AFC World Cup Qualifying: The Halfway Point

for insidefutbol.com

The final phase of World Cup qualifying in the AFC is halfway through, with all teams having played 4 games, and now we head into the business end of the process.

The big guns of Japan, Australia and Korea Republic all look set to be on their way to South Africa 2010, cruising in their respective groups while the surprise packets from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have the heavyweights from Iran and Saudi Arabia worried.

But as the South Korean boss Huh Jung-Moo noted, “It is only half-time.” There is still plenty of football to play and anything can happen in the race of a spot at the 2010 World Cup.

The way it works in Asia is the top two ranked teams from 2 groups of five automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the sides ranked third in their group enter a play-off for the right to play Oceania winners New Zealand in an intercontinental two-legged tie for a spot in South Africa 2010.

Indeed with the AFC qualification process down to just 10 teams with only 4 automatic World Cup spots up for grabs, the competition is fierce and nobody is going to give up easily.

Group B seems the more open of the two groups with just two points separating the top three teams in the group while the Saudi Arabians, sitting in fourth, can not be discounted and remain in the hunt.

The Korean Republic, who sit atop Group B on 8 points, will be buoyed by the fact they’ve still got three home games to come and having claimed positive results away from home against their nearest rivals they look comfortable, especially with Manchester United star Park Ji-Sung chiming in with a couple of goals.

But Korea DPR have thrown the group wide open with a bright start and a recent 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Pyongyang sees the North Koreans sitting pretty in second place.

Indeed, Korea DPR broke a 26-year winless drought over Saudi Arabia when they defeated the Green Falcons in February and breaking records could be the theme for the North Koreans whose performances could end the Saudis run of four consecutive World Cup finals appearances whilst ending their own 44-year absence from football’s showcase event.

Nonetheless, Iran and Saudi Arabia still loom large in Group B unlike the United Arab Emirates who are languishing in last in the group with just one point and only home game to come.

Iran have had their progress in Group B slowed by a trio of 1-1 draws which has frustrated the fans of Team Melli. Iran remain undefeated in the group but manager Ali Daei knows he needs to get his players winning if they are to leapfrog the North Koreans and ward off the Saudi Arabians for an automatic qualifying spot.

In Group A, Australia are on top with 10 points and are yet to concede a goal with veteran shot-stopper Mark Schwarzer in fine form. The Socceroos will, like the South Koreans, also enjoy three home games later in the qualification process and seem to already have a foot on the plane to South Africa.

Japan are two points behind the Australians and while pressure is on boss Takeshi Okada following home draws against Uzbekistan and the Socceroos, the Blue Samurai seem in a strong enough position to be on their way to a fourth consecutive World Cup berth.

The undefeated lead pair have a considerable gap over the chasing pack of Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan, who realistically will be fighting over the play-off spot for third place in Group A.

And the battle for the Group A play-off spot looms as an entertaining struggle between three nations who’ve never qualified for the World Cup finals.

Bahrain, who lost out to Trinidad & Tobago in the 2006 World Cup intercontinental play-off, currently occupy third spot in the group ahead of Gulf rivals Qatar on goal difference while Uzbekistan, who’ve had a miserable start to their qualifying campaign, are a further three points behind in last.

The Bahrainis would be favourites to claim third spot in the group on the back of good performances in qualifying including a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Qatar despite being reduced to ten men along with an unlucky 1-0 home loss to Australia, when they dominated against the group leaders only to concede a Mark Bresciano goal in second-half injury-time.

The momentum too, will be with Bahrain following a late winner in Uzbekistan from Mahmood Abdulrahman’s free-kick which earned the island nation its first victory of the fourth-round.

Bahrain’s victory in Tashkent put them ahead of Qatar, who themselves started the group stage well with four points in their first two matches before losing their way conceding seven goals in their most recent two outings, heavy defeats against Australia and Japan.

Uzbekistan’s devastating late loss at home to Bahrain seems to have really dented their hopes of a revival after a slow start to their campaign.

Already the Uzbeks have changed coaches, with former national team star Mirjalol Kasymov replacing Rauf Inileev and earning a commendable 1-1 draw in Japan in his first qualifier in charge. But the subsequent result against Bahrain leaves Uzbekistan battling in bottom spot and short of confidence and points, so Kasymov has a big job to turn their fortunes around.

Nonetheless we are only at the halfway point and there is plenty of football still to be played, and so much at stake no one is going to give up without a fight.

The next AFC World Cup qualifying fixtures are due to take place in late-March and early-April which will surely make the picture a little bit clearer.