Search Results

FTA - Uzbekistan v Auckland City FC

Words: ACFC Media

Saturday 31 December 2016

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - We look back at the Navy Blues glamour friendly with the Uzbekistan national team and what it meant to those that were there to witness the match in the UAE two years ago.

Ivan Vicelich described Auckland City FC's 0-0 draw with Uzbekistan at the time as the perfect boost ahead of the Navy Blues first FIFA Club World Cup clash with Moghreb Tetouan in the FIFA Club World Cup opener in Rabat.

"I remember as a team we spoke about what we wanted to get out of the Uzbekistan game and we put a good effort and created some chances and kept a clean sheet, so it was very positive," Vicelich says.

After a difficult opening period, Auckland City FC settled down quickly and could've easily gone in at the halftime break in front.

"We came off a bad result with Team Wellington prior to this game and we talked about changing our mindset. It took us a bit of time to get into the game and settle, about five or six minutes, but once we did we played some good football and we defended well and we hoped to carry that through to the next game," he says.

Auckland City FC's best chance came on the hour mark when Ryan De Vries thundered a powerful shot off the base of goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov's right hand upright.

Fabrizio Tavano and Emiliano Tade both had decent chances to score but were denied by good goalkeeping or quality defending.

"There were a couple of chances we could've stuck away and definitely that one from Ryan De Vries stands out.

"He had a great game today and nine times out of ten that shot goes in off the post. But a 0-0 draw with Uzbekistan is a good result leading into the FIFA Club World Cup.

"That result is a big help and hopefully we can get a couple more good days on the training pitch," he says.

With time running out, Uzbekistan's approach turned physical with over the top challenges laying Daewook Kim and Tim Payne out on the Jelen Ali Stadium pitch.

"It was a friendly game but as we saw there were a lot of hard tackles in there and it was quite physical.

"They always call them friendlies but there was very little given away out there. We needed to give 100 percent out there tonight and we did," Vicelich says.

The 0-0 draw with Uzbekistan is the fourth time the Navy Blues have faced international opposition, the first a friendly with Kuwait six years ago that ended in a 2-0 defeat.

They also played Japan on January 6, 2015, in Cessnock, New South Wales, losing the match 2-0.

Auckland City FC defeated Singapore U-23 4-0 in the inaugural OFC President's Cup in November of the same year.

Ends

Match Result

At Jelen Ali Stadium
Dubai, UAE
Uzbekistan 0
Auckland City FC 0
Halftime: 0-0

MATCH DETAILS
FRIENDLY MATCH
AUCKLAND CITY FC vs UZBEKISTAN
THURSDAY 4 DECEMBER 2014
JELEN ALI
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
DUBAI, UAE

AUC: 1. Tamati WILLIAMS (GK), 3. Takuya IWATA, 4. Mario BILEN, 5. Angel BERLANGA, 6. John IRVING, 8. Tim PAYNE, 10. Ryan DE VRIES, 15. Ivan VICELICH (c), 17. Marko DORDEVIC, 20. Emiliano TADE, 25. Fabrizio TAVANO.

SUBS: 24. Jacob SPOONLEY (GK), 2. Simon ARMS, 7. James PRITCHETT, 11. Cam LINDSAY, 18. Louie CAUNTER (GK), 22. Andrew MILNE, 23. Sam BURFOOT, 16. Daewook KIM, 19. David BROWNE.

UNAVAILABLE: 13. Joao MOREIRA, 14. Sanni ISSA.

COACH: Ramon TRIBULIETX

UZB: 12. Ignatiy NESTEROV (GK), 23. Akmal SHORAKHMEDOV, 3. Shavkat MULLADJANOV, 5. Anzur ISMAILOV, 15. Aleksandr MERZLYAKOV, 16. Vokhid SHODIEV, 10. Jamshid ISKANDEROV, 19. Jovlon IBROKHIMOV, 8. Fozil MURZOEV, 17. Igor SERGEEV, 7. Sardor RASHIDOV.

SUBS: 1. Eldorbek SYUNOV (GK), 2. Akbar ISMATULLAEV, 4. Boburbek YULDASHOV, 6. Egor KRIMETS, 11. Shukhrat MUKHAMMADIEV, 12. Farrukh SAYFIEV, 13. Turaev LUTFULLAH, 14. Aziz IBRAGIMOV, 18. Jasur O. KHASANOV, 20. Navruzbek ALIMOV, 21. Timur KAPADZE.

COACH: Mirjalol QOSIMOV