Uzbekistan 0 - 6 Australia
Australia booked their place in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup with a convincing 6-0 victory over Uzbekistan at the Khalifa International Stadium. A second-half collapse saw six different Australia players make it onto the scoresheet to set-up a final with Japan on Saturday 29 January.
Uzbekistan were on the back-foot as early as the third minute; Brett Holman connected with a right footed effort and Timur Juraev was forced into an early save low at his near post. Australia, however, did not have to wait long to find a breakthrough; Harry Kewell took an excellent touch at the edge of the penalty box before firing an excellent low drive across Juraev and into the back of the net.
Uzbekistan were handed a perfect opportunity to equalise when Luke Wilkshire was booked for a foul on the edge of the Australia penalty area but Maksim Shatskikh sent his free-kick just wide of the far post. Moments later, Server Djeparov saw his 30-yard drive well smothered by Mark Schwarzer.
Whilst Uzbekistan were getting a firm grasp of the game, Australia struck their second goal when Sasa Ognenovski turned in a free-kick after 34 minutes. Uzbekistan started the second half brightly but it was the Socceroos who again scored at a vital moment to put the match beyond their opponents; substitute Robbie Kruse escaped his marker and played a superb pass to left-back David Carney, who slotted the ball underneath the advancing Juraev.
Uzbekistan were reduced to 10 men shortly after conceding the third goal; Ulugbek Bakayev, already on a yellow card, went right through Wilkshire and was rightly dismissed. A man down, Uzbekistan looked vulnerable in defence and Robbie Kruse and Brett Emerton both squandered golden opportunities to further stretch the lead of the Socceroos.
The Socceroos were soon 4-0 to the good; Kurse once again found space and squared the ball to Brett Emerton, leaving the Blackburn star to slide the ball into an empty net. Carl Valeri made it 5-0 in the 82nd minute after McKay’s cut-back left him with a simple finish before Robbie Kruse completed the rout late on.
Australia will now face Japan in Saturday’s final whilst Uzbekistan will face Korea Republic in the third-place play-off match.