Uzbekistan began their Group F campaign at the Under-20 World Cup with a 3-0 win over New Zealand on Sunday.
It was New Zealand who enjoyed most of the early possession, but Uzbekistan took the lead with their first real attempt on goal after 14 minutes when Abbosbek Makhstaliev found the back of the net from close range.
New Zealand did have chances of their own with Hamish Watson and Tyler Boyd coming close in the first period, but Uzbekistan entered the break with their lead in tact.
It was 2-0 in the early stages of the second half when Igor Sergeev burst into the box before finding the bottom corner and Diyorjon Turapov made sure of the points with a cool finish late on.
Next up for Uzbekistan is a clash with Croatia on June 26, while New Zealand face Uruguay.
Matt Law
