Asian Cup 2011: Uzbekistan 0-6 Australia: White Wolves' Collapse Hands Socceroos Asian Cup Final Slot

Uzbekistan had an early warning when in only the third minute, Brett Holman was given time to connect with a right wing cross and Timur Juraev was forced into a spectacular save low at the near post from the attacking midfielder’s volley. But the White Wolves faile to learn their lesson, and in less than five minutes the Socceroos had taken the lead.

Brisbane Roar wideman Matt Mackay got away from Odil Ahmedov through the middle, before feeding Harry Kewell on the edge of the box. The Galatasaray took one touch before sending an excellent low drive across Juraev and into the net to give Australia the perfect start.

Uzbekistan could have equalised when Luke Wilkshire was booked for a foul on the edge of his own box and Maksim Shatskikh sent his free-kick just wide of the far post, and then Server Djeparov saw his 30-yard pot-shot well smothered by Mark Schwarzer.

With Uzbekistan looking the stronger and holding the majority of possession, it came as something of a surprise when Sasa Ognenovski doubled the Socceroos’ lead when turning home a free-kick in the 34th minute to leave the White Wolves reeling.

Despite a renewed effort from the Uzbeks after the interval it was Australia who again scored at a vital moment to kill off the game. Substitute Robbie Kruse got away from his marker and teed up left-back David Carney, who finished well underneath the advancing Juraev.

Insult was added to injury moments later when the already-cautioned Ulugbek Bakayev went right through Wilkshire and was rightly shown the red card. From the moment Bakayev left the field, suddenly the Socceroos began to fashion clear openings at will, but Kruse and Brett Emerton both squandered good opportunities.

It didn’t take long for the fourth goal to arrive though as Kruse broke through again and squared for Emerton to slide the ball into an empty net. Kruse himself should then have added a goal to his two assists, but Juraev managed to get behind the striker’s goalbound shot.

Carl Valeri rubbed salt into the wounds with a fifth on 82 minutes after McKay’s pull-back from the left left him with the easiest of finished, and then within a minute Timur Juraev blotted his copybook by allowing Robbie Kruse’s grasscutter of a shot to go straight through his hands for a sixth.

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