Tashkent: Uzbekistan narrowly missed out on direct qualification for the 2014 World Cup despite routing Qatar 5-1 on Tuesday.
Uzbekistan finished level on points with South Korea for second spot in Group A of Asian qualifying - which yielded automatic qualification for Brazil - but were one behind on goal difference.
Uzbekistan will go into a sudden-death playoff against either Oman or Jordan, who meet later Tuesday. Qatar took the lead in the 37th minute through Abdulqadir Ilyas.
Uzbekistan dominated in the second half. Bakhodir Nasimov tapped in a cross to equalize in the 60th. Goals in the 72nd and 74th put Uzbekistan up 3-1 and the hosts scored again in the 88th minute and stoppage time but ran out of time to further improve their goal difference....
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08:42 PM, Jun 18, 2013
Sydney: Australia, Iran and South Korea all secured berths at the 2014 World Cup on a dramatic final day of Asian qualifying on Tuesday. Australia beat Iraq 1-0, waiting until the 83rd minute before Josh Kennedy headed home the winner that secured second spot in Group B. Iran booked their place with a disciplined counter-attacking game that produced a 1-0 win at South Korea. While Iran finished top of Group...
07:59 PM, Jun 18, 2013
Johannesburg: FIFA is investigating Ethiopia and Togo for allegedly fielding ineligible players in World Cup qualifying. Possible sanctions against the pair would significantly affect Africa's qualifying competition for Brazil 2014 and give boosts to South Africa and Cameroon. Ethiopia qualified for the final playoffs Sunday with a 2-1 win over South Africa, but potentially faces being stripped of its 2-1 win in Botswana on June 8 for allegedly fielding an...
08:43 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Maputo: Ethiopia ended the hopes of 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa from making next year's finals in Brazil after a dramatic round of African group stage qualifying matches on Sunday. The Ethiopians join Algeria, Egypt, the Ivory Coast and Tunisia through to the third and final phase of the African preliminaries. Five places are yet to be decided with the last cycle of Round 2 group matches remaining. The...
10:37 AM, Jun 17, 2013
Zurich: FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Argentina captain Javier Mascherano after he was sent off for kicking the driver of a medical cart in a World Cup qualifier against Ecuador on Tuesday. The Barcelona midfielder was shown a red card by Paraguayan referee Enrique Caceres with four minutes to go in Quito after the player lost his temper with the driver who he thought was going too fast in...
09:07 AM, Jun 15, 2013
South Korea coach Choi Kang-hee said he wanted to crush Iran's hopes of automatic World Cup qualification next week after being 'badly treated' in Tehran last year. Choi's side beat Uzbekistan 1-0 in Seoul on Tuesday, leaving them in a position to qualify for Brazil even if they lose to Iran at home in Ulsan next Tuesday. The quirky coach, who had previously said he would step down once the...
01:15 PM, Jun 12, 2013
Quito: Argentina took a fourth-minute lead with a Sergio Aguero penalty then hung on desperately for a 1-1 draw away to Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier in the energy sapping thin air of Quito on Tuesday. The Argentines, with World Player of the Year Lionel Messi only playing for the last half hour, had their lead in the South American group cut to three points with Colombia's 2-0 home...
08:47 AM, Jun 12, 2013
Asian champions Japan finished their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win over Iraq in Doha on Tuesday that ended the West Asian nation's slim hopes of joining them in Brazil. Iraq enjoyed plenty of possession and created lots of chances in the searing Qatari heat but could not find a way through and Japan made them pay with an 89th-minute goal on the counter from Shinji Okazaki. The...
08:30 AM, Jun 12, 2013
Stockholm: Two goals from captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped stuttering Sweden to an unconvincing 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands in their Group C World Cup qualifier in Stockholm on Tuesday. Sweden had no shortage of possession but struggled to penetrate the massed ranks of the Faroese defence, with the home side taking over 20 minutes to register an effort on target. Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, first...
08:22 AM, Jun 12, 2013
Portugal revived their World Cup qualifying campaign by beating Russia 1-0 while Mario Balotelli was red-carded for Italy in a 0-0 draw at the Czech Republic that put the four-time world champions closer to next year's finals. Helder Postiga's ninth-minute winner in Lisbon lifted the Portuguese from third to first in Group F, boosting the chances of football fans seeing Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in Brazil next summer. While...
09:54 AM, Jun 08, 2013
Buenos Aires: Lionel Messi played for the last half hour but could not help Argentina make the breakthrough against Colombia as the sides played out a 0-0 draw in an electric World Cup qualifier at the Monumental on Friday. Both sides were reduced to 10 men midway through the first half when Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain and Colombia central defender Cristian Zapata were shown the red card for kicking out...
08:38 AM, Jun 08, 2013
Lisbon: Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team mates must avoid going into holiday mode too soon as they round off a long season with a tricky World Cup qualifier against European Group F leaders Russia on Friday. Sitting third in the group, level on 11 points with second-placed Israel and a point behind this week's visitors who have played two games fewer, Portugal cannot afford another below-par performance like last...
08:49 AM, Jun 05, 2013
Xavi is a major doubt for World Cup Group I qualifier after he missed Tuesday's training session due to a niggling hamstring injury. ...
08:45 AM, Mar 20, 2013
London: Winger Theo Walcott has become the latest player to drop out of the England squad for Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine at Wembley after being sent home with a virus. Chelsea defenders Ashley Cole and John Terry had to withdraw from the squad over the weekend with ankle injuries to join Wayne Rooney, Andy Carroll, Gareth Barry, Ashley Young and Scott Parker on the sidelines. Coach Roy Hodgson...
07:56 PM, Sep 10, 2012
London: John Terry will miss England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Tuesday because of an ankle injury. The Chelsea center back was hurt on Friday in the 5-0 win over Moldova in England's opening Group H match in qualifying and joins fellow defender and teammate Ashley Cole on the sidelines. The English Football Association said in a statement Sunday that "following further treatment from the England medical staff today,...
08:48 PM, Sep 09, 2012
