As this year's U23 Asian Football Championship came to a close, the old rivals of Japan U23 and Uzbekistan U23 emerged from the fierce competition and joined hands to advance to the final. Meanwhile, Indonesia U23's outstanding performance also earned them a valuable ticket to the Paris Olympics. Looking back, both Japan and Uzbekistan have been champions before, and the winner of this matchup will write a new chapter in history.
The Uzbek U23 defense was impenetrable in the last round of the tournament, going from the group stage to the last eight without conceding a goal. In today's quarterfinal, Lochayev's goal broke the deadlock for his team, while an opponent's oval goal allowed Uzbek U23 to advance to the final with a two-goal advantage, aiming to win the title again from 2018.
And Japan U23 led Iraq U23 by a 2-0 margin at half-time, marking their return to the final after 2016. This Friday night (May 3), they will play Uzbekistan U23 for the title.
It is worth noting that in the history of the U23 Asian Cup, only Japan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Iraq have tasted the title. The winner of this clash will become the second team after Japan and Uzbekistan to win the title twice.
Iraq U23, on the other hand, battled Indonesia U23 for third place, with the winner qualifying directly for the Paris Olympics.
