Ljubinko Drulovic issues Uzbekistan rallying cry after semi-final woe
After seeing Uzbekistan’s AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 title aspirations undone thanks to a 1-0 semi-final loss to Saudi Arabia, head coach Ljubinko Drulovic has called on his players to show their true character when they go up against Australia with a place at this year’s Olympic Games still up for grabs.
A late Nasser Al Omran effort ultimately proved Uzbekistan’s undoing as the 2018 champions had their dreams of retaining the Continental crown shattered by their in-form opponents.
Uzbekistan will also be assured of their ticket to the global extravaganza should they beat the Olyroos on Saturday.
“We need to continue believing, we must rest well and look ahead to the next match, one which is now of great importance to us,” said Drulovic.
“Of course, to lose the way we did today is not easy to take, but we must show our true character going forward and be ready to play better than we did against Saudi Arabia.
“The match [against Australia] is going to be crucial as it gives us one more chance to qualify for the Olympics. Psychologically and mentally we absolutely need to bounce back.”
Having finished as Group C runners-up, Uzbekistan went into their encounter with Saudi Arabia on the back of a superb 5-1 win over the United Arab Emirates in the quarter-finals.
However, they rarely came close to scaling similar heights, with Drulovic left to rue what could have been.
“It was a very difficult game for both teams, and one in which we had our chances to score but could ultimately not find the net,” explained the Serbian tactician.
“I think Saudi Arabia were somewhat lucky in the last few minutes, but this happens sometimes in football.
“As of now, there is nothing we can do about the result, all we can do is focus on trying to finish third. We simply have to think about the next match.”
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