Uzbekistan U20 beat Syria U20 3-0 in the third group match of the AFC U20 Championship on Saturday. The hosts opened the scoring inside ten minutes and never looked back, running out comfortable winners at home. Syria went into the fixture having lost to India but were well-beaten here.
D. Ermanov broke the deadlock in the tenth minute, a simple finish that set the tone for the rest of the game. Syria struggled to create anything meaningful and barely tested the Uzbek goalkeeper until the second half. The visitors did not get a shot on target until 81 minutes had passed, by which point the result was already beyond doubt.
Q. Abrayev doubled the lead in the eighty-first minute, catching Syria napping on the counter. The Syrian defence had been disjointed all afternoon and offered little resistance to Uzbek movement in the final third. And here's the thing — Syria's recent form suggested they could score, but against this Uzbek side they barely crossed the halfway line.
D. Tolaganov added the third from the penalty spot in the ninety-fourth minute, rounding off a performance that saw Uzbekistan end a barren spell in front of goal. The referee had awarded the spot-kick after a clumsy challenge in the box, and Tolaganov made no mistake. Syria's recent results showed they could score against weaker opposition, but this was a different level of opposition and they were exposed.
Uzbekistan U20 now sit top of the group with maximum points from three matches. They have won every game they have played this season, including victories over India, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Syria's group campaign looks finished after three defeats and they need a miracle to advance.