The Netherlands secured a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan in a World Cup warm-up friendly played behind closed doors on June 8 at Icahn Stadium in New York [1, 2, 3].
Striker Cody Gakpo opened the scoring with a penalty in the 31st minute, giving the Dutch an early lead [1, 2, 3]. Uzbekistan responded late in stoppage time when Igor Sergeev equalized in the third minute of added time [1, 2, 3]. However, just two minutes later Gakpo converted a second penalty to restore the advantage and clinch the victory for the Netherlands [1, 2, 3].
The match featured several controversial refereeing decisions. Dutch substitute Guus Til received a red card in the 89th minute for a handball outside the penalty area, a decision that drew dispute [1, 2, 3]. Additionally, the Netherlands had two other penalty appeals denied during the game, leading to criticism of the officiating and its impact on the flow of the match [1, 2, 3].
The game took place without fans in attendance as both teams prepare for the upcoming World Cup [1, 2]. The Dutch squad will travel to their World Cup base in Kansas City today, June 9, ahead of their Group F opener against Japan in Dallas on Sunday, June 14 [1, 2, 3].
Uzbekistan, making their World Cup debut in Group K, prepare to face Colombia in their first match scheduled for June 18 in Mexico City [1, 2, 3].
