We return to Asia for the first time in a while, as another eight teams battle it out to claim one of the two spots in the next round. This is how the draw looks like so far:
Today’s top seeds, South Korea, came close to qualification for the 2017 Draft World Cup, but lost fairly dismally to a poor Mediterranean side in the play-offs. Second seeds Iran were part of the under-performing Middle East side last year. Despite underwhelming track records, South Korea and Iran should both expect to get through this group.
Of the others, Maldives were part of the South Asia side that struggled last year. Their star man is Ghanaian international Jonathan Quartey. Lebanon have a few talented players, and are likely to pose the biggest threat to South Korea and Iran. The remaining sides will likely struggle to get near the top, and I am just relieved that Guam haven’t been drawn in Group E...
South Korea lay down an early marker by thumping Guam 9-0, including four goals for former/current Aberdeen man Niall McGinn. More surprising was the fact that Iraq beat Nepal by the same scoreline, Mustafa Karim with four as well. Elsewhere, there were routine 2-0 wins for Iran over Kyrgyzstan and for Lebanon over Maldives.
The group’s big clash came next as South Korea hosted Iran, and it was the hosts who started stronger, earning a 3-0 half-time lead. With 20 minutes to go South Korea lost Kim Jin-Su to a second yellow card, and immediately after Iran pulled one back. However, despite pressure they were unable to find the further goals they needed, so South Korea claimed a 3-1 win. Kyrgyzstan started excellent against Iraq, going 2-0 up within 11 minutes, but eventually had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Ali Ashfaq grabbed a hat-trick as Maldives ran through Guam to win 7-2, whilst Karl Max got a hat-trick in Lebanon’s 5-0 win over Nepal – if I knew enough about the Communist Manifesto, I’d have a witty pun about that... but I don’t, so I can’t.
Nepal were much improved against Maldives, as they only lost by 2 goals. There was no such improvement for Guam, who received a 7-0 walloping from their trip to Iran. South Korea fell to a surprise 2-1 defeat to Iraq, suggesting this group will be more even that expected, and this allowed Lebanon to go to the top of the table with their third successive win, beating Kyrgyzstan 2-0.
Of the others, Maldives were part of the South Asia side that struggled last year. Their star man is Ghanaian international Jonathan Quartey. Lebanon have a few talented players, and are likely to pose the biggest threat to South Korea and Iran. The remaining sides will likely struggle to get near the top, and I am just relieved that Guam haven’t been drawn in Group E...
South Korea lay down an early marker by thumping Guam 9-0, including four goals for former/current Aberdeen man Niall McGinn. More surprising was the fact that Iraq beat Nepal by the same scoreline, Mustafa Karim with four as well. Elsewhere, there were routine 2-0 wins for Iran over Kyrgyzstan and for Lebanon over Maldives.
The group’s big clash came next as South Korea hosted Iran, and it was the hosts who started stronger, earning a 3-0 half-time lead. With 20 minutes to go South Korea lost Kim Jin-Su to a second yellow card, and immediately after Iran pulled one back. However, despite pressure they were unable to find the further goals they needed, so South Korea claimed a 3-1 win. Kyrgyzstan started excellent against Iraq, going 2-0 up within 11 minutes, but eventually had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Ali Ashfaq grabbed a hat-trick as Maldives ran through Guam to win 7-2, whilst Karl Max got a hat-trick in Lebanon’s 5-0 win over Nepal – if I knew enough about the Communist Manifesto, I’d have a witty pun about that... but I don’t, so I can’t.
Nepal were much improved against Maldives, as they only lost by 2 goals. There was no such improvement for Guam, who received a 7-0 walloping from their trip to Iran. South Korea fell to a surprise 2-1 defeat to Iraq, suggesting this group will be more even that expected, and this allowed Lebanon to go to the top of the table with their third successive win, beating Kyrgyzstan 2-0.
Lebanon’s biggest test came next, as they travelled to South Korea. A very even game was decided by a single goal, and it went to Lebanon – Windbichler was penalised for a push on Max, and Echabe put the penalty away to cement Lebanon’s status as real qualification contenders. Iraq are undoubtedly up there as well, as they reached double figures in hammering Guam 10-2, five going to Younis Mahmoud. Iran kept up the pace with a 3-1 win away to Maldives, whilst there was jubilation for Nepal, who gained their first point with a 1-1 draw away to Kyrgyzstan.
Nepal’s joy didn’t last long, as they faced a South Korea side ready to reassert themselves on the group, which they did with a scintillating 13-0 win, 6 goals going to former Middlesbrough man Lee Dong-Gook, and another hat-trick for McGinn. Lebanon picked up an easy win against Guam, although 4-1 represented Guam’s least heavy loss so far. Iraq hosted Iran in a key clash in the battle for qualification. Iran ran into a 2-0 lead, but Sadeghi’s own goal gave Iraq hope. They had their chance to level in the 62nd minute from the spot, but Mahmoud’s penalty hit the upright, and Iran held on for a 2-1 win. Meanwhile, 10-man Maldives held Kyrgyzstan to a 0-0 draw.
Nepal’s joy didn’t last long, as they faced a South Korea side ready to reassert themselves on the group, which they did with a scintillating 13-0 win, 6 goals going to former Middlesbrough man Lee Dong-Gook, and another hat-trick for McGinn. Lebanon picked up an easy win against Guam, although 4-1 represented Guam’s least heavy loss so far. Iraq hosted Iran in a key clash in the battle for qualification. Iran ran into a 2-0 lead, but Sadeghi’s own goal gave Iraq hope. They had their chance to level in the 62nd minute from the spot, but Mahmoud’s penalty hit the upright, and Iran held on for a 2-1 win. Meanwhile, 10-man Maldives held Kyrgyzstan to a 0-0 draw.
Next up was a huge game for Guam and Nepal, as they faced each other, presenting each other with their best chance at getting a win. It was home side Guam who took the chance, winning 4-1. Dong-Gook’s impressive scoring continued, as he got a hat-trick in South Korea’s 5-0 win over Kyrgyzstan. Iran hosted the runaway leaders Lebanon, and went into a 2-0 lead early on. However, two second half penalties allowed Lebanon to earn a 2-2 draw, a decent result although it lost them their 100% record. Meanwhile, Iraq claimed a nervy 1-0 win over Maldives.
Guam were soon back to losing ways, as they went down 4-0 away to Kyrgyzstan. McGinn had his third hat-trick of the group, as South Korea beat Maldives 7-2, whilst there was an even bigger win for Iran, who racked up nine unanswered goals in Nepal, four going to Khosrow Heydari. And in the round’s final game Lebanon and Iraq couldn’t shake each other off, as they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw.
The obvious theme of the group so far has been the huge gap between the top four and the bottom four, and it gives us this ferociously tight battle for the top two spots:
Guam were soon back to losing ways, as they went down 4-0 away to Kyrgyzstan. McGinn had his third hat-trick of the group, as South Korea beat Maldives 7-2, whilst there was an even bigger win for Iran, who racked up nine unanswered goals in Nepal, four going to Khosrow Heydari. And in the round’s final game Lebanon and Iraq couldn’t shake each other off, as they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw.
The obvious theme of the group so far has been the huge gap between the top four and the bottom four, and it gives us this ferociously tight battle for the top two spots:
To emphasis the gulf between the top and bottom four sides, each of the top four thrashed a side in the bottom four. Iran beat Kyrgyzstan 5-0, Lebanon beat Maldives 6-1, Iraq beat Nepal 6-0 (5 for Mahmoud) and South Korea beat Guam 6-0.
Lebanon continued this theme by beating Nepal 5-0 in the next round, whilst Iraq were less goal-happy in beating Kyrgyzstan 2-0. Maldives recorded an easy 5-1 win over Guam, but the big match was between Iran and South Korea, with every top 4 clash crucial at this stage. It was a tense match, with neither side dominating, and it was settled late on by Morteza Pouraliganji’s outstanding long strike, earning Iran a 1-0 win and putting South Korea into major trouble.
South Korea next faced Iraq, with both teams knowing that a defeat could effectively end their qualification hopes. South Korea took the lead through Lee Jae-Sung, and held on to win 1-0 despite Lee Yong’s red card. Their rivals picked up expected wins, but by closer margins than expected, as Iran only beat Guam 2-0, and Lebanon survived a late Kyrgyzstani fightback to win 5-4. Meanwhile, Maldives beat Nepal 3-0 with three goals from corners.
South Korea faced a top-four rival for the third consecutive match as they visited Lebanon. It was a very dull, cagey affair. Dong-Gook had an effort ruled out for offside (correctly), before South Korea’s Osmar was given a straight red. Lebanon couldn’t find a winner, however, and the game finished goalless. This gave Iran the chance to top the group, and they seized it emphatically with a 6-0 win over Maldives. Iraq also kept up the pressure on the others, Karim hitting 5 goals in an 8-0 win over Guam. Elsewhere, Kyrgyzstan joined the rest of the group in having beaten Nepal by winning 6-1.
South Korea faced a top-four rival for the third consecutive match as they visited Lebanon. It was a very dull, cagey affair. Dong-Gook had an effort ruled out for offside (correctly), before South Korea’s Osmar was given a straight red. Lebanon couldn’t find a winner, however, and the game finished goalless. This gave Iran the chance to top the group, and they seized it emphatically with a 6-0 win over Maldives. Iraq also kept up the pressure on the others, Karim hitting 5 goals in an 8-0 win over Guam. Elsewhere, Kyrgyzstan joined the rest of the group in having beaten Nepal by winning 6-1.
That man McGinn got yet another hat-trick as South Korea powered past Nepal 7-0. However, the group’s other whipping boys Guam caused a major shock as they held Lebanon to a 0-0 draw. This increased the significance of Iran’s home clash with Iraq, and the hosts claimed a vital 1-0 through Mehdi Taremi’s header. Maldives and Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, played out a 1-1 draw.
Karim’s hat-trick within 21 minutes helped Iraq keep their diminishing hopes alive with a 5-1 win over Maldives. South Korea won 3-0 against Kyrgyzstan to increase the pressure on the top two. Lebanon hosted Iran needing to avoid defeat to cling onto second spot, whilst Iran knew a point would be enough to secure their qualification. Max gave Lebanon the lead, but just after half time they lost Vitelaru to a straight red. Iran pushed and pushed, and finally got their equaliser in the second minute of added time through Vahid Amiri’s powerful shot. It was too late for a winner, so in a way both teams got what they wanted. Elsewhere, Nepal missed a chance to get a first win as they drew 0-0 at home to Guam, but both teams will be pleased to have recorded a maiden clean sheet.
And so to the final round of games. Iran celebrated their qualification, and secured top spot in the group, with an easy 5-0 victory over Nepal, with two strikes for former Bolton man Andranik Teymourian. There was also a 5-0 win for Kyrgyzstan against Guam, a hat-trick going to Alia Sylla. Lebanon travelled to Iraq needing a win to guarantee qualification, whilst Iraq needed a win to give themselves a chance. The match was understandably tense, and it took until the 71st minute for the opening goal, as Denis Iguma pounced on a corner to put Lebanon ahead. Iraq’s hopes were fading fast, but in the 84th minute the ball fell to Saif Salman on the edge of the box, and he thundered in a ridiculously powerful shot into the roof of the net, game on! Iraq still needed a winner, and four minutes later Karrar Jassim prodded in to put them ahead! Lebanon had little time to respond, and the 2-1 defeat meant that in the most dramatic way possible, they were eliminated! Unfortunately for Iraq, they still needed South Korea to fail to beat Maldives, and a hat-trick for Yeom Ki-Hoon led South Korea to a 5-0 win which rendered all of Iraq’s efforts worthless.
Karim’s hat-trick within 21 minutes helped Iraq keep their diminishing hopes alive with a 5-1 win over Maldives. South Korea won 3-0 against Kyrgyzstan to increase the pressure on the top two. Lebanon hosted Iran needing to avoid defeat to cling onto second spot, whilst Iran knew a point would be enough to secure their qualification. Max gave Lebanon the lead, but just after half time they lost Vitelaru to a straight red. Iran pushed and pushed, and finally got their equaliser in the second minute of added time through Vahid Amiri’s powerful shot. It was too late for a winner, so in a way both teams got what they wanted. Elsewhere, Nepal missed a chance to get a first win as they drew 0-0 at home to Guam, but both teams will be pleased to have recorded a maiden clean sheet.
And so to the final round of games. Iran celebrated their qualification, and secured top spot in the group, with an easy 5-0 victory over Nepal, with two strikes for former Bolton man Andranik Teymourian. There was also a 5-0 win for Kyrgyzstan against Guam, a hat-trick going to Alia Sylla. Lebanon travelled to Iraq needing a win to guarantee qualification, whilst Iraq needed a win to give themselves a chance. The match was understandably tense, and it took until the 71st minute for the opening goal, as Denis Iguma pounced on a corner to put Lebanon ahead. Iraq’s hopes were fading fast, but in the 84th minute the ball fell to Saif Salman on the edge of the box, and he thundered in a ridiculously powerful shot into the roof of the net, game on! Iraq still needed a winner, and four minutes later Karrar Jassim prodded in to put them ahead! Lebanon had little time to respond, and the 2-1 defeat meant that in the most dramatic way possible, they were eliminated! Unfortunately for Iraq, they still needed South Korea to fail to beat Maldives, and a hat-trick for Yeom Ki-Hoon led South Korea to a 5-0 win which rendered all of Iraq’s efforts worthless.
Final standing
Top scorers: Youmis Mahmoud (IRQ), Lee Dong-Gook (KOR) 17 goals; Karim (IRQ), McGinn (KOR) 13 goals
Highest average ratings: Lee Dong-Gook (KOR) 8.28; Jassim (IRQ) 8.21; Ki-Hoon (KOR) 8.14
Next time
That was an exceptional group, with four teams battling right until the death. Lebanon and Iraq will particularly rue points dropped to the ‘lesser’ teams in the group, whilst South Korea only just avoid being eliminated with a goal difference over 50. Next time we’re back to Europe, which means a fourth side will qualify for the DWC finals, and the group’s top seeds this time are England! They are in a nasty group with Romania, Czechia and Denmark all dangerous opposition.
Highest average ratings: Lee Dong-Gook (KOR) 8.28; Jassim (IRQ) 8.21; Ki-Hoon (KOR) 8.14
Next time
That was an exceptional group, with four teams battling right until the death. Lebanon and Iraq will particularly rue points dropped to the ‘lesser’ teams in the group, whilst South Korea only just avoid being eliminated with a goal difference over 50. Next time we’re back to Europe, which means a fourth side will qualify for the DWC finals, and the group’s top seeds this time are England! They are in a nasty group with Romania, Czechia and Denmark all dangerous opposition.