The "FIFA series - Edition 2024" project organized by FIFA for the first time in Baku has been concluded.
Idman.biz reports that the Azerbaijan national team faced Bulgaria in its second game.
In the course of the match, Azerbaijani team lost its determination to fight until the end and scored an equalizing goal. Musa Gurbanli equalized the score three minutes before the end - 1:1.
The first serious test
The meeting with Bulgaria can be considered the first serious test of the Azerbaijan national team in 2024. True, it was the team's second game. However, it is difficult to take the match against Mongolia seriously. In any case, meeting with an opponent "crawling" at the end of the second hundred of the FIFA ranking is not enough to evaluate the strength of Azerbaijani team. Moreover, after a duel with a different Asian football, as well as a weak team that defended almost to the goal for 90 minutes, Azerbaijan national team faced a real test. It was also felt by the starting team of Arif Asadov, who acted as the head coach. The leading members of the team Shahruddin Mahammadaliyev, Toral Bayramov, Eddy Israfllov, Rahil Mammadov were returned to the "11th team". The team started with a more optimal starting line-up, close to what we are used to from the qualifying games of EURO-2024.
Poor, but European football
Of course, the Bulgarian national team is experiencing one of the weakest periods in its history. This decline has been going on for a long time. The fiasco of the opponent in the qualifying stage of EURO-2024 is proof of this. The Bulgarians, who are the last in their group, behind Lithuania, which is not even considered a football country, finished the cycle without a win. But despite it, the meeting with Bulgaria means a duel with the European representative. Moreover, in any case, our opponent is ranked 83rd in the FIFA ranking, 30 places ahead of our team. The presence of players who play in different European countries also indicates the seriousness of the opponent in the friendly match.
Useful
It is not a secret to anyone how useful the friendly games in March are. These matches are preparations for the final round, which will be held in the summer for the big teams, and for the autumn for the others. These meetings are also important for the Azerbaijan national team, which will start fighting in the League of Nations in September, from the point of view of preparation. Of course, compared to the match against Mongolia, the test against Bulgaria should be more beneficial in this regard. Moreover, not losing to a stronger opponent also brings additional points to the FIFA rating and increases the self-confidence of the players. Starting 2024 with two unbeaten matches gives more or less reason to think optimistically and give hope to the fans.
Fight to the end
Not only the result, but also the game of the national team creates a positive opinion. In the meeting with the Bulgarians, who played in stronger leagues and well-known clubs, the team, which was superior in almost all components, had only a pleasant effect. The superiority recorded in the possession of the ball and the number of shots shows that the national team is not behind the opponent only in the score. Even Azerbaijani team could win. Since it was a friendly match, one cannot be upset that such an advantage was not reflected in the result. In any case, there are enough highlights in the March matches. One of them is that the goal scored in both matches happened late. By fighting until the last seconds, Azerbaijan national team was happy with the victory in the game against Mongolia and the draw in the duel with Bulgaria. This gives the fans a reason to believe in the national team until the end, to expect a goal from the team until the final whistle.
One chance remained
Of course, the negative side of the March games is not overlooked. The biggest problem is uncertainty about the head coach. Because the main goal is to prepare the team for the League of Nations. If Arif Asadov led the team in these matches, it is not clear who will be in this position in the fall. It is considered more appropriate for that specialist to be in the national team from now on, to lead the team from the technical zone in the March tests. But it is possible that Asadov himself will remain in his post, and if this happens, the results of the friendly matches in March can be seen. Otherwise, the new head coach will have only one chance to prepare for more serious tests. This is the June "window" for friendlies. For now, one match has been agreed for that time - meeting with Albania. Another competitor is expected to be found. In any case, the new coach has one meeting, one chance.
Vugar Kheyrullayev
Idman.biz
