Uzbekistan wasted a string of chances against a
weary-looking Japan side yet to taste defeat in 13 games since Italian Alberto
Zaccheroni took charge last October.
Captain Server Djeparov volleyed Uzbekistan into the lead
after eight minutes, celebrating with a triple back flip as the home fans lit
flares and roared with delight.
Shinji Okazaki's diving header gave Japan a barely-deserved
equalizer in the 65th minute, triggering something of a shootout as both teams
suddenly threw caution to the wind.
"Uzbekistan pushed us around a bit," Zaccheroni
told reporters. "Give them credit; they are a very good side. We were
better in the second half but we must play better than that." Uzbekistan
could have killed off the game inside the hour with some end product to match
their slick build-up play before Okazaki struck to keep Zaccheroni's unbeaten
record intact.
"We were chasing a goal so it was a relief to
score," said Okazaki. "We thought we would come here and play them
off the pitch. If we want to advance we have to improve." Uzbekistan had
beaten fellow former Soviet republic Tajikistan 1-0 away in their first match
in the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
In other mates, Iraq and Thailand were comfortable
winners while North Korea labored to a 1-0 home victory over Tajikistan to get
their first points on the board.
Bahrain ran out 2-0 winners over Indonesia in Jakarta,
Sayed Dhiya Saeed Ebrahim on 45 minutes and Abdulatif Ismaeel on 72 doing the
damage for the away side.
It is a long road to Brazil 2014 for many of Asia's sides
with the latest action, the third round of qualifying, taking in five groups of
four teams.
Former Asian Cup winners Iraq beat Singapore 2-0 away in
Group A but wasted several chances in a foul-tempered match that concluded in a
row between players and officials from both benches. In Beirut Lebanon crushed
UAE 3-1.
Newly appointed Iraq coach and Brazilian legend Zico had
lamented his side's propensity to squander goalscoring chances, and it was more
of the same at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Iraq pressured the Singapore goal from the start, laying
siege for long periods, but wayward finishing and determined defending kept the
scoreline level at half time.
Iraq's persistence finally paid off in the 49th minute
when forward Ala'a Abdulzehra put them ahead with a bullet header that beat
keeper Lionel Lewis.
Lewis, a replacement for the injured Izwan Mahbud, pulled
off a string of vital saves to prevent Singapore going further behind.
But Iraq put the game to bed in the 85th minute after a
seemingly innocuous chip by prolific Iraqi striker Younus Mahmood sailed past a
rooted Lewis and bounced into the goal.
The result means Singapore drop to last place in the
standings as the only team with no points in the group, putting their World Cup
hopes in serious jeopardy.
"It's tough losing two games but it's not over. I
think our boys have still got fight in them and we will not give up," said
Singapore team manager Eugene Loo.
China play away in Jordan later Tuesday.
In Bangkok, Thailand were easy 3-0 winners over Oman to
get their qualification campaign back on track, but North Korea put in a
disappointing display as they edged out the Tajiks in Pyongyang.
A solitary Pak Nam-Chol goal was enough to give the hosts
their first win in the third qualifying round. Uzbekistan play home to Asian
giants Japan in Group C later Tuesday.
Thai coach Winfried Schaefer said: "I'm very
impressed with the match today. It's because of our hard work after the match
with Australia."
Schaefer's side went down 2-1 away in Australia in their
first game last week and need another victory in their next match, at home to
Saudi Arabia next month, if they are to stay in the hunt.
"We have three points today but we still have a
tough job ahead playing Saudi Arabia. We have to keep working hard," he
said.
The winners and runners-up of the five groups will be
drawn into two pools for the round-robin fourth stage, with the eventual top
two in each section earning a ticket to Brazil.
The two third-placed teams will then face each other for
the right to contest an intercontinental play-off.
Srecko Katanec was sacked as coach of the United Arab
Emirates on Tuesday following their second successive 2014 World Cup qualifying
defeat in a matter of days.
The 48-year-old Slovenian — who had been in the job since
June 2009 — was fired after the UAE went down to a 3-1 away defeat by Lebanon
which followed last Friday's 3-2 loss at home to Kuwait.
Katanec - who had a distinguished playing career
appearing for the then Yugoslavia at the 1990 World Cup finals - had previously
coached Slovenia to the Euro 2000 and 2002 World Cup finals and Macedonia.
