Draw pits Australia versus Japan again
Print Edition
CONTINENTAL champion Australia was pooled in a formidable Group B with Saudi Arabia, Japan and the United Arab Emirates in the draw for the final Asian round of 2018 World Cup qualifying made in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Joining the quartet in the six-nation group, where only the top two sides are guaranteed of a place at the finals in Russia, were 2007 Asian champion Iraq and fast-improving Thailand.
Group A was headlined by consistent qualifier South Korea and Asia’s top-ranked team Iran, which both represented the continent at the last World Cup in Brazil along with Australia and Japan.
China, which has qualified for just one World Cup in 2002 and scraped through to this round, was also pooled in Group A alongside three sides which have yet to reach a finals — war-wracked Syria, 2022 host Qatar and Uzbekistan.
The group stages will conclude in September 2017 with the top two from each pool qualifying and the two third-placed sides playing each other. The winner of that playoff then advances to a two-legged inter-confederation clash with a CONCACAF qualifier for another spot in Russia.
Iran and South Korea, who will be favorites to progress to another World Cup, endure frosty soccer relations after clashing in qualifying four years ago.
South Korea complained about inadequate training facilities in Tehran, with then-coach Choi Kang-hee saying he would enjoy eliminating Iran from the race to Brazil only for the Iranians to win in Seoul in the return and top the group.
That result sparked ugly scenes on the sidelines as Iran coach Carlos Queiroz and his assistants celebrated by rushing towards the Korean bench and gesturing wildly.
It will be the third consecutive World Cup campaign that Korea and Iran have faced off in, with Japan and Australia also making it a trilogy of meetings.
Japan has played at the last five World Cups and finished ahead of Australia in 2014 qualifying but the Socceroos came out top in the 2010 campaign.
Saudi Arabia, which made the last of its four World Cup appearances in 2002, took four points from the UAE in the previous round and has shown signs of progress under Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk.
Australia starts it campaign on September 1 with a home clash against Iraq while South Korea opens against China.
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