Uzbekistan stay top of group with draw

Uzbekistan kept Australia scoreless for their third straight qualifier for next year's London Olympics to stay top of Group B with a 0-0 draw at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday. The Uzbeks frustrated the Australians to continue the home side's barren run and improve their own chances of participating at the Olympics on the back of their opening 2-0 win over Iraq at home last September. The Australians' lack of cutting edge in front of goal again proved their undoing against the resilient and hard-nosed Uzbeks, who earned the home team's ire with their time-wasting tactics. While Uzbekistan came away from Sydney with what they wanted, the Olyroos have now played four and a half hours of football without finding the net, which has left them struggling to keep up the pace halfway through qualifying. The Australians remain two points behind Uzbekistan, where they must travel in February for the key away match of their campaign. Only the top teams go through automatically to London's 2012 Olympics, while the second-placed side in each of the three groups face further play-offs.