But Iran may actually have to watch Qatar and Uzbekistan most closely, while the fifth team in Iran’s group, Lebanon, is likely to be the punching bag.
The Asian elimination play started with 43 teams. Ten teams have now made the fourth and final elimination round.
The 10 teams were divided into two groups in a drawing last month. Each team will play the others in its group in a home and away series with the top two teams in each group going to Brazil for the Cup finals.
The third placed teams from each group will play each other in a pair of home and away matches. The winner of that contest will play the fifth placed team from Latin America in a pair of home and away matches to decide which one goes to the finals and which one goes home.
Here are the two groups for the final round in Asia. The number after each team is its computer world ranking as issued by FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, on March 7.
Group A Group B
S. Korea (30) Australia (20)
Iran (51) Japan (33)
Uzbekistan (67) Iraq (76)
Qatar (88) Jordan (83)
Lebanon (124) Oman (92)
There are 32 teams in the World Cup finals. So, if the computer ranking was used, only Australia and South Korea would attend from Asia. But the World Cup rules guarantee four slots to Asia with a chance at a fifth.
Iran will likely be battling South Korea for first place. But the real key for Iran will be to look over its shoulder and not lose out on second place to Uzbekistan or Qatar. Uzbekistan was the surprise team in the last elimination round. It won with the most points, 16, of any of the 20 teams in that round. It won five of its games and tied the sixth. (Iran had three wins and three draws.) Qatar was in Iran’s group in the last round. And Qatar was the only team Iran could not beat; the teams played to 1-1 and 2-2 draws in their two matches.
In the upcoming round, the top two teams advance to the finals and the placement, first or second, doesn’t make any difference. So it will not matter to Iran if South Korea comes in first—just so long as it doesn’t soften up Iran to be displaced from second place.
Iran starts off against Uzbekistan and then faces Qatar and Lebanon before it even sees South Korea.
The first matches of this next round will be played June 3. Play will continue for more than a year through June 2013. Here is the Group A schedule.
June 3, 2012—Uzbekistan hosts IRAN
June 3, 2012—Lebanon hosts Qatar
June 8, 2012—Qatar hosts South Korea
June 8, 2012—Lebanon hosts Uzbekistan
June 12, 2012—South Korea hosts Lebanon
June 12, 2012—IRAN hosts Qatar
September 11, 2012—Lebanon hosts IRAN
September 11, 2012—Uzbekistan hosts South Korea
October 16, 2012—Qatar hosts Uzbekistan
October 16, 2012—IRAN hosts South Korea
November 14, 2012—IRAN hosts Uzbekistan
November 14, 2012—Qatar hosts Lebanon
March 26, 2013—South Korea hosts Qatar
March 26, 2013—Uz-bekistan hosts Lebanon
June 4, 2013—Lebanon hosts South Korea
June 4, 2013—Qatar hosts IRAN
June 11, 2013—IRAN hosts Lebanon
June 11, 2013—South Korea hosts Uzbekistan
June 18, 2013—Uzbekistan hosts Qatar
June 18, 2013—South Korea hosts IRAN