The Uzbeks, helmed by AFC Coach of the Year Rauf Inileev, stayed faithful to the fair play principle both in word and deed, collecting just eight cautions over six matches or one yellow card every 67 minutes of play.

The third round of Asian qualifying which captivated audiences worldwide reveals interesting statistics. The men in black, tasked with enforcing order and maintaining the spirit of fair play, flashed 247 yellow cards and sent off ten players over 60 matches which averages to four yellow cards per match.

In other words, one player was cautioned every 21 minutes while one player was dismissed every six matches.

Former continental champions Japan received the least number of yellow cards (six) but their record was blotted in the fourth round by the dismissal of Yoshito Okubo after he had lashed out against the Omani goalkeeper following which FIFA slapped a three-match ban on the Vissel Kobe hitman.

Korea Republic and their archrivals DPR Korea, and Lebanon received only nine cautions each and in the absence of any expulsions trail the Uzbeks closely in the fair play stakes.

Oman, on the other hand, plumbed the depths after nine players entered the referee’s book in just one match (against Thailand) while another player was given his marching orders. Only Ismail Al Ajmi and goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, who plies his trade with English Premier League outfit Bolton Wanderers, managed to stay clean during this second round game for Julio Ribas’s aggressive side.

The Omanis, not surprisingly, topped the cautions count with 20 yellow and two red cards. That turns out to be one caution for every 27 minutes the Gulf side spent on the pitch battling opponents.

The Thais might have borne the brunt of the Omanis in this particular encounter but their own record deteriorated as their campaign faltered to the extent that they finished second on the list behind the Gulf side with 18 yellow and two red cards.

Asian champions Iraq paid a heavy price when ace playmaker Nashat Akram was suspended for their second round match against Qatar, which they lost in Doha, thanks to an expulsion in the opening game against China.

Fifteen players each from Bahrain, Jordan, Singapore and China were cautioned during the third round while 14 Kuwaiti players received yellow cards and two were sent off.

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS
DISCIPLINARY RECORD AFTER THIRD ROUND

Team
Yellow
Red

(2nd yellow)
Red






AUSTRALIA
12
-
-

BAHRAIN
15
-
1

CHINA
15
-
1

DPR KOREA
9
-
-

IRAN
12
-
-

IRAQ
13
1
-

JAPAN
6
-
1

JORDAN
15
-
-

KOREA REP
9
-
-

KUWAIT
14
-
2

LEBANON
9
-
-

OMAN
20
-
2

QATAR
12
-
-

SAUDI ARABIA
11
-
-

SINGAPORE
15
-
-

SYRIA
12
-
-

THAILAND
18
1
1

TURKMENISTAN
10
-
-

UAE
12
-
-

UZBEKISTAN
8
-
-






Total
247
2
8