'90+8 minute dramatic goal' Netherlands secures hard-fought 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan in 'virtual Japan match'

*This content was translated by AI.

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, the Netherlands secured a hard-fought win against Uzbekistan in what was treated as a 'virtual Japan match.'

Ranked 7th in the FIFA rankings, the Netherlands defeated Uzbekistan (ranked 50th) 2-1 in a friendly match between national teams held on the 9th (Korean time) at Icahn Stadium in New York, USA.

Earlier, at the World Cup departure ceremony held in Rotterdam on the 3rd, the Netherlands suffered a 0-1 defeat to Algeria (FIFA ranking 28th), bowing their heads before over 40,000 home fans. Even in the final pre-World Cup friendly, the Netherlands failed to secure a decisive victory.

Grouped in World Cup Group F alongside Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia, the Netherlands prepared for this match against Uzbekistan as a friendly to prepare for Japan, their first opponent in the tournament.

Of course, there is a significant gap in strength and differences in style between Japan and Uzbekistan, but the Netherlands aimed to gain experience in Asian football against Uzbekistan, making its World Cup debut, while simultaneously boosting pre-World Cup momentum with a commanding victory.

Just 32 minutes into the first half, the 0-0 deadlock was broken. Inside the penalty box, Krijn Summer (West Ham United) was fouled by Zakhirgir Urozov (Dinamo Samarqand) and fell, resulting in a penalty kick being awarded. Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) converted the spot-kick, putting the Netherlands ahead first.

However, despite their superior strength, the Netherlands struggled to score additional goals. Instead, a red card incident occurred in the 42nd minute of the second half. Wout Tij (PSV Eindhoven) committed a handball foul during a defensive play. Although there was no intent and the handball occurred outside the penalty box, the referee showed Tij a red card.

Facing a numerical disadvantage, the Netherlands conceded an equalizing goal in stoppage time. During a defensive play inside the penalty box, the ball struck Krijn Summer's foot and instead penetrated the space behind the defense, connecting with Igor Sergeev (Persepolis) via a precise through pass. Sergeev finished the play to level the score.

However, the match did not end there. After all five minutes of stoppage time had elapsed, the Netherlands had a final corner kick opportunity. A foul by the opponent inside the penalty box led to another penalty kick being awarded. Gakpo, again taking the kick, perfectly deceived the goalkeeper and found the back of the net. Ultimately, the match ended with a 2-1 victory for the Netherlands.

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*This content was translated by AI.