Asian big guns Australia and Japan left it perilously late before snatching vital winners in World Cup qualifying on Friday, as South Korea got off to a roaring start against Lebanon. Australia were just four minutes from a humiliating home draw with Thailand before Alex Brosque's late strike, while Japan had to wait until the 94th minute to overcome fierce rivals North Korea in rain-lashed Saitama.
China also had to fight back from a goal down before beating Singapore 2-1 at home in former Real Madrid and Spain boss Jose Antonio Camacho's first game in charge. But South Korea hit six past stunned Lebanon in Goyang to take a decisive first step on the road to Brazil 2014 as Asia's top-ranked sides entered the lengthy qualifying process.
Aussie goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer admitted the Socceroos' 2-1 win felt more like a defeat against unfancied Thailand, who lie some 98 places lower in the FIFA rankings. Teerasil Dangda gave the visitors a shock lead on 15 minutes and Australia were not back on terms until Josh Kennedy's 58th minute strike, before Brosque's last-gasp decider relieved Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium crowd.
"It feels like a loss," Schwarzer said. "It was one of our worst performances for a long time and there are no excuses, we weren't good enough at times, but at least we won which is the positive." Japan put their fans through even greater agony before defender Maya Yoshida rose to head home a cross from a short corner on 94 minutes as the Asian champions' quality finally told.
The Blue Samurai had dominated play despite missing midfield duo Keisuke Honda and Kengo Nakamura through injury, and coach Alberto Zaccheroni said the result was a just reward for their patient play. "I think North Korea played their 100 percent. We had to be patient, patient, but we were threatening them repeatedly and finally Maya scored a goal," said the Italian.
North Korea cursed UAE referee Ali AlBadwawi after Pak Kwang-Ryong was controversially sent off for a sliding challenge on Yasuhito Endo on 83 minutes, leaving the visitors to defend with 10 men. "I felt the referees were not fair as the red card should have been given to both players and they should have been sent off together," said coach Yun Jong-Su. "They also awarded the corner kick which led to the Japanese goal, a play which did not deserve a corner kick."