March 9 to 22, 2020 Global Futbol Matches (World Cup Qualifiers – Oceania and Asia)

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020.

March 9 to 22, 2020 (World Cup Qualifiers �" Oceania and Asia)

 

World Cup Qualifiers - Oceania

The 2022 World Cup Qualifiers in Oceania reached the midpoint of the group stage this month.

 

In Group A, American Samoa’s Palauni Tapusoa surprised the Solomon Islanders with a goal in the second half, before Joses Nawo restored some equilibrium in the 1-1 draw. Palau also shocked Papua New Guinea with a goal from Robert Bishop Jr. From there, the Palau defence held firm in spite of some last gasp efforts from the Papua New Guineans.

 

	Oceania WCQ Gr A	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Palau	3	1	2	0	5	+1
2	Solomon Islands	3	0	3	0	3	0
3	American Samoa	3	0	3	0	3	0
4	Papua New Guinea	3	0	2	1	2	-1

 

In Group B, Marco Rojas scored the only goal of the game for New Zealand against Tonga as the home side struggled once again on their own turf to dominate the match on the scoreboard. The Marshall Islands overran the Cook Islanders with two goals in quick succession to take three points.

 

	Oceania WCQ Gr B	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	New Zealand	3	2	1	0	7	+6
2	Cook Islands	3	1	1	1	4	-1
3	Marshall Islands	3	1	1	1	4	-3
4	Tonga	3	0	1	2	1	-2

 

Group C’s Tito Vodowaqa and Jekob Jeno both scored for Fiji and New Caledonia respectively in a close match that ended in a one-all draw. Samoa scored all three goals of their match against Kiribati, though one was an own goal from Sean Atherton, who was unable to move out of the way as the ball rebounded off the post and over the line. Faitalia Hamilton-Pama helped his side draw level before youngster Jarvis Filimalae, with a solo effort, scored the winner in the 58th minute.

 

	Oceania WCQ Gr C	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Samoa	3	2	1	0	7	+3
2	New Caledonia	3	0	3	0	3	0
3	Kiribati	3	0	2	1	2	-1
4	Fiji	3	0	2	1	2	-2

 

In Group D, Bill Nicholls scored the only goal for the game between Vanuatu and Micronesia, gifting the Vanuatu side the three points. Tahiti came from a goal down to run out 4-1 winners against Tuvalu. Taufaiva Ionatana opened the tale for Tuvalu, before Rico Haring, Tauhiti Keck, Teaonui Tehau and Stanley Atani all scored for the home side.

 

	Oceania WCQ Gr D	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Tahiti	3	2	1	0	7	+6
2	Vanuatu	3	2	1	0	7	+2
3	Tuvalu	3	1	0	2	3	-3
4	Micronesia	3	0	0	3	0	-5

 

World Cup Qualifiers - Asia

The Asian contingency of 2022 World Cup Qualifiers ramped up this month, with two match days played across the eight groups.

 

In Group A, the United Arab Emirates took time, after their runners-up role in January’s Asian Cup, to ease into their opening game against Laos. Poor shots off target, followed by a number of offsides kept the hosts away from goal, while Laos did enough to keep the UAE on their toes in defence. Finally, in the 71st minute, midfielder Abdalla Ramadan needed two attempts to roll the ball into the back of the net, giving his side the lead. Substitute Almeri Zayed, in additional time, made it two goals for the UAE when he stole the ball off the last defender and netted.

 

The UAE’s main rival in the group, Uzbekistan, played at home to Guam, also winning by two goals against the Pacific side. Temurkhuja Abdukhaliqov and Otabek Shukurov both scored for the hosts, while Guam’s goalkeeper, Dallas Jaye, ensured the score remained relatively low. The backstop made save after save (nine in total), whether in a one-on-one contest, or backing up a prior save with a deft touch on the ball. The only unsaved attempts came via Abdukhaliqov’s header in the fourteenth minute and Shukurov’s low left footer in the 88th.

 

The UAE made two changes up front for their away match in Guam, while Guam maintained their same side. Zayed, one of the inclusions after he had scored against Laos, scored in the 18th minute as he made the most of a through ball. Guam certainly gave their own as they sought an equaliser, but the UAE did enough to hold onto the solitary-goal victory.

 

Uzbekistan flew to Laos with the same line-up, hoping to follow suit and gain three vital away points. However, Laos had other ideas, and the first half was a physical encounter, with no shots for the entire 45 minutes. After the break, Laos came out firing, leading to a goal for Kittisak Phomvongsa. Uzbekistan did not cave in, and an 89th-minute equaliser from Jaloliddin Masharipov ensured the score was 1-1.

 

Group B’s Cambodia played host to Pakistan, hoping to gain three points in their opening game. The Cambodians attacked early, though wayward shots became the norm of the first half. Pakistan hit the woodwork late in the half, before attacking more in the second half. As the match opened, so did Cambodia’s chances at scoring, only to fall short of the mark with their shots.

 

South Korea started well after having played two major tournaments in quick succession. Though they looked tired early in the second half against Lebanon, the Koreans were able to have full control over the match. Son Heung-Min scored in the 22nd minute before having two more attempts during the first half, including a power strike that hit the crossbar. Nam Tae-Hee came into his own when he ran for long period with the ball before shooting with his left. Son then bagged a brace with his header into goal for South Korea’s third.

 

The Asian Cup winners made two changes when they flew to Pakistan and looked the goods, only for Son to not capitalise on chances. Pakistan finally got a shot on target, and from then on, the match was far tighter. Son did eventually score in the 66th minute when he was found alone directly in front of goal. However, Ali Mahmood caught the Koreans napping and equalised a minute later in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it circumstance. From there, neither side could find the winning goal, and the game ended 1-1.

 

Lebanon also made two changes for their home game against Cambodia. Bassel Jradi scored twice in the first half in a 61% possession display for Lebanon. His first was a header after a cross from the right flank flew his way. Jradi then nearly set up two other goals, before the end of the half, he nailed another with his left foot. Substitute Nader Matar capped off the win late as he caught the rebound from a previous shot to snag Lebanon’s third for the match.

 

Asian Cup Quarter Finalists Iran started strong in their Group C away match to Syria, hitting the crossbar with their closest attempt. However, in the second half, it was Syria, who exited at the group stage in the Asian Cup, with all the forward play, and should have scored via Omar Al Somah. In the end, the opening encounter for the two sides finshed as a scoreless draw.

 

Bahrain faced off against Indonesia, two sides that made it to the Round of 16 in the Asian Cup. Bahrain should have scored at least once against their opponents, only for Indonesia to hold firm in a scoreless draw. Bahrain’s best effort was Sami Al-Huseini’s thud against the crossbar and Sayed Dhiya Saeed’s left footer that just missed the goal. Indonesia, knowing they must make three trips to the Middle East, are full of confidence knowing their first trip gained them a point.

 

Iran made one change for their home game against Bahrain, as did the away side. Iran scored twice in the first half to set up a solid win. However, it was Bahrain who looked the most dangerous early, before Iran took hold of the match and did not look back. Masoud Shojaei scored in the 21st minute with a grand goal from the semicircle. As for the second, Mohamad Mohebi gained the lead in a one-on-one run and snagged with his left beyond the Bahraini goalkeeper. Though the second half also favoured Iran, they were unable to pocket a third goal.

 

Syria started with a bang when they flew to Indonesia, scoring in the sixth and fifteenth minutes. Mahmoud Al-Mawas opened the campaign when he dribbled into the box; his first shot was blocked, before the ball stayed exactly where he connected the first time, and Al-Mawas made no mistake on the second. Omar Al Somah won a penalty for Syria after the goalkeeper slid to stop him; the ball had already been collected by defender Otavio Dutra and sent out of play. Mohammed Osman finished the spot kick in style. However, Indonesia did not let the goals deter them as they sought to gain at least one goal back. It all came to nought as Syria gained a vital away victory.

 

Palestine started Group D with a win over Hong Kong, thanks to a 62nd-minute winner from Sameh Maraaba. Earlier, the hosts looked dangerous, only for great saves from Hong Kong goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai to keep them at bay. Maraaba’s solo effort finally broke the deadlock. Hong Kong searched late for an equaliser, only for Akande Alex’s effort to be halted on the line.

 

Palestine’s fellow Asian Cup Round of 16 nation, Saudi Arabia, hosted the surprise Semi Finalists in the Philippines. Saudi Arabia had four episodes in the first half where they lined up to shoot for goal, only to have one of the five Philippines defenders steal the ball. The hosts soon worked around the back five issue, using corners as their strength, and scored in the 50th minute via Haroune Camara. From there, the Saudis continued to attack, only to have Camara’s effort as the single goal for the game.

 

Hong Kong then hosted Saudi Arabia, hoping to snag an unlikely win, while the Saudis hoped for a draw as the minimum. The East Asians came out swinging, scoring via the head of Kwan Cheng Siu. However, Saudi Arabia worked back into the match, and had equalised via Camara when he was found alone in the box. Abdullah Otayf and Firas Al Birakan both scored goals in the second half to gift the Saudis a 3-1 away victory and the perfect start on the road to Qatar.

 

Palestine made one change for their second match in midfield, while the Philippines maintained the back five strategy that served them well in the UAE during the Asian Cup. However, only two shots were made in the first half, in spite of the spritely game. The Philippines did improve in the second half, only to gain a shot on target, the only for the match, in the final minutes of the game. In the end, the scoreless draw seemed sufficient for both.

 

In Group E, Kuwait flew to Myanmar for their first match, where they had the first chance to score. Myanmar worked into the game and came out the better side for the first half, though they failed to net any goals. Their best chance came in the second half when the two substitutes, Naing Soe Win and Htet Aung Than, combined, with the latter hitting the woodwork with his diving header. Kuwait struggled in their forward half, and their best opportunity was thwarted by an offside decision. The match ended in a scoreless draw.

 

Two North Korean goals from corners set up the East Asian’s win over Yemen. Both sides drew deep into dangerous territory in the first half, setting up a tight encounter as neither side could find the breaking goal. In the 60th minute, Kim Kyong-hun came from left wing back and snagged the opener. However, Yemeni striker Aiman Al Hagri equalised three minutes later as North Korea switched off in defence. It took midfielder Pak Myong Song until the 88th minute to help his side wrestle back the lead with a cool header from a corner, and thus gaining the full three points.

 

Kuwait returned home with the same line-up to tackle North Korea who made one change. A late winner for North Korea again was on the menu, their first shot for the match. Kuwait dominated across most of the game, using the same tactics in winning corners as North Korea had done against Yemen. Nine shots were posted in the first half for the hosts; only three were on target, and of those all three were directed straight at the North Korean goalkeeper. The second half followed a similar pattern, only for North Korea to hold firm in defence and pounce when it counted, with Kim Yong-il scoring the winning goal.

 

Yemen, meanwhile, were full of confidence going up against Myanmar at home. That dissipated for a moment as Myanmar shocked the hosts with a goal in the second minute via Mg Mg Lwin. Yemen soon moved beyond the shock and scored twice before the break from Ahmed Al Sarori. The second half was in favour of the Yemenis, though they struggled to gain a third goal, but the three points were theirs.

 

In Group F, Mongolia shocked India as Myanmar had against Yemen, scoring in the second minute. Bat-Orgil Gerelt-Od had the ball cut back to him and he made no mistake. Mongolia, boosted by the home ground advantage, attacked with little relent, not allowing India enough of the ball to get back in the game. When Norjmoo Tsedenbal won a penalty for Mongolia (and was injured in the process), Baljinnyam Batbold stepped up and scored to his left. The two goal scorers then combined to nearly produce a third goal, only to the thwarted by the Indian goalkeeper. India finally worked into the game, with Udanta Singh pegging back a goal in the 67th minute. From there, however, Mongolia won a second penalty, only for Batbold’s shot to be saved this time. Still, the hosts came away 2-1 winners, with the best start possible.

 

Asian Cup Semi Finalists Australia started strong in their opening match against Afghanistan, who had reached the Round of 16 against the odds. Afghanistan showed their prowess as they provided as many early chances for their strikers as the Socceroos did. Eventually, the Australians took complete control of the match and had chance after chance halted by the Afghani goalkeeper, Ovays Azizi (fourteen saves in total and Player of the Match status). His best was a double save from two headers in quick succession off Tom Rogic and Mat Leckie. The pressure, though, became too great as Adam Taggart caught his head onto a cross from the left wing, opening the scoring in the 40th minute. Australia continued to spread the Afghani defence, and Rogic also scored with his head from a left-wing cross. At the end, substitute Massimo Luongo was first to reach a rebound and netted Australia’s third goal, a result they were mostly content to take to India.

 

In a rivalry usually reserved for cricket, two passing free kicks set up two of the three goals in the match between India and Australia. Brandon Fernandes was discovered free in the box as he shot, with the ball deflecting and wrong-footing Mat Ryan. Australia found the head of Rogic from a free kick that he had initially won. However, the Australian defensive structure needs refinement as India again found a way through, this time via substitute Lallianzuala Chhangte’s head from Singh’s second of two assists for the match. From there, desperate blocking and tackling held the Socceroos at bay, and India gained their first three points.

 

Mongolia made two changes in their second match, covering their captain Tsedenbal’s injured shoulder in the India game. However, the striker alteration was the best decision, as Enkhbileg Purevdorj scored early for Mongolia. Afghanistan did not lower their heads, and Farshad Noor ran from the left flank to level the match. The left wing became the Afghani choice of attack, leading to a second goal before the break via Omran Haydari, who had been formidable in their previous match against Australia. Haydari then bagged a second goal in the 86th minute, leaving the ground with a 3-1 victory and Player of the Match honours.

 

Asian Cup Quarter Finalists Oman took on Vietnam, who had failed to reach the Asian Cup, in Group G’s opening encounter. Oman took 41 minutes before they scored a goal, with Ahmed Mubarak catching onto his left back’s cross. In the second half, the floodgates opened as Jameel Al Yahmadi, substitute Harib Al Saadi and Muhsen Al Ghassani all scored. Al Yahmadi’s goal was a coolly taken right footer that hit the net with force. Al Saadi’s netter was a cross, again from left wing, to a grand volley by the midfielder. Al Ghassani capped off the win with a corner-header-goal in additional time to romp home 4-0 winners.

 

Japan and Kyrgyzstan faced off against one another as they had done in the Asian Cup group stage. Two goals came the way of the Japanese despite dominating the entire match and demanding far more as they had in that Asian Cup encounter. Kensuke Nagai and Genki Haraguchi both scored goals in the first half but were culprits that missed the goal from around 18 yards out; four times in the first half and twice in the second. Amongst that was also a shot that hit the post. Still, Japan managed to show why they are a formidable side, and why Kyrgyzstan needed to improve in their second match.

 

And improve they did as Mirlan Murzaev scored a hat trick to set up a 4-1 win over Oman. Oman made two changes for the match, while Kyrgyzstan started with the same eleven players. Murzaev’s first goal in the second minute shocked everyone as he and the defenders thought he was offside from a through ball. The assistant referee waved play on and Murzaev shot with his left foot to open the scoring. Muhsen Al Ghassani levelled the match only minutes later, scoring his second in two games. However, Murzaev restored the lead for the home team, this time with his right. After the break, Mohsin Johar was running back to assist his defence, only to knock the ball into his own net off a cross/shot. Murzaev then bagged his hat trick in the 67th minute, and from there, Kyrgyzstan had complete control of the match.

 

Vietnam surprised Japan with an early goal in their match via Nguyễn Huy Hùng from right midfield. Japan worked back into the game and soon had a penalty, of which Takumi Minamino slotted right down the middle of the goal. From there, both sides had chances to win, only for the scoreboard to display 1-1.

 

China needed to bounce back after their poor Asian Cup group stage exit, facing away to the Maldives in Group H. Newcomer striker Zhang Xizhe scored in the 27th minute for the visitors, as the Maldives looked good going forward, but weak in defence. That single goal set up the win for the Chinese and the best start to their qualification campaign.

 

Iraq, having bowed out of the Asian Cup in the Round of 16 to the hosts, invited East Timor to their home national stadium for their opening match to reach Qatar 2022. Inrahim Bash, from left wing back, scored a brilliant solo goal, setting up the win for the Iraqis. Bash then set up Amjad Attwan in the second half with a choice cross to the edge of the 18-yard box, and the striker made no mistake. However, the 2-0 scoreline was but a shadow of their former 2018 World Cup side potential.

 

Zheng Zhi and Zhang Xizhe should have scored for the hosts as China and Iraq played out a scoreless draw. The Iraqis also hit the woodwork, like Zhi, in the first half, but it was China who dominated the latter section of the first 45 minutes. Xizhe won a penalty late, though the Iraqi goalkeeper picked the correct way to jump, and the score remained deadlocked. China tried in vain in the second half, only to come up short as Iraq gained a crucial away draw.

 

East Timor looked the better side against the Maldives in their second match. It took until the 52nd minute, and plenty of missed opportunities, before Danilson scored, firing home a corner off his head. From there, the Timorese were able to hold the Maldives at bay and record their first three points of the Qualifiers.

 

The next set of 2022 World Cup Qualification matches will take place in March 2021.

 

Friendlies

To build momentum as hosts of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar played hosted to Singapore in a friendly. Against Singapore, they needed until the 64th minute to snag the match’s winner.

 

In their game against Jordan, a 1-0 win to Qatar seemed likely after the hosts capitalised on a defensive mistake, ensuring the ball trickled over the line in a one-on-one situation against the Jordanian goalkeeper. However, the Qatari defence gifted the visitors a responding goal, and the match ended 1-1. Both sides had chances from free kicks; the Jordanian kick needed a goalkeeping and post save, while Qatar’s substitute just missed the outside of the right-hand post.

 

March 12 World Cup Qualifiers Oceania MD5 Group A · Solomon Islands 1 American Samoa 1 · Palau 1 Papua New Guinea 0 Group B · New Zealand 1 Tonga 0 · Marshall Islands 2 Cook Islands 0 Group C · New Caledonia 1 Fiji 1 · Kiribati 1 Samoa 2 Group D · Vanuatu 1 Micronesia 0 · Tahiti 4 Tuvalu 1

March 13 World Cup Qualifiers (Asia Match Day 3) Group A · UAE 2 Laos 0 · Uzbekistan 2 Guam 0 Group B · Cambodia 0 Pakistan 0 · South Korea 3 Lebanon 0 Group C · Syria 0 Iran 0 · Bahrain 0 Indonesia 0 Group D · Palestine 1 Hong Kong 0 · Saudi Arabia 1 Philippines 0 Group E · Myanmar 0 Kuwait 0 · North Korea 2 Yemen 1 Group F · Mongolia 2 India 1 · Australia 3 Afghanistan 0 Group G · Oman 4 Vietnam 0 · Japan 2 Kyrgyzstan 0 Group H · Maldives 0 China 1 · Iraq 2 East Timor 0 Men’s Friendlies · Qatar 1 Singapore 0

March 18 World Cup Qualifiers (Asia Match Day 4) Group A · Laos 1 Uzbekistan 1 · Guam 0 UAE 1 Group B · Pakistan 1 South Korea 1 · Lebanon 3 Cambodia 0 Group C ·  Iran 2 Bahrain 0 · Indonesia 0 Syria 2 Group D · Hong Kong 1 Saudi Arabia 3 · Philippines 0 Palestine 0 Group E · Kuwait 0 North Korea 1 · Yemen 2 Myanmar 1 Group F · India 2 Australia 1 · Afghanistan 3 Mongolia 1 Group G · Vietnam 1 Japan 1 · Kyrgyzstan 4 Oman 1 Group H · China 0 Iraq 0 · East Timor 1 Maldives 0 Men’s Friendlies · Qatar 1 Jordan 1