Speaking after the friendly in which Uzbekistan scored four times against Syria, Cannavaro commented on the team’s progress, pressing approach, squad rotation and preparations for the Asian Cup.
“We came into the game with the right attitude and in a good mood. All the players are working together as one team,” Cannavaro said. “Before the game, I told them there is no such thing as a ‘friendly match’. Every game must be taken seriously. I asked them to play at a high tempo and with intensity.”
The Italian coach said there was still room for improvement but stressed that the team was moving in the right direction.
“We still have many things to improve, but step by step we are building a good team,” he said.
Uzbekistan will next face South Korea away on October 6. Cannavaro said the squad was in good condition ahead of the match.
“I want all the players to train at the same intensity and I treat everyone equally. I don’t have a concept of ‘starting players’ or ‘substitutes’,” he said, explaining his decision to make changes against Syria and give other players an opportunity.
Cannavaro also said Uzbekistan’s convincing result should not be taken as evidence that the match was easy.
“People may think the game was easy, but we made it easier for ourselves by starting well, running a lot and pressing correctly,” he said. “Syria are not an easy opponent. We watched their game against Jordan, which ended 1–1, so we prepared seriously for this match.”
For Cannavaro, the team’s character and collective performance matter more than the result itself. He pointed to Uzbekistan’s earlier match against Iran, one of Asia’s strongest sides, as another example of the qualities he wants to see from his players.
The coach said the team was also working on different aspects of its game in training, from building out from the back to set pieces. One of the main areas of focus is learning when to press.
“Football is a game of time and space. When the opponent has the ball, we need to reduce the space and not give them time to think. When we have the ball, we need to create more space so that we have more time,” Cannavaro said.
He added that pressing at the wrong moment could allow even a weaker opponent to escape pressure. The players, however, were increasingly understanding when they should step forward and press.
