The Central Asians’ semi-final shocker at the Khalifa Stadium was not, as the Uzbeks will know all too well, the most a team has conceded at the Asian Cup.

Uzbekistan leaked eight goals to eventual champions Japan at Lebanon 2000 although in their defence, their preparations to the first Asian Cup of the new century were thrown into disarray with the passing of popular coach Mahmoud Rakhimov and the subsequent instability brought about by his untimely death.

The Uzbeks also lost 5-0 to a Saudi side that would go on to finish runner-up in that same tournament as Uzbekistan set an all-time Asian Cup low having lost 4-0 to Japan four years earlier during their debut in the competition.

Uzbekistan’s 8-1 defeat to Japan in 2000 was not, Uzbek fans will be pleased to hear, not the biggest margin of defeat the tournament has witnessed with that ignominy befalling Yemen, who conceded eight without reply against hosts and eventual champions Iran in 1976.

But the 6-0 loss to a slick Socceroos side has not ended Uzbekistan’s interest in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™.

Vadim Abramov must now pick-up his crestfallen side ahead of Friday’s third-place playoff with Korea Republic which will determine whether they will be spared an arduous qualification campaign by receiving automatic qualification to Australia 2015 as Asia’s third best team.

If they can achieve that the rest, as they say, will be history.