The match is expected to be attractive due to two points. First, the two teams are the leading men`s soccer champions of the 2018 Asian Games.
Uzbekistan`s U-23 national team comes to the 2018 Asian Games with its status as the Asian U-23 AFC Cup winner 2018. This team`s participation in the on-going Asia`s largest sporting event as if wants to prove such victory.
Uzbekistan performed very well at the 2018 Asian Games by always winning and never conceding since the qualification in Group B to the eighth final round.
The soccer team coached by Ravhsan Khaydarov has so far collected 13 goals in the Asian Games co-hosted by the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta and Palembang in South Sumatra province, from August 18 to September 2.
Meanwhile South Korea`s U-23 national team is favored to win the match because it is the men`s soccer gold medalist of the 2014 Asian Games in Inchoen, South Korea.
In addition, this team is strengthened by four players who played in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, namely Son Heung Min, Jo Hyeonwoo, Lee Seungwoo and Hwang Hee Chan.
The public pay more attention to Son Heung Min because
he is a mainstay player of the English League club Tottenham Hotspur.
The second point which makes this Monday afternoon fight worth to be watched is the thick aroma of taking revenge. Because, prior to the 2018 Asian Games, Uzbekistan U-23 national team defeated the South Korea`s U-23 national team in the semi-finals of the AFC 2018 cup in China.
At the moment, Uzbekistan scored three goals in the extra round, which was played after the two teams drew 1-1 in 90 minutes, and sealed the victory with a score of 4-1.
Both Uzbekistan and South Korea will have to field their best players in order to qualify for the 2018 Asian Games semifinals.
In a bid to dismantle the South Korea`s defense, the U-23 national team coach of Uzbekistan Ravshan Khaydarov is predicted to continue to rely on 23-year-old striker Zabikhillo Urinboev.
Urinboev, a player who plays with Mettalurg Bekabad in the Uzbek Super League, has netted four goals at the 2018 Asian Games which is the highest goal record in Uzbekistan.
The attacker and captain of the team scored one goal each in four matches that had been undergone by Uzbekistan`s U-23 squad.
Urinboev also looked very efficient in front of the opponent`s goal. His total of four goals at the 2018 Asian Games was scored from just eight kicks right on goal.
Apart from Urinboe, 24-year-old senior midfielder Ikromjon Alibaev also made a good record by scoring three goals in four Uzbekistan U-23 national team matches.
Then, in the defense sector, the almost irreplaceable quartet at the 2018 Asian Games, Rustamjon Ashurmatov, Akramjon Komilov, Abbosjon Otakhonov and Dostonbek Tursonev are the main factor why Uzbekistan has not conceded to the 2018 Asian Games quarterfinals.
The South Korean U-23 national team had appeared unsteady at 2018 Asian Games Group E when they were surprisingly lost to Malaysia with a score of 1-2.
The defeat made Kim Hak Bum`s side complete the group phase in second place behind Malaysia with six points from one defeat and two wins from three matches.
South Korea, however, slowly rose and showed its class. After being injured by Malaysia, this squad won the last match of Group E against Kyrgyzstan with a score of 1-0 and beat Iran 2-0 in the last 16.
Ironically, the key to the victory of South Korea did not come from the special performance of Premier League striker Tottenham Hotspur Son Heung Min, but from the good play of the 25-year-old player who has not entered the 2018 World Cup squad, namely Hwang Ui Jo.
Hwang Ui Jo showed an impressive game from the group stages to the 2018 Asian Games final with a total of five goals, including when his team destroyed Bahrain 6-0.
Hwang, the striker who played for Gamba Osaka in the Japanese League, brilliantly overturned forecasts that cast doubt on his presence in the 2018 Asian Games team.
In the meantime, Son Heung Min (26 years old) only scored one goal for his team at the 2018 Asian Games.
In the defense sector, South Korea looks better by never conceding in their last two games at the 2018 Asian Games or after they concede two goals from Malaysia in the second match of Group E.
Looking at the conditions mentioned earlier, Uzbekistan and South Korea both have the opportunity to win the 2018 Asian Games quarterfinals.
Therefore, a draw is very likely to occur and the match could be continued to the extra round or penalty shootout, where mental maturity and luck would decide which will be the winner.
Reporter: Bustanuddin
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
