[ad_1]
HONG KONG: China squeezed into the third and final round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup despite a 1-0 defeat in South Korea on Tuesday (June 11), while Indonesia also advanced in a drama-filled match.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in scored for South Korea just after the hour mark in Seoul, as the South Koreans qualified for the next qualifying round as group winners.
This crushing defeat put China’s World Cup hopes in jeopardy, but Thailand failed to seize the opportunity and its dream of qualifying was shattered.
They need to beat bottom-placed Singapore by three goals in Bangkok to overtake China and take second place in Group C of the second qualifying round. But Thailand only won 3-1.
China and Thailand eventually advanced with the same points and goal difference, but China had the upper hand thanks to their head-to-head record.
At the end of the game, some Thai players even shed tears.
In stark contrast to their disastrous defeat in Bangkok, Indonesia celebrated their first-ever entry into the third qualifying round with a 2-0 win over the Philippines at home.
Indonesia qualified from Group F along with Iraq, with Tom Haye and Rizki Rido being the goal-scoring heroes in front of a frenetic crowd of 64,000 in Jakarta.
Five Star Japan
On the other hand, head coach Yasumoto Mori warned Japan that the final qualifying round will be “a completely different level” after beating Syria 5-0 to advance with a 100% record.
Moriyasu’s side finished the second qualifying phase with maximum points after a comfortable win in Hiroshima, scoring 24 goals and conceding none.
Japan will be hoping to qualify for an eighth straight tournament when the World Cup takes place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“We faced a team that had to win, and the guys got the result by preparing hard and doing what they had to do,” the coach said.
“But the final round coming up will be completely different from the second round.”
North Korea beat Myanmar 4-1 in Vientiane, the Lao capital, to leapfrog Syria and be eliminated from Group B along with Japan.
In Group D, Malaysia beat Taiwan 3-1 at home, but that is unlikely unless Kyrgyzstan then loses to Oman by seven goals.
In an inconsequential Group I match, Australia thrashed Palestine 5-0 in Perth, with Portsmouth’s Koussini Yenji scoring twice, one from the penalty spot. Both sides have advanced to the next stage.
Like Japan, Australia took maximum points in the second period and did not concede a goal in six games.
18 teams will compete in the third round of Asian qualifiers to compete for direct qualification to the World Cup.
[ad_2]
Source link
