Men’s Asian Games Qualifier Bangkok 2022
Day 1
Match 1
Hong Kong China vs Uzbekistan
The first day of this qualifying tournament for the Asian Games featured Hong Kong China vs Uzbekistan in the first match.
In the first minutes of the game you could see both teams trying to take control of the game. In the ninth minute of the game after several rebounds Karimov Ruslan converted with a backhand the first goal of the tournament to put his team in the lead.
After the break in the 16th minute Islombek Mamajonov made it 2-0 with a penalty corner to extend the lead over Hong Kong China.
Uzbekistan continued to look for goals, and in the 35th minute after a penalty corner, Shavkatbek Mirzakarimov grabbed a rebound and booted in the third goal for the yellow-shirted team.
On the other hand, Hong Kong China tried to look for options, but could not find a way to score in the goal defended by Akhmadillo Mamirov.
They had some balls that hit the post, but it was not enough to score.
In the 50th minute, Shavkatbek Mirzakarimov, No. 7, after an excellent individual play and overflow along the back line, sent a cross to the penalty spot, where Karimov Ruslan was ready to put the ball into the net to make the score 4-0.
Although it was thought that the game was already over, Hong Kong China did not want to be left behind and converted a penalty corner in the 54th minute by Windfall Monthong from deflection that went straight into the net.
A minute later, with Uzbekistan’s defense asleep from the recent goal, YU Chi Wai was found at the far post to lift the ball into the net and score the second goal for the red-and-white team.
The match continued in the same fashion until the end, with a 4-1 result with victory for the team coached by Okhunjon Mirzakarimov.
The man of the match was Ruslan Karimov who scored two particularly important goals for his team in this first match of the tournament.
Uzbekistan will play against Thailand in group A on Saturday in the last match of the day.
While Hong Kong China will play Oman on May 9 for their second Pool A match.
Match 2
Thailand vs Kazakhstan
In the second Pool A match of the day, Thailand and Kazakhstan faced each other.
The first quarter was a very even match with two extraordinarily strong teams offensively and defensively. Thailand as host of the tournament wanted to show at home what they were willing to give in this important qualifier.
Although the yellow team kept trying to attack, they could not find the goal to take the lead against a tough opponent like Kazakhstan.
It was not until the 43rd minute when Thailand had an extra player on the field that Theerachai Sansamran received the ball in the box and took it with a “spoon” to lift it into the net and score the first goal of the match for the locals. In this way they took the lead before the end of the third quarter to be able to go to the break calmer, but without lowering the intensity.
With the match getting more and more heated, a few seconds before the end of the third quarter, a counterattack for Kyung Soo Kim’s team found player number 27 alone to enter the area where Kazakhstan’s goalkeeper fouled him, and the referee called a penalty stroke.
The same was executed and converted by Warun Boonpea to go to the break leading 2-0.
In the last quarter, Thailand knew that coach Olga Urmanova’s team was going to go all out to reverse the result. But this could not be achieved and in the 50th minute, after a mistake by the opposing team’s defense, Thanakrit Boon-art took advantage of the error to steal the ball and shoot a rocket over the net.
The match ended 3-0 with victory for the Thai team.
The best player of the match was Warun Boonpea who scored the second goal.
Thailand will face Uzbekistan on May 7 for Pool A.
Kazakhstan will face Oman on the same day for Pool A as well.
