Soccer!  The first night I spent in Tashkent, I saw lots of groups of guys walking with flags and chanting.  I knew it had to either be a riot or a sporting match, so I followed one group to figure out where they were going.

Happily, they were headed to watch a soccer game in Tashkent’s stadium.  IT turned out to be a U16 Asian Cup game between Japan and Iraq, which Japan won 3-1.

After the game was over came the real spectacle, though.

Bunyodkor, the championship-winning team of the Uzbekistan Football League, were the real stars of the evening.  After the international match, Bunyodkur officially received their trophy amid a stadium full of their cheering fans (and me).

Happy with the randomness that lead me to the stadium this night, I left to grab a shwarma and head back to my B&B to get ready for another day in Tashkent.