World Cup
BANGKOK, Thailand – Asian powers Australia, Japan and South Korea all started their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaigns Wednesday with wins.
Australia downed Qatar 3-0, Japan beat Thailand 4-1 and South Korea defeated Turkmenistan 4-0. Saudi Arabia also won, beating Singapore 2-0, but Iran was held to a 0-0 draw by visiting Syria.
The five Asian powers had byes through the first two stages of Asian qualifying but have been joined by 15 others.
Also Wednesday, it was: Iraq 1, China 1; Oman 0, Bahrain 1; Jordan 0, North Korea 1; Lebanon 0, Uzbekistan 1; and United Arab Emirates 2, Kuwait 0.
The top two teams in each of the five four-nation groups advance to the fourth round of qualifying.
Four Asian teams will qualify automatically for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, while a fifth will play in an intercontinental playoff against the top-ranked team from Oceania.
Australia took the lead in the 10th minute in Melbourne when striker Josh Kennedy connected on a header from close range after a long cross from Brett Emerton on the right flank.
Tim Cahill made it 2-0 seven minutes later when he leapt above the Qatar defenders in the goalmouth to head in a corner kick, and Mark Bresciano sent a powerful shot under a diving Mohamed Saqar in the 33rd to complete the scoring.
"The way we started was the most crucial part of why we won," Cahill said. "You see how many chances we created in the first half. I should have had a hat trick, but I’m just pleased to have got on the end of one."
Qatar’s best chance came in the 58th when halftime substitute Alhamad Mesaad Alim beat goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer but shot wide of the post.
It was the first match for Australia coach Pim Verbeek, who fielded a lineup made up almost entirely of European-based players.
The only locally based starter, former Rangers and Newcastle defender Craig Moore, announced his retirement from international soccer after the match.
Japan started slowly in snowy conditions in Saitama before a comfortable win over a Thai team that struggled in the cold.
Yasuhito Endo put Japan ahead with a curling free kick in the 21st minute, but Thailand struck back almost immediately with a long-range strike by Teerathep Winothai.
Japan reclaimed the lead in the 54th when Yoshito Okubo was first to a rebound in the area and shot home.
Thailand had a man sent off before the hosts extended their lead in the 66th when Yuji Nakazawa glanced home a well-placed header. Seiichiro Maki completed the scoring just before the finish when he capitalized on poor marking and weak goalkeeping to head one home.
South Korea also had to be patient before a comfortable win in Seoul, with England-based stars Park Ji-sung and Seol Ki-hyeon scoring.
The South Koreans had to wait until just before halftime for the opening goal, with Seol floating a cross to the far post, where Kwak Tae-hwi headed one in.
Seol doubled South Korea’s lead in the 57th when he scored from just inside the area after a neat layoff from Park Chu-young.
With 20 minutes to play, Park Ji-sung scored his first international goal since the 2006 World Cup. The Manchester United winger curled home a spectacular long-range shot, and Seol added another seven minutes from time.
Iran, which is trying to qualify for the World Cup for the fourth time, played in Tehran without a full-time coach. Former Spain coach Javier Clemente is reported to be the man that will take over, but he has yet to sign a contract.
Hawar Mulla Mohammed gave Iraq a 1-0 lead in Dubai with a 50th-minute penalty, but China midfielder Zheng Zhi equalized in the 75th.
"We were clearly the better side," Iraq coach Egil Olsen said. "We really wanted to win this match to have a good chance of qualifying."
Iraq is playing its three home matches in Dubai at its own request because of the unstable situation at home.
Alaa Hubail scored in the 14th minute to help Bahrain beat Oman in Muscat, and Odel Ahmedov scored the only goal of the match in the 44th in Uzbekistan’s win over Lebanon in Beirut.
Only about 200 invited guests watched the match because of a decision taken two years ago by the Lebanese soccer federation to prevent sectarian clashes between supporters of rival teams.
North Korea kept pace with South Korea by beating Jordan on Hong Yong Jo’s free kick in the 42nd minute in Amman.
The United Arab Emirates got goals from Mohammed al-Shehhi and Faisal Khalil in its win over Kuwait. Al-Shehhi headed in a free kick from Subait Khater in the 13th minute, and Khalil scored off a corner kick in the 53rd.
Source: Asian powers open WC qualifying with wins
