Shomurodov scores but Uzbekistan exit World Cup winless

Elimination confirmed, Cannavaro calls it "brutal"

Uzbekistan's first World Cup is over. Three group-stage matches, no points. The final blow came in Atlanta, where Eldor Shomurodov gave your team a dream start against DR Congo with a lobbed goal, but DR Congo stormed back to win 3–1. Fabio Cannavaro did not sugarcoat it afterwards, "brutal" was the word he used to describe the elimination.

The group also featured a 0–0 draw with Portugal, a game where Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva both featured but could not break through. That point never came, though. Three defeats, and the debut campaign ends without a single result to hang onto.

Shomurodov the bright spot

If there is one takeaway, it is Eldor Shomurodov. The striker opened the scoring against DR Congo with a composed lob that briefly had Uzbekistan dreaming. Across the tournament, he was the player who looked most at home on this stage.

Now the rebuild begins

Cannavaro's project does not end here. The gap between ambition and execution at this level was clear, DR Congo had too much in the second half, and consistency across 90 minutes never arrived. The White Wolves go home knowing what World Cup football demands. The next cycle starts now.

Fan-reaktioner

Uzbekistan may be out, but World Cup fever has not faded for first-timers in the stands. A US baseball fan on Reddit described the crowd culture as "absolutely electric," blown away by the atmosphere even as a neutral watching the tournament unfold. Read the full post here.

Meanwhile, Portugal's camp has its own drama, Roberto Martinez is determined that their round-of-32 clash with Croatia will not be Cristiano Ronaldo's "last dance." Full thread here.