Socceroos kick a bum

WATCHING the socceroos knock over Uzbekistan last night was something like being at an Anthony Mundine fight.
The visitors were mammoth underdogs, their preparation was a joke, they were not expected to win but somehow you just wanted them to whack a decent blow on the chin.
For such a vital game the preparation of the Uzbeks was amateurish.
The visitors only arrived in Australia two days before and their body clocks would have been shot to pieces.
But to their credit they took the game right up to the locals for most of the first half and could easily have put one or even two in the back of the net.
Australia also frittered away a few chances early but by half time the crowd of more than 50,000 had not seen a drop of blood spilt or a goal scored.
Things started along the same path for the second half until the travel weary Uzbeks started to feel the pinch.
Finally, 66 minutes in, substitute Josh Kennedy got on the end of a terrific pass from Mark Bresciatno and headed the ball past the Uzbek goalkeeper, Ignatiy Nesterov.
The header came from a fair way out and it must be said Nesterov was slow to move.
Seven minutes later Harry Kewell took a penalty kick that all but closed the match.
The Uzbeks made a gallant late charge and put one into the net but it was cancelled by the player being a fraction offside.
Australia now need only one point from it’s remaining three games to guarantee a spot in next year’s World Cup finals.
Depending on other results they may not even need that point.
They play at Qatar in June before matches against Bahrain and Japan at the MCG.
Hopefully the point, if it is needed, comes from one of the first two matches because unlike a Mundine opponent the Japanese, although no superstars, are not bums and they are capable of landing a Sunday punch.

On Betfair Australia are currently rated a 90-1 chance of winning soccer’s holygrail.