Glad we scored the penalty today. Will take that fourth round qualifier.

37 minutes ago, CowTzy said:

Glad we scored the penalty today. Will take that fourth round qualifier.

Congrats, that's a huge step forward for your country, beating the likes Bahrain and China would've been a dream in the past. I knew they had something to bring to the table from the first round when I said even having Indonesia in it was a joke since they were going to demolish everyone else in that round.

---

And Uzbekistan have done it! After several close-calls, international playoff losses and being literally the team from Asia that would've been next if the region had even one more spot, the 0-0 draw at UAE clinches their qualification in their first World Cup!

Matchday 9

Group A

United Arab Emirates 0-0 Uzbekistan

Qatar 1-0 Iran

North Korea 2-2 Kyrgyzstan

Group B

Oman 0-3 Jordan

Iraq 0-2 South Korea

Kuwait 0-2 Palestine

Group C

Australia 1-0 Japan

Indonesia 1-0 China

Bahrain 0-2 Saudi Arabia

Matchday 9 - Tables

 

Group A

1. Iran 9/10 (+8) 20

2. Uzbekistan 9/10 (+4) 18

3. United Arab Emirates 9/10 (+7) 14

4. Qatar 9/10 (-4) 13

5. Kyrgyzstan 9/10 (-6) 7

6. North Korea 9/10 (-9) 3

 

Group B

1. South Korea 9/10 (+9) 19

2. Jordan 9/10 (+9) 16

3. Iraq 9/10 (-1) 12

4. Oman 9/10 (-5) 10

5. Palestine 9/10 (-3) 9

6. Kuwait 9/10 (-9) 5

 

Group C

1. Japan 9/10 (+21) 20

2. Australia 9/10 (+8) 16

3 Saudi Arabia 9/10 (0) 13

4. Indonesia 9/10 (-5) 12

5. Bahrain 9/10 (-10) 6

6. China 9/10 (-14) 6

 

 

Qualifying for the World Cup:

 

Australia

Iran

Japan

Jordan

South Korea

Uzbekistan

 

Qualifying for the next round:

 

Indonesia

Iraq

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

 

 

South Korea qualify for their 11th consecutive World Cup while Jordan and Uzbekistan book their places for the first ever time.

The last place available on Matchday 10 is between Australia and Saudi Arabia. There's an 8 goal difference between the two but with Australia scoring more goals so far, it would take a 5 goal victory for Saudi Arabia to qualify.

Indonesia, Iraq, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have all booked places in the 4th round. There's a huge clash between Palestine and Oman on the final day to secure a place in the next round.

Glad to see Uzbekistan in after narrowly missing out so many times, might not have even needed the expanded places. Good to see Jordan in as well.

I know, Uzbekistan just missing the World Cup was becoming a meme. I bet Tashkent was rocking last night.

Great to see Jordan and Uzbekistan qualifying for their first World Cup.

We have our first World Cup debutants this time round! As others have said above it's nice to see Uzbekistan make it in after so many near misses.

Uzbekistan finishing things off in style, crushing Qatar 3-0 at home which was likely coronation/celebration as much as it was a football match. If they hadn't fumbled a potential win in the final minutes in Doha, they might have won the group entirely. (As long as Iran gets the expected win over North Korea today, they'll be second, not that 1st/2nd place matters in the long run)

Matchday 10

Group A

Uzbekistan 3-0 Qatar

Kyrgyzstan 1-1 United Arab Emirates

Iran 3-0 North Korea

Group B

South Korea 4-0 Kuwait

Jordan 0-1 Iraq

Palestine 1-1 Oman

Group C

Japan 6-0 Indonesia

China 1-0 Bahrain

Saudi Arabia 1-2 Australia

Matchday 10 - Tables

 

Group A

1. Iran 10/10 (+11) 23

2. Uzbekistan 10/10 (+7) 21

3. United Arab Emirates 10/10 (+7) 15

4. Qatar 10/10 (-7) 13

5. Kyrgyzstan 10/10 (-6) 8

6. North Korea 10/10 (-12) 3

 

Group B

1. South Korea 10/10 (+13) 22

2. Jordan 10/10 (+8) 16

3. Iraq 10/10 (0) 15

4. Oman 10/10 (-5) 11

5. Palestine 10/10 (-3) 10

6. Kuwait 10/10 (-13) 5

 

Group C

1. Japan 10/10 (+27) 23

2. Australia 10/10 (+9) 19

3 Saudi Arabia 10/10 (-1) 13

4. Indonesia 10/10 (-11) 12

5. China 10/10 (-13) 9

5. Bahrain 10/10 (-11) 6

 

 

Qualifying for the World Cup:

 

Australia

Iran

Japan

Jordan

South Korea

Uzbekistan

 

Qualifying for the next round:

 

Indonesia

Iraq

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

 

 

Australia avoid the heavy defeat and book the 6th Asian qualification spot.

Oman score a 97th minute equalizer to break Palestinian hearts and book the final spot in Round 4. The draw will take place on 17th July and the matches will be played in October.

That is devastating for Palestine. :(

Who has Jordan as the only Arab nation to advance from this round? If that was a bet, someone won a pot.

Australia-

Appearances: 7

Best: Round of 16 (2006,2022)#

Iran-

Appearances: 7

Best: Group Stage (1978,1998,2006,2014,2018,2022)

Japan-

Appearances: 8

Best: Round of 16 (2002,2010,2018,2022)

Jordan- Debut appearance

South Korea-

Appearances: 11

Best: Fourth Place (2002)

Uzbekistan- Debut Appearance