Canada had more of the ball from the start and spent long stretches in Uzbekistan territory, but the visitors' back five kept the score at 0-0 before the break. The best first-half openings actually fell to Shomurodov. He got free in the sixth minute and lifted an effort wide, then Crepeau came up with two important interventions in the 26th and 43rd minutes as heavy rain swept across Commonwealth Stadium.
The match changed after the interval. Canada introduced fresh legs, raised the tempo and began to find spaces that had been closed off earlier. Osorio opened the scoring 13 minutes into the second half after Oluwaseyi picked him out with room on the right side of the area, and the finish beat Abduvohid Nematov.
Nelson completed the job in the first minute of stoppage time, arriving near goal and lifting the ball over Nematov. The final stats and score may look comfortable, but the highlights came in a much sharper second half. In summary, Canada had to stay patient before its pressure finally told in front of an announced crowd of 46,164.