Historic Price at the World Cup from Özbekistan: 3-1 Defeat Against DR Kongo

In the match played in Atlanta, Özbekistan's World Cup adventure could have continued with an unexpected final chapter; however, the goals conceded in the last twenty minutes reminded the team led by Fabio Cannavaro of a bitter reality. Özbekistan, also known as the White Wolves, completed their first World Cup experience with three defeats, losing 3-1 to the Demokratik Kongo Cumhuriyeti on Saturday. Conceding 11 goals in the tournament, they became the team that conceded the most goals after Tunus and Irak. Kongo, on the other hand, advanced to the first elimination round in their history and returned to Atlanta to face İngiltere on Wednesday. Thus, a group stage full of memorable but starkly contrasting results came to an end for both countries.

This match presented a picture that showcased two completely different approaches to building a national team. About 85 percent of the Kongo squad consists of footballers born and raised outside the country, primarily in Fransa, Belçika, and İngiltere. In contrast, Özbekistan's entire 26-player squad consists entirely of local talent, demonstrating the team's commitment to its infrastructure. Kongo stands out as one of the surprise teams of the tournament, drawing attention with their performance despite not getting exactly the points they expected from the first two matches. Özbekistan, knowing they needed to win by an almost impossible margin to advance from the group, took to the pitch mostly for their pride.

The start of the match developed unexpectedly in favor of Özbekistan, and the team found the opening goal. Eldor Shomurodov, who finished the Türkiye Süper Lig as the top scorer with Başakşehir jersey last season, sent the ball into the net right at the beginning of the match, but this goal was disallowed due to offside. Shomurodov had been quite invisible in the Kolombiya and Portekiz matches, looking like a lonely figure on the pitch. However, he found his form in this match and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi to put his team 1-0 ahead; this goal was Özbekistan's first lead in the tournament. In the second half, Skomorov tried to chip the ball once again to double the difference, but this time he was unsuccessful, and a simple finish could have been preferred.

Despite Özbekistan's bright start, the fate of the match changed quickly, and the team had to drop back to defend. As Kongo's pressure increased, the White Wolves deepened in their own half, and misfortune and controversial VAR decisions played a role in their ability to close the first half in the lead. Nathanaël Mbuku's magnificent equalizer was disallowed due to a foul committed prior to the goal following a VAR review, and this decision led to widespread criticism. Kongo failed to capitalize on numerous clear opportunities in the second half, and as the clock ticked forward, Özbekistan's hopes of turning the match around remained alive. However, in the 68th minute, following a gathering of the ball in the heart of the defense, Abdukodir Khusanov's challenge on Yoane Wissa inside the penalty area resulted in a penalty, and Wissa sent the ball into the net to make it 1-1.

Once the barrier was broken, Özbekistan completely lost their resistance and left the pitch with a heavy defeat. In the eightieth minute, substitute Fiston Mayele, onto whom Meschack Elia's shot bounced, elegantly placed the ball into the net to put Kongo 2-1 ahead. In the added minutes, Wissa scored with a hard long-range shot to make it 3-1, sparking wild celebrations in Kongo. At the post-match press conference, Cannavaro stated that he was happy with the intensity in the first half but that they suffered a lot in the second half and could not work together as a team. The Italian manager, noting that playing with extended balls increased fatigue, emphasized that they experienced a loss of energy and confidence when they could not control the ball. Cannavaro also pointed out that people's expectations were overly inflated, saying, "The World Cup is ruthless, and you are playing against the best players in the world," reminding that Kongo had players playing in Europe's top five leagues, while Özbekistan had only one such player.