The Uzbek Under-20s, who lost by two goals, were held to an agonizing 2-2 draw by New Zealand on Tuesday in the second match of Group A, which also includes Argentina.
Aposbek Faizulayev and Sherzod Ezanov scored for New Zealand for Uzbekistan at the Único Madre de Ciudades Stadium in Santiago del Estero.
New Zealand reached 4 points and Uzbekistan got their first unit, 2-1 after an early defeat against Argentina.
In the Champions Dual, one from Oceania, more pragmatic and opportunistic, took the lead in the first half thanks to goals from Wallace and Herdmann, both with excellent mid-range shots.
In that stretch, Uzbekistan under the guidance of Umarali Rakhmonaliev handled the ball more but lacked depth and definition.
The Asian national team quickly found a breakthrough in the second half through Faizullayev, who then created several situations they could not account for in an entertaining match.
In stoppage time, Uzbekistan found a deserved equaliser. Zafarmurod Abdirakmadov took the cross for Ezanov’s header in the face of passive New Zealand defenders.
On the next date, New Zealand will face Argentina in San Juan and Uzbekistan will face Guatemala in Santiago del Estero. Both these matches will be held on 26th Friday.
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