BANGKOK, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Australia saw off defending champions Uzbekistan 1-0 in the third place match of the U23 AFC championship here on Saturday, securing the last Asian berth to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The top three teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, with hosts Japan getting automatic qualification. The winner of the third-place match will join the two finalists South Korea and Saudi Arabia in booking their spots to Tokyo.
Both sides had several scoring chances in the first half but couldn't break the deadlock. In the fourth minute, Nicholas D'Agostino scored a header for Australia but the goal was disallowed due to his foul in the build-up.
In the 47th minute, D'Agostino didn't miss his second chance as the 22-year-old striker penetrated into the penalty area and took the 1-0 lead for the Socceroos with his decisive right-footed shot.
The Uzbeks then geared up for a comeback to the match which all but ended in the 59th minute, when Oybek Bozorov received a direct red card after committing a flagrant foul. Australia controlled the rest of the match to seal the 1-0 victory.
The final of the U23 AFC championship between South Korea and Saudi Arabia is slated for Sunday.
