SPORTS EDGE

Football
South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup
Socceroos draw Japan
Afp, Kuala Lumpur


Australia were grouped with Japan Friday in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2010 World Cup, but avoided fellow heavyweights South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The teams were split into two groups of five during the draw at AFC House, with Bahrain, Uzbekistan and Qatar pitted alongside the Socceroos and Japan.

Joining South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia are North Korea and United Arab Emirates.

The top two in each group automatically make the finals in South Africa, while the two third-placed teams lock horns in a play-off with the winner battling the Oceania representative for a spot at the global showpiece.

Pim Verbeek's Socceroos, seeded one due to their FIFA ranking, were always going to avoid the second-seeded South Korea, who have qualified for every World Cup finals since Mexico in 1986.

But three-time World Cup qualifiers Japan will be a tough obstacle for a team that made the knockout rounds at the last World Cup in Germany before narrowly losing to eventual winners Italy.

Australia were in the same group as Japan at the 2006 finals and beat them 3-1, but the Japanese gained revenge at last year's Asian Cup with a win on penalties in the quarterfinals.

"It's an interesting group and we will have to work hard to reach the finals," Verbeek said in a teleconference to Australian reporters late Friday.

"I believe it will all come down to our last two home games against Bahrain and Japan next June."

Verbeek expects to have injured European aces Tim Cahill and Mark Viduka back for the final push to South Africa.

Goalscoring midfielder Cahill missed Australia's earlier qualifiers after foot surgery but is aiming to be back for Everton in August, while Newcastle United striker Mark Viduka has struggled with an Achilles injury.

"I will be looking for a friendly match as we have 10 days to prepare for our opening game against Uzbekistan in Tashkent," Verbeek said.

"I've been to Uzbekistan before with the South Korean team and a lot of their players play in Russian leagues and are physically strong and skilful."

Takeshi Ono, technical director of the Japan Football Association, admitted his team had their work cut out, but was confident of finishing in the top two.

"It will certainly be tough, all four teams are very strong," he said. "The travelling will be hard for our European-based players but it will be okay.

"Of course we have confidence that we will qualify."

Bahrain, still haunted by the memory of falling at the final hurdle three years ago when they were denied a place at Germany following a play-off defeat to Trinidad and Tobago, will be looking to spoil the party.

In the other group, South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia all qualified for the last World Cup finals but at least one of them is either going to miss out this time or have go through the play-off match.

On paper Iran are strong but they struggled through qualifying. But with legendary former skipper Ali Daei now coach they managed to book their place.

Daei was careful in not promising too much.

"I can only say that we have a chance to qualify for the World Cup finals," he said. "I think Group B is more difficult than Group A."

The games will be played between September 6 this year and June 17 next year.

Group A - Australia, Japan, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, Qatar

Group B - South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, UAE