XIAN, China — War-torn Syria blew a major hole in China’s bid to reach a second World Cup when it pulled off a stunning 1-0 qualifying upset Thursday.
Mahmoud Al-Mawas’ breakaway goal in the 54th minute settled a gritty game in Xian which left China stranded on one point from its first three games in Group A.
Iran, meanwhile, stayed on course for a Russia 2018 spot after shifting Uzbekistan from the top of Asian qualifying Group A on goal difference with a 1-0 victory in Tashkent.
A 27th-minute header from Jalal Hosseini off a Masoud Shojaei free-kick proved decisive in the match.
Iran is also the only team in the group not to concede a goal in three matches so far, having previously beaten Qatar 2-0 and drawn 0-0 with China.
Seventy-eighth ranked China has ambitions of hosting and even winning a World Cup, but Al-Mawas dented its hopes of reaching the tournament for a second time at Russia 2018.
The bustling, bearded forward latched onto a long ball and prodded his first touch past an on-rushing goalkeeper Gu Chao before controlling the bouncing ball into the net.
Syria should have made the game safe in the 73rd minute but Omar Kharbin managed to miss an open goal from Al-Mawas’s inviting cutback.
Syria now climbs above China in Group A.
Hotaru Yamaguchi, meanwhile, scored in the fifth minute of injury time to give Japan a 2-1 win over Iraq in World Cup qualifying.
Genki Haraguchi had put Japan ahead in the first half at Saitama Stadium, but Saad Adbulameer equalized in the 60th.
It was Japan’s second straight win, giving the team six points from three matches. Iraq has now lost all three of its Group B matches.
In South Korea, in-form Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-Min grabbed the winner as the host came from behind to beat Qatar 3-2 and take a step toward the 2018 Russia World Cup Thursday.
After South Korea trailed 2-1 at half-time, the host leveled through Ji Dong-won before Son extended his electric scoring run with the decisive strike on 58 minutes.
Uli Stielike’s team saw out the last 24 minutes a man down after Hong Jeong-ho was sent off, compounding a miserable evening for the defender after he gave away a penalty for Qatar’s opener.
While South Korea marches on in the final qualifying round, Qatar looks unlikely to reach its first World Cup before hosting it in 2022 as it remains pointless and bottom of Group A after three games.
South Korean captain Ki Sung-yueng opened the scoring with a low shot that skipped past the diving Saad Al Sheeb after 11 minutes.
But Qatar hit back and it won a penalty when Hong was booked for taking down Sebastian Soria. Captain Hassan Al Haydos stepped up and struck it past Kim Seung-hyu.
And the Gulf state wasn’t done yet as Soria made it 2-1 just before half-time, flicking Rodrigo Tabata’s cross past Kim Seung-gyu.
The host then protested strongly for a penalty when Ki’s close-range header struck Mohammed Kasola on the left hand.
After the break, towering forward Kim Shin-Wook nodded down a cross to set up Augsburg forward Ji for South Korea’s equalizer.
And Son, who has scored five goals in his last six games for Spurs, made it South Korea’s night when Ki picked him out and he curled his shot past Qatari goalkeeper Al Sheeb.
Hong was sent off for another foul on Soria in the 66th minute and from the free kick, the Qatari forward’s powerful header drew a spectacular save from Korean ‘keeper Kim Seung-gyu.
South Korea has two wins and a draw from three games in final qualifying Group A.
In Abu Dhabi, UAE made short work of Thailand 3-1 in a Group B match.
The top two teams in Groups A and B will qualify automatically for the World Cup, with the two third-place teams going to a fourth-round match to decide which of them makes the intercontinental playoffs. — Agencies
Japan’s Keisuke Honda (C) and Iraq’s Dhurgham Ismael (No. 15) and Suad Natiq Naji in action during their World Cup 2018 qualifier n Saitama, Japan, Thursday.
