CANADA VS. UZBEKISTAN
Tuesday, June 7, 10 a.m. ET
Thermenstadion Bad Waltersdorf, Bad Waltersdorf, Austria
TV: canadasoccer.com
Don’t laugh, but this game could be a preview of next year’s intercontinental playoff, where a berth in the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be on the line.
Come on, you weren’t supposed to laugh.
While Canada hardly looked like a squad bound for the World Cup in its 1-1 draw against Azerbaijan on Friday, Benito Floro’s side does remain in strong contention for a spot in the upcoming Hexagonal round in CONCACAF. Once in the Hex, a fourth-place finish certainly wouldn’t be beyond Canada’s grasp.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has never qualified for FIFA’s showcase tourney, although the team did storm through the early rounds of 2018 qualifying and are definitely in the mix for the fifth-place spot in the Asian confederation.
If Canada can somehow get to the Hex and nab fourth place, and if Uzbekistan can scratch its way through to the fifth spot in the AFC region, then the two teams will square off once again in November 2017, for a spot in the next World Cup.
Now, let’s not get ridiculously ahead of ourselves. Both teams head into Tuesday with plenty of work left to do before being seriously considered as contenders for a World Cup berth, and both will be using the friendly to fine-tune their squads ahead of the resumption of qualifying in September.
But hey, if it somehow comes down to Canada vs. Uzbekistan, 17 months from now, remember that you heard it here first.
HISTORY
This will be the first meeting between Canada and Uzbekistan in international soccer at any level. Or, put another way, both sides come in undefeated and having never conceded a goal—something’s got to give! (Unless it ends in a 0-0 draw.)
CANADA OUTLOOK
Well, not only did Canada score its first goal of 2016 against Azerbaijan, the goal actually came from open play! So, hooray for that rare feat.
However, Les Rouges remain winless in their last five games, dating back to an emotional 1-0 victory over Honduras in November. And the team (currently ranked No. 93 in the world) will face an even sterner test against Uzbekistan (No. 66) than they did against Azerbaijan (No. 138).
Granted, in the big picture, the results of these friendlies mean very little in comparison to Canada’s results in its two upcoming World Cup qualifiers in September (at Honduras, Sept. 2; vs. El Salvador, Sept. 6). That pair of games will either see Canada advance to the Hex for the first time since 1997 or be eliminated from qualifying.
And while head coach Floro would have hoped to test a full-strength roster against Uzbekistan, injuries and logistical issues have conspired to deplete his ranks. Even so, the Canadian team—and its supporters—will be desperately hoping for a bit of positive momentum heading into those decisive qualifiers this autumn.
Roster notes: Canada’s original 24-man roster has been chopped down to 20 for this game. Milan Borjan and Will Johnson returned to their clubs due to injury, while Julian de Guzman and Marcel de Jong were both released ahead of Ottawa Fury’s Amway Canadian Championship match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday.
There is one addition: Iain Hume, who was on Canada’s original roster but had not joined up with the team in time for the Azerbaijan match, will be available for selection against Uzbekistan.
UZBEKISTAN OUTLOOK
The Uzbeks are coming into this game with the force of a locomotive (or Lokomotiv, if you like awful puns), having won eight consecutive matches dating back to last September.
Seven of those eight wins were in World Cup qualifiers, which helped manager Samvel Babayan’s team win Group H in the second round of AFC qualification, ahead of North Korea, the Philippines, Bahrain and Yemen.
That puts them into Group A in the third round, kicking off this September, alongside with South Korea, Iran, China, Qatar and Syria. The top two teams clinch World Cup berths, while the third-place finisher faces the third-place team from Group B, with the winner there advancing to the intercontinental playoff.
The friendly against Canada is Uzbekistan’s only match of the summer, and Babayan is using it for lots of roster experimentation, with half of his 22-player squad coming in with five or fewer senior caps.
But the squad does have familiarity, with 19 of the 22 playing in Uzbekistan’s national league, and six playing together for Lokomotiv Tashkent, based in the nation’s capital.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tesho Akindele (Canada): Continuing the fine form he’s shown for FC Dallas this year, the 24-year-old attacker scored the second goal of his burgeoning national-team career, against Azerbaijan. He also showed a good connection with teammate Scott Arfield, a potentially important combo for Canada in the future.
Igor Sergeev (Uzbekistan): The 23-year-old striker has excelled through the Uzbek youth ranks, and has a goal-per-two-games strike rate through five seasons at his club, Pakhator Tashkent. He also has 10 goals for the national team, including four in the most recent round of World Cup qualifying.
ROSTERS
CANADA
GOALKEEPERS (2): Kenny Stamatopoulos (AIK Fotbol/Sweden); Simon Thomas (FK Bodø/Glimt/Norway)
DEFENDERS (7): David Edgar (Sheffield United/England); Dejan Jakovic (Shimizu S-Pulse/Japan); Manjrekar James (Diósgyöri VTK/Hungary); Doneil Henry (West Ham United/England); Nik Ledgerwood (FC Edmonton); Karl W. Ouimette (New York Red Bulls); Steven Vitoria (Benfica/Portugal)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas); Scott Arfield (Burnley/England); Junior Hoilett (QPR/England); Iain Hume (SD Ponferradina/Spain); Michael Petrasso (QPR/England) Samuel Piette (Deportivo la Coruna/Spain); Tosaint Ricketts (unattached); Adam Straith (Fredrikstad FK/Norway)
FORWARDS (3): Marcus Haber (Crewe Alexandra/England); Simeon Jackson (Blackburn Rovers/England); Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC)
UZBEKISTAN
GOALKEEPERS (3): Eldorbek Suyunov (Nasaf Qarshi/Uzbekistan); Ignatiy Nesterov (Lokomotiv Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Aleksandr Lobanov (Persepolis/Iran)
DEFENDERS (6): Egor Krimets (Beijing Guoan/China); Davron Khashimov (Pakhator Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Shukhrat Mukhammadiev (Nasaf Qarshi/Uzbeskitan); Aleksandr Merzlyakov (Pakhator Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Sherzod Azamov (Nasaf Qarshi/Uzbekistan); Akram Komilov (Bunyodkor/Uzbekistan)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Jasur Hasanov (Lokomotiv Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Server Djeparov (Lokomotiv Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Javokhir Sokhibov (Pakhator Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Sanjar Shaakhmedov (Lokomotiv Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Jamshid Iskanderov (Lokomotiv Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Otabek Shukurov (Bunyodkor/Uzbekistan); Dostonbek Khamdamov (Bunyodkor/Uzbekistan); Salamat Kutiboev (Buxoro/Uzbekistan); Jamshid Boltaboev (Pakhator Tashkent/Uzbekistan)
FORWARDS (4): Marat Bikmaev (Lokomotiv Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Igor Sergeev (Pakhator Tashkent/Uzbekistan); Alexander Geynrikh (Ordabasy Shymkent/Kazakhstan); Eldor Shomurodov (Bunyodkor/Uzbekistan)
