MikeLigalig.com

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Posted on June 19, 2013 06:57:13 PM


SINGAPORE -- Asian giants Iran, South Korea and Australia scrambled into next year’s World Cup on Tuesday after scenes of crowd anger and high tension on the final night of group qualifying.


Irate South Korean fans hurled water bottles and other debris after Iran booked its ticket with a 1-0 smash-and-grab win in Ulsan, following a tetchy buildup between the two teams.

South Korea also accused Iran coach Carlos Queiroz of making an obscene hand gesture at his rival Choi Kang-Hee, and said they expected a FIFA investigation. No comment was immediately available from Queiroz.

A South Korean newspaper condemned Iran’s players and officials, but made little mention of their own fans’ poor behavior.

"When their victory was confirmed, all the Iranian players ran towards the South Korean bench, pumping their fists and making insulting gestures," the Sport Chosun daily wrote in an editorial.

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Another, @kcs9618, said: "I felt awful when seeing the Iranian players running around the stadium with their flag. But it felt even more awful seeing South Koreans throwing bottles towards them."

It emerged after that South Korea had also qualified as Uzbekistan, despite beating Qatar, 5-1, just missed out on goal difference. The Uzbeks will now face Jordan, a 1-0 victor over Oman thanks to Ahmad Ibrahim’s 57th-minute goal, in a playoff.

Australia left it late before substitute striker Josh Kennedy earned a 1-0 win over Iraq in Sydney, enough to take the Socceroos through to their third successive World Cup.

"I’m sorry it wasn’t pretty, but we beat them... Let’s look at the positives tonight -- we’re going to Brazil!" said captain Lucas Neill.

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Iran started the second period with more ambition and on 59 minutes, it was suddenly in front thanks to a defensive howler from Kim Young-Gwon and the alert thinking of Reza Ghoochannejhad.

Defender Kim failed to make a simple clearance on the touchline and had his pocket picked by Ghoochannejhad, who scampered goalwards and bent a left-footed shot around Jung Sung-Ryong.

South Korea pressed desperately for the equalizer and Kim Young-Gwon nearly made amends for his mistake but put a free header wide near the end. Lee Keun-Ho also came close to scoring in injury time.

"It was a very difficult match. We knew that we played a great team," Queiroz said. "My team played with a realistic approach, to try and wait for a weak point in the Korean team and with a counter-attacking attitude."

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Late strikes from Odil Ahmedov and Ulugbek Bakaev raised excitement to fever pitch but the clock quickly ticked through injury time and the former Soviet republic were kept waiting for a first foray to football’s biggest stage.

Earlier in Sydney, Australia, wasted countless chances in wet conditions before coach Holger Osieck replaced a visibly angry Tim Cahill with Kennedy in the 77th minute.

The towering Nagoya Grampus striker justified the substitution when he saved the day with a clinical, 83rd-minute header that not only sent the 80,000 crowd wild, but also dispatched his team to next year’s World Cup. -- AFP

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