Walk in the Park

In a comprehensive display, Lee's brace intersected a goal apiece from each of the Parks to see off Kuwait and guarantee the South Korean visitors a place at next year's tournament.

South Korea started the game knowing that a victory here would see them qualify for June 2006's World Cup with one more game remaining. The match started positively for the visitors, with Lee and Park both going close early.

A superb finish from teenage forward Ju-Young Park on 17 minutes after great wing play from the visitors gave South Korea early control, which they consolidated when Park was brought down in the area by Abdullah. Lee coolly converted the penalty for his first goal of the evening, after which controversial scenes followed.

A ten-minute delay passed until the restart, after crowd trouble prevented referee Adunyachart Khanthama from taking to the pitch. It took intervention from Kuwaiti officials to calm the fans down sufficiently, with both teams seeming embarrassed at the fans' behaviour, which saw missiles rain down onto the pitch.

The remainder of the half proved relatively uneventful, with the visitors going in 2-0 up at half-time, totally in control.

The second half began in comical fashion, with a shocking dive at a non-existent off-the-ball incident by a Kuwaiti defender laughed off by the assistant referee, who was perfectly placed to dismiss the playacting.

All this was rendered academic by Lee, who grabbed his second with a superb run and shot on 55 minutes. Now guaranteed progression to the World Cup finals, South Korea began expressing themselves and finished off the hapless hosts when PSV hot-shot and Man Utd target Ji-Sung Park noncholantly slipped the ball past Kankone in the Kuwaiti goal on 58 minutes.

South Korea now qualify by right for the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany, after automatic entry as hosts in 2002, making it their sixth consecutive World Cup.

Also in group one, a brace for striker Sami Al Jaber fired Saudi Arabia to the World Cup Finals in a 3-0 rout of Uzbekistan in Asian qualifying on Wednesday.

Saad Al Harthi rounded off the scoring in Ryadh as the home nation join South Korea in Germany. Kick-off was delayed for 15 minutes, and a passionate home crowd, all in white, saw former Wolves man Sami Al Jaber open the scoring on nine minutes.

A tight and srappy game remained at 1-0 until the hour mark, when Al Jaber grabbed his second to assure Saudi participation in the 2006 finals. The hosts, ecstatic at having effectively secured qualification, proceeded to play some great stuff, knocking the ball about and creating a succession of chances before Al Harthi put the contest beyond doubt in the 89th.

Saudi Arabia and South Korea now join Iran and Japan in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.