BRISBANE, Australia (AP) ― Asian heavyweights South Korea, Japan and Australia all took strides toward automatic qualification for the 2014 World Cup by earning creditable results on Tuesday.
Iran, another one of the favorites to advance, was forced to settle for a 0-0 draw against Qatar.
Japan drew 1-1 away to Australia, which will be grateful for a point after playing most of the second half a man down. Japan tops Group B with seven points from two games with Australia in second with two points from two games. Iraq and Oman were also on two points after drawing 1-1.
South Korea won 3-0 at home against Lebanon to lead Group A with two wins from two games. Iran and Qatar were two points behind while Lebanon and Uzbekistan had one point each and face an uphill task to make the top two and qualify automatically for Brazil 2014.
In Goyang, Kim Bo-kyung scored the opening two goals as South Korea made it two wins from two to take command in Group A.
Despite losing midfielder Ki Sung-yueng to injury early on, Kim opened the scoring in the 29th when his shot went in off the crossbar.
Lebanon attacks were few and far between and just two minutes after the restart, Kim collected the ball on the halfway line and out-ran the defenders to score his second.
Koo Ja-cheol capped the scoring as regulation time expired, stripping the ball from a too-casual Lebanon defender and lashing in a fierce shot.
“We are not able to compare ourselves with Korea,” Lebanon coach Theo Bucker said. “They are far ahead of us in many aspects.”
