Netherlands beats Uzbekistan 2-1 in New York friendly amid tight security

The Netherlands defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in an international friendly at New York's Icahn Stadium. Cody Gakpo opened the scoring from a penalty in the 32nd minute and added a second penalty in the 98th minute after Uzbekistan equalised through Igor Sergeev at the 92nd minute. The match also saw Guus Til sent off for a handball in the 86th minute and Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen forced off with an injury, prompting a substitution by Mark Flekken.

The game was accompanied by an extensive security operation. Arriving players, staff and officials were subjected to thorough police checks, metal detectors and sniffer dogs amid heightened alertness tied to President Donald Trump's visit to New York for an NBA event. The security sweep underscored the tight coordination between event organizers and law‑enforcement for high‑profile sports fixtures in the city.