Pakhtakor Tashkent of Uzbekistan drew 1-1 with Ahal of Turkmenistan in Asian Champions League action. I had never watched a game played in Turkmenistan and the atmosphere was very interesting. There were thousands of people all wearing blue tracksuits. At first, I thought the seats were empty, but no, many of the blocks of the stadium were filled with people in identical blue tracksuits. Things also seemed eerily quiet despite the large stadium being mostly full (though this may have just been how the broadcaster set up their sound recording). The game itself was very chippy, both goals were scored from set pieces. Ahal mostly sat deep and Pakhtakor had very few ideas on how to break them down.
Diyor Kholmatov
- Nationality: Uzbek
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 22/06/2001
- Current club Pakhtakor Tashkent
- Position: Midfielder
- Preferred foot: Right
Diyor Kholmatov played on the right side of a midfield three in this match. His overall performance was mixed. Where he looked at his best was when he was pushing forward into the final 3rd. Kholmatov is adept at receiving the ball between the lines. He was also quite good at receiving the ball from Dragan Ceran, Pakhtakor’s big target man, and shooting the ball. Kholmatov is a pretty good dribbler, able to change direction quickly and put defenders on the back foot. He’s also relatively strong and is often able to shield the ball effectively. But his first touch is often a bit lacking which can undermine him when on the attack. His poor first touch feeds into his main problem.
He is terrible in sustained possession. He hardly ever plays a progressive pass and even his shorter passes would often miss their mark. In fairness, this was a problem for the entire Pakhtakor team who somehow managed to look static and totally disorganized at the same time. But I think it’s clear that if Kholmatov were to play at a higher level he would need to be in a role that de-emphasized him in the buildup and used him almost exclusively as a box-arriver. Kholmatov took almost all of Pakhtakor’s corners and also got into crossing positions quite often. He had a few good deliveries but he was wildly inconsistent in these situations. He often under-hit the ball and failed to beat the first man. Kholmatov was reasonably active defensively. He’s quite good at covering ground and his aforementioned strength helps him push opponents off the ball. He’s not the most consistent tackler but he’s able to harass opponents and help his team recover the ball.
Rating: A2
This is a very tentative A2 as I think Kholmatov’s role would have to play a very specific and limited role at a higher level. But he’s only 21 and he has some positive skills so I wouldn’t rule him out. There’s a wave of interest in Uzbek players after their success at youth tournaments. A number of Uzbeks have played in Russia, especially after international sanctions have made things a bit tricky for Russian clubs. I also recall a Uzbek player or two getting a trial in Scotland. A Non-Celtic or Rangers team might be an interesting destination for Kholmatov.
Mukhammadkodir Khamraliev
- Nationality: Uzbek
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 6/07/2001
- Current club: Pakhtakor Tashkent
- Career: F.C Olympic, Dinamo Samarqand
- Position: Centre-back
- Preferred foot: Right
Khamraliev (no way I’m typing out his first name again), played as a centre-back for Pakhtakor in this match. He displayed some positive traits but overall I was left with the impression that he would struggle at a higher level. Khamraliev’s greatest strength is definitely his passing. He was able to break opposing lines and play dangerous passes over the top of the opposing defence. But, defensively, there were a lot of problems. He just seemed very nervous and jumpy all the time. There were several moments when he seemed indecisive and unable to take charge. He would let the ball bounce off of high balls and had a couple of miscommunications with teammates when it wasn’t clear who should be going for the ball. He also wasn’t that convincing in the air. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t win aerial duels, it was that he did not win them convincingly. He would often fail to get the ball totally clear of danger. Khamraliev is not that big for a centre-back, standing 6’0 with a very slim build. There’s no doubt that this does not help him in the air. But his overall nervousness and indecisiveness seemed to hold him back as well. Now, that’s not to say he was a total disaster defensively. When the ball was on the ground he was quite good at getting tight to opponents and using his body effectively. There was only one moment where he had difficulty with a dribbler and that was when he was totally isolated as the last man.
Rating: B1
I think Khamraliev’s on-the-ball ability and decent 1v1 defending will allow him to have a long career at this level. But if he looks unnerved on a cold night in Turkmenistan then you have to think he would struggle significantly at a higher level.
Target Scouting 