2006: Asian Zone
ByReuters
Published 03/06/2005 at 16:34 GMT
Iran eased to a 1-0 home victory over North Korea on Friday to close in on their third appearance in the World Cup finals. Defender Rahman Rezaei's point-blank header in first-half injury time in Tehran gave Iran 10 points from four matches in the final r
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
Japan moved to within a point of Iran in Group B by beating Bahrain by the same score in steamy Manama.
Iran reached the 1978 and 1998 World Cup finals and the Gulf side have looked the strongest team in qualifying for next year's tournament in Germany.
"Tactically we were very mature but there is no reason to celebrate yet," said Iran's Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic. "We did the job we needed to and the players were terrific."
North Korea's hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1966 have now all but vanished following four straight defeats.
Coach Yun Jong-su was sent off in the 82nd minute for arguing with the match officials to add to the misery.
"We are still optimistic we have an outside chance," said Yun. "We have two games left and we intend to take them both very seriously."
Japan remained on course for their third World Cup finals appearance after a well-taken goal from Mitsuo Ogasawara gave the visitors all three points against dangerous Bahrain.
The midfielder settled Japanese nerves when he swept in a right-foot shot from the edge of the box in the 34th minute after a clever touch from Shunsuke Nakamura.
NAKATA OUT
However, Japan's joy was tempered when playmaker Hidetoshi Nakata picked up a yellow card that rules him out of Wednesday's clash with North Korea in Bangkok.
"We had chances to win by more and make it easier on ourselves but the three points take us a step closer to the World Cup," said Japan coach Zico.
"We are very close now and all the players know exactly what they have to do," added the Brazilian.
The top two teams from each group advance automatically to the 2006 World Cup, with a possible fifth Asian berth available via a playoff with a team from CONCACAF.
Saudi Arabia climbed above South Korea to go top of Group A after overpowering nine-man Kuwait 3-0 in a tempestuous match in Riyadh.
Striker Mohammed Al Shalhoob scored twice to secure the points for Saudi Arabia, who improved to eight points from four games, one more than South Korea.
Gulf rivals Kuwait, who had two players sent off in the second half, remain third on four points.
Teenage striker Park Chu-Young snatched a stoppage-time equaliser to spare South Korea's blushes and earn the visitors a 1-1 draw in Uzbekistan.
Dynamo Kiev's Maxim Shatskikh gave South Korea a scare when he fired Uzbekistan in front with a tidy finish after 62 minutes in Tashkent.
"We made one mistake and it cost us," fumed South Korea's Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere. "Uzbekistan didn't create a real chance all game. But we weren't sharp enough at all."
South Korea, who reached the 2002 World Cup semi-finals as co-hosts, can extend their record of having qualified for every finals since 1986 with victory in Kuwait on Wednesday.
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