The Group of Death doesn’t seem so scary after all – though the supposed nightmare is only half over. With four down and four to go in the final round of qualification for the 2010 World Cup, South Korea sits on top of Group Two with eight points. The latest point of the octet came courtesy of a 1-1 draw against Iran in Tehran on Wednesday evening. The hard part is over – or it should be. Three times have South Korea ventured overseas to the home of its three biggest rivals Saudi Arabia, Iran and North Korea (Ok, that game was played in Shanghai and not Pyongyang) and the Taeguk Warriors came away with a win and two draws. With three of the remaining four matches to take place at Sangam, Huh Jung-moo’s men are on course for a seventh successive appearance on the global stage. Prior to the match in Tehran, there had been much talk in the media beforehand, more than is usual in Asian football. A lot of it came from the Iranian side, a symptom perhaps of the host’s greater need to win. Whatever the reason, Korea, as the cliché goes, did its talking on the pitch. It may not have been especially articulate or make for pleasant listening but it was full of passion and a statement was made. It was a deserved point for the visitors. Park Ji-sung, who scored his second goal in three games for the national team, headed home with nine minutes left after Javad Nekounam had put Iran ahead with a fantastic free-kick 20 minutes earlier. It doesn’t mean that a place in South Africa is a given. Much work is still to be done but coach Huh Jung-moo would have definitely accepted an offer of eight points from the first four games if such a offer had been on the table a few months ago. "It is only half-time,” said the happy Huh as he stepped through the arrivals gate at Incheon International Airport on Friday. “It was a tough game but it is behind us now. We are focused on the task ahead. The good thing about the games that we have played so far is that injuries have given the younger players a chance and they have grown as players as a result.” We are now looking at the game against North Korea. We will do our best to prepare well. The team may be a defensive one but it does have the likes of Jong Tae-se and Hong Yong-jo in attack.” For fans of the beautiful game in the Korean peninsula, it was a good week. Before the Tehran tussle, North Korea defeated traditional Asian powerhouse Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Pyongyang to take second place in the group. It was an insipid performance by the visitors in the Kim Il Sung stadium, though the various layers of clothing worn couldn’t have helped. If the qualifying stage ended now, the two Koreas would be heading to the 2010 World Cup. For North Korea it would be only a second appearance at the global tournament and if the teams from both sides of the 38th Parallel made it to the world cup, one can only imagine the effect it would have on the Seoul media. Offices in Yeoido and Gwanghwamun would explode. The Taeguk Warriors are not in action for the next round of qualification on March 28.The players will be able to take a rest and watch rivals do battle elsewhere. Saudi Arabia, who sits in fourth place with four points, travels to Iran where another defeat will almost certainly end chances of a fifth successive World Cup. South Korea would be delighted for the Saudis to take a point from that match. On the same evening, North Korea hosts bottom team UAE. A win for DPRK would likely see the team go top of the group. That would set things up nicely for a game in Seoul three days later between north and south. It will be some game. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

It wasn’t the prettiest and it wasn’t without controversy but South Korea’s 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia in qualification for the 2010 World Cup in Riyadh was one of the team’s best results in years and a seventh successive appearance at the World Cup looks a good deal closer. It had been 19 long years since the Taeguk Warriors last defeated the Sons of the Desert in a competitive match but late goals from Lee Keun-ho, his fifth in three games for the national team, and Park Chu-young in the early hours of Thursday morning Korean Time, gave the visitors the three points. That haul puts Korea two points clear at the top of Group Two after three matches. Iran has five, two less than the leaders, while Saudi Arabia and North Korea each have four. UAE sits in last place with a solitary point. The win at the home of one of Korea’s biggest rivals in the battle to reach the World Cup is a big step in the direction of South Africa. It also means that if Korea can avoid defeat in Tehran in the next match in February, it will be in first place at the halfway stage with three of the four remaining games to be played at home. The top two in the group automatically qualify. That is far in the future however and for the next few days at least, coach Huh Jung-moo can bask in the victory. It wasn’t an easy one but few expected it to be. Saudi Arabia had a great chance to score in the opening minutes but twice Lee Young-pyo, playing his 100th game in the red shirt, blocked on the goal-line. Korea came back into the match and enjoyed lots of possession without doing too much with it. The match was finely-poised but the turning point came just before the hour. Saudi striker Naif Hazizi burst into the Korean penalty area. Goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae came out feet-first and suddenly Hazizi was sprawling on the floor. As the Singaporean referee ran forward, Korean hearts were in mouths but instead of pointing to the penalty spot, he gave the attacker a second yellow card for diving and ejected him from proceedings. It took a while for Korea to take advantage of their advantage but 13 minutes from the end, good work from captain Park Ji-sung gave Lee keun-ho the opportunity to break the deadlock. There was still work to do and some nervous moments at the end largely due to the introduction of skilful striker Malek Maaz but with just seconds left on the clock, Korean substitute Park Chu-young curled a shot into the net from outside the area to seal the win. It was a happy Huh Jung-moo who talked to reporters after the game. “We didn’t look too good in the first half but we improved as the game progressed. We overcame a few crises early in the game and started to impose our will on the game,” he said. “To be honest, I was a little worried about how the K-League players would perform on a big international stage like this but it is through these tough matches that they grow in confidence. It is through these matches that we become stronger as a team.” Huh admitted that his opposite number, Nasser Al Johar, was not too happy with the referee. “The Saudi coach expressed his dissatisfaction with the red card and penalty decision but we have to respect the referee’s decision,” said Huh. Al Johar found that hard to do. “I really regret the referee’s decision,” he said after the match. “That decision was the reason we lost the game.” Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Football eyes have been fixed on the K-league in recent weeks but Wednesday’s 2010 World Cup qualifier in Saudi Arabia has been casting a large shadow over the domestic scene for weeks. Wednesday's game in Riyadh is the first big test in South Korea's bid to qualify for South Africa. Until now, the obstacles on that road have been provided by the likes of Turkmenistan, Jordan, North Korea and UAE. Coaches are fond of saying these days that there are no easy games any more in international football. If that is the case, it is still true to say that some opponents are easier than others. Saudi Arabia is a traditional powerhouse of the continental scene, has appeared at the last four World Cups and fully expects to be busy in the summer of 2010. When you add the fact that South Korea has tied two and lost three of the last five meetings with the West Asians then you get an idea of the task at hand at the imposing King Fahd International Stadium. Two of those defeats came during qualification for the 2006 World Cup. The first was a 2-0 reverse in the eastern city of Damman, a result that became known as the 'Damman Shock' in the Seoul media. The return game in Seoul also went the way of the Saudis and ostensibly cost then coach Jo Bonfrere his job though he told me just before he departed that the first loss was the beginning of the end. A similar result in Riyadh may not have that effect on Huh Jung-moo but then again, it might as Group Two of qualification couldn’t be tighter. Both teams have collected four points from two games in the final round of qualification. South Korea drew 1-1 with North Korea in September and then thrashed UAE 4-1 in Seoul. Saudi Arabia started with a draw at home to Iran and then won in UAE. Of the five teams in the group, only the top two automatically qualify for the World Cup. Third place enters a play-off system. Wednesday's game is a real ‘six-pointer’. It is not only about collecting three points; it is preventing your rivals from doing the same. Coach Huh Jung-moo is likely to keep faith with the young players who impressed last month in Seoul. This includes teenage FC Seoul midfielder Ki Sung-young, who has, along with his team-mates, been eating lots of lamb in preparation. "All the players are confident because of last month’s good win against UAE," Ki told reporters." We feel good physically and mentally. It will not be an easy game but if we prepare well we can get a good result." There has been some good news. Saudi star Yasser Al Qahtani has a groin injury and could miss the match. 'The Sniper' and 2007 Asian Player of the Year scored against Korea in March 2005 and the 2007 Asian Cup. Quick, strong and skilful, his absence will be welcome. The Saudis still have attacking capabilities that few Asian sides can boast and Malez Maaz may be small but he can be devastating on the ball. The Saudis have suspended their league season for the last two weeks to give their stars a chance to prepare for this match. Korea arrived in Qatar last Wednesday in order to acclimatize and play a warm-up match against the national team there. That ended 1-1 and, as these games tend to do, revealed little. "I am not interested in this result," said coach Huh in Doha. "We could have won and we could have lost but the main thing was to take a look at the players." Korean fans will also get a rare look at Saudi Arabia's players as they – satisfied by large salaries - rarely venture outside their homeland but Korea’s overseas contingent, including Manchester United's Park Ji-sung, Park Chu-young of AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund's Lee Young-pyo were in action last weekend and only arrived in the middle-east on Sunday. Their experience will be needed – Lee will make his 100th appearance for the national team. The milestone is an impressive one and if Korea are to make it seven successive World Cups, games such as this are key. "It is a tough game but we have come here to win," Park told reporters as he arrived at Doha Airport . "We don't play against Saudi Arabia often and we don't have a good record against them. We will do our best to change that on Wednesday." Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

It was an unusually cloudy day in Jakarta for the final of the 2007 Asian Cup. The skyline of the city’s downtown could barely be seen behind the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium and the dozens of Indonesian flags on its roof, were fluttering in the breeze. According to the local media, around 25-30,000 tickets had been sold with around 24 hours left until kick-off. That didn’t sound too discouraging, certainly better than some of the nightmare scenarios that had previously been painted. A half-full 90,000 stadium for the not-so-glamorous game between Saudi Arabia and Iraq may not have been great but would have saved blushes. What the locals wanted was an East Asian affair between Japan and South Korea but at least the fairy-tale story of Iraq had made news around the world. Outside the arena an hour before kick-off there was something of a buzz. Street-sellers with any remaining Indonesian knock-off shirts were doing good business with tourists dressed in Southampton, Newcastle, Celtic and Liverpool colours. Security was predictably tight around the entrances but early fans inside the stadium could have been forgiven for heading to the exits before the game even started. With the Indonesian idols out of the competition, somebody had the bright idea of giving the pre-match entertainment to the 11 finalists of “Indonesia’s Pop Idol.” A few ear-splitting minutes later, it was thankfully over and we were left to see how many people would actually attend the showpiece game. By the time the match started however, the arena was more than half-full with around 60,000 people inside. Most of them were unsurprisingly cheering for Iraq and while the atmosphere may not have matched those generated when the Indonesia played, it was lively nonetheless. The game wasn’t bad either. It took a while to get going but was entertaining enough. One goal was always likely to be enough and Iraq were the deserved scorers. There was genuine happiness all around when Younis Mahmoud headed home with 19 minutes remaining. To their credit, Iraq sought a second and it wouldn’t have been undeserved. Australian referee Mark Shield had a good game and ended this one to send Iraqis all over the world into ecstasy. The ones on the pitch were equally delighted and the celebrations began. Sepp Blatter was hanging around but it was left to the President of Indonesia to hand the trophy to the waiting Younis Mahmoud. In history, there have always been occasional ungracious sorts who try to lift the trophy with the winning captain but this politician held the bowl-shaped trinket aloft with both hands a good few seconds before handing it over to the matchwinner. The striker danced on the podium before being joined by lots of people in suits. The party continued on and off the pitch and the Jakarta night sky was lit up by fireworks that signalled the end of the 22 day competition. A good time was had by all. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

The 2007 Asian Cup Final will see Iraq play Saudi Arabia in Jakarta at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, on Sunday. Iraq came through their semi-final at Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after the teams finished 0-0 after extra time. Saudi Arabia shocked defending champions Japan 3-2 at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi to set up a final few people could have predicted. Iraq will be appearing in their first ever Asian Cup Final. East Asian powerhouses Japan and South Korea play off for third place on Saturday at Jaka Baring Stadium, Palembang, in Indonesia. Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

Iraq coach Jorvan Viera has been hot and bothered by the lack of hotel rooms in Kuala Lumpur. Pim Verbeek's Korea Republic have flattered to deceive. Japan came to the Asian Cup seeking revenge over Australia - got it - and will need to stay motivated for the rest of the tournament. And Saudi Arabia coach Helio Anjos claims that his team needs to overcome an inferiority complex. The Asian Cup has reached the semi-final stage and the four remaining combatants could hardly present more contrasting emotions.

With the departure of co-hosts Indonesia, there has been a general feeling in Jakarta that the Asian Cup is as good as over. The city’s quarter-final clash between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan was not viewed with much enthusiasm by the locals who are quick to proclaim that they are the most passionate football fans in Asia. They were doing the teams from west and central Asia a disservice. Between them they had scored an impressive 16 goals in the group stage, some of which came courtesy of what is necessary to succeed in tournaments – strikers in-form and scoring goals. In the white corner was ‘The Sniper’, Yasser Al-Qahtani. The Al Hilal hero was on target twice in the group stage and is not a just a goalscorer but as he showed in the impressive 4-0 win over Bahrain, he also turns provider on occasion. Unusually for a Saudi player, there was talk that he could be heading to Europe in the not-too-distant future. Over in the blue corner was Maksim Shatskikh. The steely-eyed Dinamo Kiev hitman missed the opening game defeat against Iran but made up for it with three goals in the next two games. In the past year or two, The 28 year-old has been linked in the past with such English teams as Wigan and West Brom but had chosen to stay with the Ukrainian giants –for whom he averages a goal every other game -and regular Champions league football. In what was probably the most open and exciting game of the tournament so far, Shatskikh missed a hatful of chances, enough to shoot his team to the last four. Before the striker had touched the ball however, Yasser Al Qahtani put the Saudis ahead after just three minutes. Uzbekistan proceeded to hit the woodwork four times, have a goal ruled out for offside and miss a host of chances before Ahmed Al Mousa added a second with 15 minutes remaining. It wasn’t all one-way traffic as the Green Falcons had chances of their own in what was an end-to-end game. The atmosphere never came close to matching even a fraction of what was generated by the 90,000 fans four days earlier when Indonesia took on South Korea in the final Group D match but there were a few thousand Saudi followers in the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. What neutrals there were seemed to be behind the Central Asian team. Uzbekistan pulled a goal back through Pavel Solomin with eight minutes remaining and there was still time for Alexander Geynrikh to hit the base of the Arabian post with a full-blooded shot. It wasn’t to be the Uzbeks night but the team certainly entertained in Kuala Lumpur as well as Jakarta and will be missed. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

It is easy with hindsight to say that it was coming but it was. Even the combined wills of 90,000 partisan Indonesian fans couldn’t stop Saad Al Harthi’s header crashing high into Pitoy’s net three minutes into injury time. The free-kick was taken right in front of the press box – one which seemed to have more supporters than reporters – and the location was an inviting one with several tall Saudis waiting in the middle just one good cross away. So, instead of 1-1 it was 2-1 to the three-time champions. Instead of a draw against South Korea next Wednesday, Indonesia will almost certainly need to put the Taeguk Warriors to the sword and relieve the visitors of all three points, though in an Asian Cup full of surprises, such a thing is not beyond the realms of possibility. Earlier the same evening, Gelora Bung Karno wasn’t a stadium stunned into silence by Haarthi’s header - it had been rocking. Buoyed by the team’s thrilling 2-1 win over Bahrain four days previously, the locals had responded by snapping up all tickets more than 24 hours before kick-off. Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur may be resistant to the delights of the Asian Cup but Jakarta has been coming down with a full-blown fever and it was contagious. To say the atmosphere was deafening would be an understatement. Even 45 minutes before kick-off, it was special. In such surroundings it is easy to get carried away and believe that anything is possible – the fans certainly did. They had been told to come early as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had decided to pay his first ever visit to the national arena to see the team. Security was tight and the khaki of the uniformed security guards was a sharp contrast to the strangely attractive green and white shirts that the liaison officers sported. It was Saturday night with the Saudis. Unlike the fans, most of whom were sporting ‘unofficial’ national team shirts, the local scribes were not confident of keeping out the visitors. “You saw our defence against Bahrain, it is not good,” said one. That may be but the hosts have buckets of pride and passion and while the three-time continental champs had more of the possession in a lively opening period, it was Indonesia who had the chances. Elie Aiboy missed a sitter from three yards after ten minutes and will still shaking his head when Saudi striker Yasser Al-Qahtani was sticking his on a great cross from Ahmed Al Bahri to put his team ahead. The crowd barely missed a beat and continued to roar on the reds and they were rewarded five minutes later as Aiboy made up for his earlier miss by rounding the goalkeeper and coolly slotting the ball home. Indonesia finished the half with a couple of good chances and hopes were high at half-time. There was still a sneaking suspicion that another goal was necessary to secure the point that would have satisfied every spectator –from the legions of security guards who never took their eyes from the action to the president himself. As the second period progressed, the Saudis took control and started to make chances. The crowd were quieter than they had been all night; they were nervous, the local scribes were nervous and I was nervous. The referee may have been over-fussy during the game but was correct to award a free-kick just outside the right side of the Indonesian penalty area. As the Saudis lined up the kick, and crowded the six yard box with their tallest players, it was not difficult to predict what was going to happen. That cross found the head of Saad Al Harthi. Haarthi missed a sitter during injury time against Korea and had been vilified by the Saudi press. Redemption was his as he headed the ball firmly into the net - the Saudis’ second aerial goal of the game. While the goal was probably deserved, it was cruel as all last-minute winners are. You didn’t need to be an expert in the local language to understand the general sentiments that were being expressed by those in the press box and outside. The Saudi scribes were on their feet though. One of them seemed to be hit by a missile. I had been warned that Indonesians fans don’t take defeat very well and are prone to fighting after losing. Outside the stadium, that didn't seem to be the case - the atmosphere outside was calm and slightly sad. There is still one game left though and it should be a cracker. Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile Hotels in Bangkok - Bookings Hotels in Kuala Lumpur - Bookings Hotels in Jakarta - Bookings Hotels in Hanoi - Bookings Hotels in Ho Chi Minh - Bookings

Global Goals is the new and exiciting system for ranking international goalscorers and the goals they score in international football. The current Top 5 in the Asian confederation is. 1. Yasser Al Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) 2. John Aloisi (Australia) 3. Lee Dong Gook (Korea Republic) 4. Naohiro Takahara (Japan) 5. Tim Cahill (Australia) For the complete Asian Top 30, other confederations Top 30, the overall Top 30 and each countries Top 10, please log on to www.global-goals.co.uk

Asian Cup Draw 2007 Kuala Lumpur, December 20, 2006 Holders Japan will be hoping to three-peat when the 2007 Asian Cup kicks off in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia next July. The July 7-29 championships will include newcomers Australia for the first time. Saudi Arabia were restricted to playing their opening games in Malaysia or Indonesia due to an ongoing political spat with Thailand. Group A Australia Oman Iraq Thailand Group B Japan UAE Vietnam Qatar