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Socceroos, Uzbeks share Asian Cup hotel

3 minute read

They're set to face each other in an Asian Cup round-of-16 clash but Australia and Uzbekistan have had plenty of time to get familiar over the past week.

Australia and Uzbekistan meet in an Asian Cup knockout clash on Monday but the two teams have been bumping into each other all week.

The Socceroos and their opponents are staying at the same hotel in Al Ain in the build-up to their round-of-16 showdown.

It's made for a few days of awkward elevator rides and stilted lobby conversations for both teams.

"It's probably the first time I've ever seen it in my times in international football," Socceroos coach Graham Arnold said.

"We get to say hello to them every morning and good night every night. It's nice."

Uzbekistan coach Hector Cuper simply smiled and said "no problema" in Spanish when asked about the accommodation arrangements for the two rivals.

"Every day we meet each other, there is not any conflict - it is a good atmosphere," the veteran Argentine said.

"We even meet in the elevator every day. We're like friends already.

"It's pure competition; there is not any rivalry; we always try to maintain fair play so I don't see any problem to stay at the hotel and live with the Australian side."

The hotel camaraderie, however, will be discarded on Monday evening at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium.

Uzbekistan forward Jaloliddin Masharipov says his team is eager to make up for a 6-0 hiding dished out by Australia in the semi-finals of the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.

"During 2011, I was a kid. I also watched this game," Masharipov said.

"I was sad ... we want to beat (them) this time for our players which lost in 2011. It will be some kind of revenge."

Arnold is also talking tough, demanding his players be more clinical in front of goal in the tournament's latter stages.

"If you look back at the Syria game, at 2-1, it should have been 4-1. We had three great chances to kill the game off," Arnold said.

"It's just about making the right decisions at the right time and being ruthless."

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