Giving A Fig
Valiante Punishment
After six straight wins in all competitions, the Birds were given a dose of reality by Uzbekistan Oliy Liga giants Moldy_Figs in the AFC ASIAN CUP opener, as the seven-time national champions crushed them 1-4 fair and square. The purple-clad Figs' 4-5-1 felt almost tailored to exploit Grilled's shortcomings, and despite having their own minor weak spots, the Figs proved far more adept at covering for one another. Vitaliano Pater would be tasked with shackling
Gandhik Chitre, a mission he fulfilled quite adeptly.
They were also overwheming in midfield, with homegrown former national youth stars Jahongir Mo’minov and Orifxon Mirazizov bossing it, along with the no less gifted Dilshod Iskandarov. Further forward, Finn Tomi Velling was a one-man battering ram, and it was a testament to their overall strength that the Ryan Fausing-Sigvald Flamquist tandem on the right wing could be considered their lesser flank, despite its evident effectiveness.
Against this, Grilled would have to maximize their own advantages, but it would be hard to do with with Chitre mostly nullified. With possession about evenly split, the Figs were the more decisive when they had the ball, and interspersed long stretches of patient probing, with near-impossible to anticipate actual pushes. One of those had Fausing bend a cross around
Darko Andrović's outstretched leg in the seventh minute, which had defender Ibi Sodiqov volley expertly just past Marcol from the far corner of the box.
Sodiqov would only be encouraged to get forward more after that breakthrough, and he would be provided with an incredible opening barely six minutes later, with Iskandarov skinning
Genki Nagano to enable the defence-splitting pass. Unfortunately, Sodiqov's composure failed him and he put it over, with Tomi Velling then booked for barrelling into
Ha Qicai for a possible follow-up. Grilled continued plugging away to no reward, with the next shot on target coming from a cultured Sigvald Flamquist free-kick 36 minutes in, that
Radomil Marcol marginally managed to bat around his right post.
Aw Keng Chuan came on for Ha for the next forty-five minutes as
Tian Yonghang sought a better answer to Velling's physicality, which Aw indeed seemed more suited to. That didn't keep the Finn from fending him off to test Marcol again in the 61st minute, granted, and Moldy_Figs then went two up several minutes on, with Fausing again coming up with the assist from out wide. Dilshod Iskandarov would be the beneficiary here, as he blasted home from ten yards after
Hwang Teck Fu missed the crucial interception.
The Birds continued the only way they knew how - trying to force their way through the Figs defence - and this one-track mindset would eventually pay off, if maybe due to the opponents not believing how persistent Grilled could be.
Lim An Keng looked about for support when he received the ball some thirty yards out in the 74th minute, but Chitre was again shadowed by Pater, and
Chad Thach was far to the right; Andrović and Marzuki dashed forward on cue, but Lim held off until he was well inside the box, at which he figured that he might as well shoot against former Maldives national custodian Jinaa Hasan anyway. He was correct.
This would be papering over the cracks for Grilled, sadly, as Moldy_Figs revealed that they had much more in the tank. Five minutes after Lim's goal, the Uzbeks would go full tilt after
Brian Reddy's attempted dribble was stopped before the half-way line, and three quick passes got the ball to Tomi Velling, who shouldered
Raúl Himadas aside to score. One more followed in the 85th as the Birds chased the game, as Andrea Valiante received yet another superb ball from Flamquist, before depositing it neatly between the onrushing Marcol's legs.
