Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Cody Gakpo converted two late penalties — the decisive one in the ninth minute of stoppage time — to hand the Netherlands a dramatic 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan in a World Cup warm-up match at Icahn Stadium in New York.
The Dutch opened the scoring on 32 minutes when Gakpo stepped up to convert from the spot. The match appeared to swing decisively in Uzbekistan's favor in the 87th minute, when Netherlands midfielder Guus Til was shown a red card, leaving his side a man down with the game still alive.
Uzbekistan seized on the numerical advantage and drew level in added time, with Igor Sergeyev finding the net on 90+2 to send the match toward what seemed like an equalizer. However, the equalizer proved fleeting. The referee awarded a second penalty against Uzbekistan deep in stoppage time, and Gakpo made no mistake, completing his brace in the 90+8th minute to seal the win.
The result — settled by two spot kicks and a red card — offered both sides contrasting lessons ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Netherlands will enter Group stage competition against Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia, while Uzbekistan — making what is shaping up to be a landmark World Cup appearance — face Colombia, Portugal, and DR Congo.
