the feeling it gives to Uzbek people.”
Uzbekistan’s Next Fixtures:
Tuesday, June 23
Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, Houston, USA
(June 23, 10 pm Tashkent time)
Saturday, June 27
DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan, Atlanta, USA
(June 28, 4.30 am Tashkent time)
