PREVIEW: Australians, Uzbeks seeking first-ever final appearances

Australia and Uzbekistan on Tuesday are looking for their first-ever appearances in the final of the showpiece of Asian football.



Problem is, they are facing each other in the semi-final in Khalifa Stadium, and thus only one of them will make it to the championship match, where either Japan or South Korea, who play the other semi-final, will be the opponent.



Coach Holger Osieck, who has led the Socceroos within two games of their first-ever major footballing trophy, believes his team will be facing a tough opponent.



"They are a very good side and have been doing well throughout this tournament. They have shown great great character in the matches they have played."



The German said he is very aware that his side will have one day less to prepare after their 1-0 extra-time victory in the quarter- finals against defending champions Iraq, than Uzbekistan, who managed a 2-1 victory against Jordan.



"I am confident that my players will be able to recover from the game against Iraq," Osieck said.



He will be without midfielder Jason Culina, who has returned to Australia to undergo treatment for a knee injury, which he picked up earlier in the competition.



Uzbekistan goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov is confident ahead of the match: "There is a belief that we can win the title. The mood is very good, and everybody is looking forward to the match."



Both South Korea and Japan, who meet in the early semi-final on Tuesday in the al-Gharafa Stadium, have played in three Asian Cup finals.



Japan will be without defender Yoshida Maya, who was sent off in the last-gasp 3-2 victory against hosts Qatar in the quarter-finals.



But with Bundesliga sensation Shinji Kagawa having found his scoring boots and receiving ample assistance from Shinji Okazaki, the three-time champions will not be easy to beat.



South Korea have won the competition twice, both times when the final round was played on a round-robin basis.



They dominated their quarter-final against Iran but struggled to find the net, only winning 1-0 through substitute Yoon Bit Garam's goal late in the first half of extra time.



South Korean coach Cho Kwang Rae said even though Japan have been getting better as the competition is progressing, he is not intimidated: "I do not fear them. I never feared playing against Japan as a player, and I do not fear them now as a coach."



Iranian coach Afshin Ghotbi, who spent several years working in South Korea and will be joining J-League club Shimizu S-Pulse now that his team has been knocked out of the competition, believes the game will be very tight.



"South Korea play a very physical game and will make that count for them, but Japan play a fast game with quick passing," he said. "It depends on how the game plays itself out. If it is more physical, South Korea will triumph, otherwise Japan will reach the final."