SEOUL — Ambitious China is out to prove that reaching the third round of 2018 World Cup qualifying was no fluke when it takes on bogey side South Korea Thursday.
China scraped through thanks to its shock 2-0 win over Qatar and the Philippines’ 3-2 upset of North Korea on the last day of round two.
It means that China, which boasts Asia’s most expensive league and whose tycoons are snapping up football assets around the globe, is within shouting distance of the World Cup in Russia.
The top two in each of Asia’s two groups of six will qualify for the World Cup, while the third-placed sides will face each other for the right to take on the fourth-place team from the CONCAFAF region for a spot at the 2018 World Cup.
Elsewhere in Group A, Syria travels to Uzbekistan and Iran, aiming for a fifth World Cup appearance, hosts Qatar in Tehran. Qatar is eager to qualify and give its team World Cup exposure before the country hosts the 2022 event. Qatari was one of the more impressive performers in the second round of qualification, topping its group with ease.
In Group B, Asian champion Australia kicks off its qualification campaign against Iraq in Perth and then plays United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 6.
Tim Cahill has been selected by coach Ange Postecoglou, keeping the 36-year-old former English Premier League star in contention for a fourth World Cup appearance.
“He’s still a very important part of what we do and we know that even if he’s not capable of playing 90 minutes, he can certainly make an impact for us,” Postecoglou said of Cahill.
Japan, expected to challenge Australia for the top spot in Group B, hosts United Arab Emirates in Saitama. The UAE knocked Japan out of the 2015 Asian Cup on its way to finishing in third place.
There are 13 European-based players in Japan’s squad, while the UAE’s roster is entirely home-based. Despite that, playmaker Omar Abdulrahman, regarded as one of the biggest talents in Asian soccer, is confident that his team can return home with a good result.
Saudi Arabia, coached by Bert Van Marwijk who led the Netherlands to the final of the 2010 World Cup, will host Thailand in the other Group B match. The Saudis have qualified for four World Cups but the last appearance came in 2006. — Agencies
