COACH: Mirjalol Kasimov (UZB)
CAPTAIN: Server DJEPAROV (Seongnam/KOR)
NICKNAME: The White Wolves
ASIAN CUP APPEARANCES: 5 (1996, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2011)
BEST FINISH: Fourth (2011)
FIFA RANKING: 71
AFC RANKING: 4
HOW IT QUALIFIED: Finished as runner-up to Iran in Group E with a record of three wins, two draws and just the one loss.
RECENT FORM: The side played four internationals in a fortnight during December that featured one goal wins over Palestine, Jordan and Iraq and a scoreless draw with Iraq before rounding out preparations with a 4-1 win over Malaysian club side Johor in Sydney.
MAIN MAN: Server DJEPAROV (Seongnam/KOR)
Uzbekistan's second most-capped player and the fourth highest goalscorer for the national team, Djeparov has been a mainstay of the side for more than a decade.
A creative playmaker with fine vision, passing and movement he is key to his side's chances – wherever he lines up.
That may be in a deeper role here to allow Igor Sergeev and Sardor Rashidov to be squeezed into more advanced roles.
ONE TO WATCH: Igor SERGEEV (Pakhtakor)
A highly-touted 21 year old, Sergeev has been a mainstay in successful Uzbek youth teams over the past few years and really had a breakthrough season with Pakhtakor this campaign where he scored 11 goals as his side won the league.
Nominally a central striker but has also spent a considerable amount of time on the left of the midfield three and this is where he's likely to line up during the tournament.
OVERVIEW: I spent several weeks last in mid-2013 travelling across Uzbekistan and watching football, speaking to coaches and players and it made a big impression – this is an Asian football nation unlike most others.
I also had an interesting encounter with the head of the Uzbek ultras that culminated in me making a speech at a day-long wedding that he invited me along to – but that's a story for another day.
Much like its capital city, Tashkent, which has the only subway in central Asia much about Uzbek football is built on order, structure and discipline – with a dash of flair thrown in.
The players are – by and large – built with larger frames and there is more of a physical edge to football in that region of Asia than elsewhere but with the three leading club sides – Pakhtakor, Lokomotiv and Bunyodkor – also having advanced youth development programs the nation has a solid track record of producing technically outstanding young players.
Coach Mirjalol Kasimov – who was a fine midfielder himself during his playing days – resigned from his dual role coaching Bunyodkor to focus solely on preparing the side and he also took charge of the Asian Games squad last year as he attempts to integrate younger players into the full senior side.
What is more likely here is that the core of the first XI will be the experienced players, led by Ignatiy Nesterov, one of the best goalkeepers in the region, and with the Russian-based Anzur Ismailov and Shavkat Mullajanov as the first-choice central defensive pairing.
Veteran Timur Kapadze seems unlikely to start, meaning the versatile Server Djeparov will operate as one of the two deeper midfielders alongside Azizbek Haydarov.
The exciting Igor Sergeev looks set for the left midfield berth with Sanzhar Tursunov and Odil Ahmedov completing the midfield three behind lone striker Sardor Rashidov.
Considering that Uzbekistan has only been an AFC member nation for just over a couple of decades it has grown at a rapid pace – particularly compared to its neighbouring Central Asian nations.
It has the potential to top this group and set up a repeat of the 2011 Asian Cup semi-final where Australia thrashed it 6-0, although the fortunes of both nations have moved much closer together since then.
PREDICITION: QUARTER-FINALS
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: 4-2-3-1
FULL SQUAD:
GOALKEEPERS: 1. Eldorbek SUYUNOV (Nasaf); 12. Ignatiy NESTEROV (Lokomotiv Tashkent); 21. Akbar TURAEV (Bunyodkor)
DEFENDERS: 2. Egor KRIMETS (Pakhtakor); 3. Shavkat MULLAJANOV (Lokomotiv Tashkent); 5. Anzur ISMAILOV (Changchun Yatai/CHN); 19. Vitaliy DENISOV (Lokomotiv Moscow/RUS); 20. Islom TUKHTAKHODJAEV (Lokomotiv Tashkent); 23. Akmal SHORAKHMEDOV (Bunyodkor)
MIDFIELDERS: 7. Azizbek HAYDAROV (Al Shabab/UAE); 8. Server DJEPAROV (Seongnam/KOR); 9. Odil AHMEDOV (Krasnodar/RUS); 10.Jamshid ISKANDEROV (Pakhtakor); 13. Lutfulla TURAEV (Lokomotiv Tashkent); 14. Shukrat MUKHAMMADIEV (Nasaf); 15. Jasur HASANOV (Lokomotiv Tashkent); 16. Vokhid SHODIEV (Bunyodkor); 17. Sanzhar TURSUNOV (Vorskla Poltava/UKR); 18. Timur KAPADZE (Lokomotiv Tashkent); 22. Farrukh SAYFIEV (Nasaf)
FORWARDS: 4. Sardor RASHIDOV (Bunyodkor); 6. Bahodir NASIMOV (Padideh/IRN); 11. Igor SERGEEV (Pakhtakor)
GROUP B FIXTURES:
Saturday 10 January 2015
Uzbekistan v DPR Korea, Sydney
Wednesday 14 January 2015
China v Uzbekistan, Brisbane
Sunday 18 January 2015
Uzbekistan v Saudi Arabia, Melbourne
