Socceroos show ruthless streak
Updated
Rout: Sasa Ognenovski puts Australia two goals to the good in a six-goal humbling of Uzbekistan. (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)
For those who've had their nerves thoroughly tested and, at times, shot by the Socceroos through the decades this was the pay-off.
As recently as its last match the Australian football team put its followers and themselves through the wringer.
Why score the winner in the third minute when you can wait until the 117th? You'd miss all the agony and anxiety if it were so simple.
Not today. In its first semi-final appearance at an Asian Cup the Socceroos made a mockery of the past and turned in a rout the likes of which hasn't been seen since the days of Samoa and Fiji.
It was ruthless and unmerciful. It was joyful. And by the end measured by half a dozen goals past the best team in Central Asia.
Some will say it was embarrassing or gruesome. The narks can please themselves.
Holger Osieck's Australia plays football to score. And it is formidable.
Now Australia has a Saturday night date with Japan for the title of the Kings of Asia.
The magnitude of what was achieved was measurable in the assessment of Harry Kewell.
"For me it's a highlight. It's fantastic," he said.
"I've been in big games before where certain things have happened to me and you feel not part of the team success even though you are. This is the highlight.
"It's fantastic to be part of something that you've worked incredibly hard for."
Lucas Neill spoke of getting Australia Day off on the right note.
"Those that stayed up and watched it are going to celebrate in style and those that wake up to it will be in good moods. We certainly are," Neill said.
"I think it's just reward for a lot of good work so far in the tournament and now we're one win away."
The signs were immediately good. After the anthems Uzbekistan had the ball for two minutes but once the Australians got a look in they were on.
In the third minute Tim Cahill found Brett Holman unmarked at the far post and he was denied a goal only by a fine save from the Uzbeki 'keeper Temur Juraev.
But within 90 seconds the lead was Australia's and it was the combination that had finished the job against Iraq.
Matt McKay played a lovely ball through to Harry Kewell on the left and the striker didn't waste it. He cracked the shot across the keeper and into the net.
Holger Osieck reaped immediate dividends from his gamble to leave McKay on the park and start Brett Emerton on the bench in his return from suspension.
In the 34th minute the lead doubled. McKay won a free kick in a promising position and David Carney placed it threateningly inside the penalty area.
Cahill got his head to the ball and it fell for Sasa Ognenovski.
While the defender might have been denied his first international goal from an audacious bicycle kick in the quarter final, he was in this time off the left boot.
While Uzbekistan had the majority of possession that was a lie if you watched the game. Australia was boss and picked up after the break.
Kewell was given the luxury of an early shower after 53 minutes and his replacement Melbourne Victory striker Robbie Kruse was immediately into the action.
He started a sublime passing move through the middle of the pitch that set up Carney and the match was over as a contest.
Sensing this the Uzbek players lost their minds. They hacked at their opponents and soon enough Ulugbek Bakaev saw a second yellow card and was marched.
Flood gates: open.
Kruse layed off unselfishly to Emerton who scored. McKay, who was instrumental again, did the same for Carl Valeri to open his goal scoring account in his 35th cap.
And Kruse got one for himself, from his least promising build up. The keeper fumbled the shot.
By this time the hit out was of little worth other than making everyone feel good. What a marvellous novelty that is in international sport.
What a contrast it was to the events earlier in the evening at Al Gharafa Stadium where three-time champion Japan survived one of the greatest Asian Cup matches ever.
South Korea opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Park Ji Sung was awarded a touch-and-go penalty that Ki Sung Yong duly converted.
That was cancelled out in the 36th minute when Ryoichi Maeda got on the end of some fine attacking play from Yuto Nagatomo to slot home the equaliser.
And enthralling second half didn't add to the score but in the seventh minute of extra time Japan was awarded a penalty for a clear foul. However it happened half a step short of the box.
Keisuke Honda stepped to the spot but had his kick saved by Korean keeper Sung-Ryong Jung. Hajime Hosogai pounced on the ricochet and slammed his country into the lead.
It was an advantage the Japanese protected into the very last seconds when South Korea took a free kick, a goal-mouth melee ensued and somehow Hwang Jae Won was able to take a full swing with the boot and hit it home.
But that joy turned sour in the immediate penalty shoot-out.
Japan nailed three of its first four kicks while South Korea missed the lot. Keeper Eiji Kawashima made to brilliant saves leaving Yasuyuko Konno to finish the shoot-out.
So onto the final and the next chapter in an unfolding sporting rivalry as the Socceroos duel with the Blue Samurai for supremacy and the Asian Cup.
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