The Asian road to Germany is winding its way westwards and is now approaching its final stage. Only eight nations are left from the thirty-nine that set out back in November 2003.
The eight teams that have made it to the second stage have been split into two groups of four. Group One contains South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait.
Group Two consists of Japan, Iran, Bahrain and North Korea.
The four teams that finish in the top two places in each group will be able to relax and look forward to the summer of 2006. The two third-placed nations will play off against each other with the winner earning itself another play-off against the fourth place team from the Concafaf region.
South Korea
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In order to qualify for its sixth consecutive finals, Asia's most successful world cup team will have to improve on its first stage performance. One would think that with players such as PSV's Park Ji-sung, Numancia's Lee Chun-soo and Yokohama's Ahn Jung-hwan at
Jo Bonfrere's disposal that such an improvement wouldn't be a problem.
However, such attacking talent hasn't delivered enough goals but it would be a major shock if the Koreans don't get the chance to
win their first ever game at a foreign world cup tournament next summer.
Prediction: The defence doesn't seem to be as strong as it was but the team is still hard to beat with a midfield that will outrun and outgun most teams.
Saudi Arabia
The feeling in Asia is that the Saudis are a team on the wane,
not surprising perhaps as the country has seen fourteen coaching changes since the 1994 World Cup, the pinnacle of the nation's achievements on the global stage.
Still, new man Argentinean Gabriel Calderon has a healthy World Cup pedigree. 2004 was a mixed bag for the Saudis with first round
Gulf and Asian Cup exits sandwiching a perfect first stage qualifying
record.
Despite the inconsistency, qualification will not be enough for the South American's paymasters; the restoration of the country's footballing reputation after the 2002 debacle will be demanded.
Prediction: Germany 2006 could be the first host nation since Italy in 1990 not to see the Saudis as third place and a play-off beckons for the Asian giants.
Uzbekistan
New coach, German Jurgen Gede could go down in history as the first man to lead a Central Asian team to a world cup competition. The Uzbekis, with star strikers, Maksim Shatskikh and Alexander Geynrikh looking increasingly dangerous together, feel that this will be their year.
An impressive Asian Cup performance was followed by an equally impressive first stage record, suggesting that Uzbekistan is a team on the way up.
Prediction: They'll be dancing in the streets of Tashkent come August as the tough tackling Uzbekis finish in second.
Kuwait
Kuwait coach Slobodan 'Bob' PavkovicLike Uzbekistan, Kuwait have changed coaches since topping their first stage group with Serbian Slobodan 'Bob' Pavkovic taking over from the luckless Mohammed Ibrahim. Kuwait, as China discovered in the first stage, are not to be underestimated and in Bashar Abdullah, the team has a striker to be feared.
However, the Middle easterners are inconsistent and it is difficult to envisage them putting together a series of results good enough to finish in the top two.
Prediction: As a 2-1 victory over the Saudis in December demonstrated, Kuwait has what is takes to finish third but a subsequent 2-0 defeat by Qatar shows why a bottom-placed finish is more likely.
Japan
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At this moment, it is almost unthinkable that the Asian Champions will not qualify from this group, even though it is known as 'the Group of Death.' Zico's players seem to be maturing at the right time and such skilful operators as Shunsuke Nakamura and Shiniji Ono deserve the chance to showcase such talents on the biggest stage.
It won't be plain sailing for Asia's number one team as three tricky trips lie ahead to Teheran, Manama and Pyongyang. The two games against the North Koreans, the group's weakest team, will be politically charged to say the least leaving the Japanese with no room for error.
Prediction: The discipline, organization and the skill of Nippon will see the boys in Germany in 2006 but it could be tougher than many of the fans think.
Iran
The Iranians will not have forgotten what happened in the same stage in 2001 when a 3-1 defeat in Bahrain condemned the team to
a play-off against Ireland. 'Team Melli' still smart from that defeat and will be desperate to get revenge on Bahrain and prove to Japan that Iran is Asia's number one.
With three Asian Players of the Year in the team, 2004 version Ali
Karimi, 2003, Mehdi Mahdavikia and 1999's Ali Daei then the Iranians have the personnel to do just that.
Prediction: Knowing Iran, there will be a few twists and turns on the way but the road lies open to Germany and coach Branko Ivankovic will ensure that his team won't make the same mistakes as in 2001.
Bahrain
Srecko Juricic has turned the Bahrainis into a respected Asian
outfit, albeit one that looks to be significantly better going forward than at the back. The first Asian team to be awarded the prize for 'Best Mover' in FIFA's rankings back in 2003, continued the improvement last year with a fourth place in the Asian Cup and a
smooth first stage.
Despite developing somewhat of a reputation for gamesmanship, the
achievement of a nation of only 650,000 in being the 47th rank in the world is an impressive one.
Prediction: 'Asia's Greece' will probably have to make it through the play-offs in order to get the chance to meet its
European namesake.
North Korea
The only nation of the eight remaining to employ a coach who hails from within its borders, North Korea is hoping to surprise a few
people in its first attempt to reach a World Cup competition since 1994.
The regime in Pyongyang has been making ebullient noises about the
lost decade, claiming that it was spent preparing the players for another attempt at World Cup glory forty years after the first.
Houses, cash and cars have been promised for the players if an opening day victory in Japan yields three points. The return trip to Pyongyang to play in front of 100,000 spectators in the Kim Sung-il stadium is not one Japan, Iran or Bahrain will be looking forward to.
Prediction: Home form could keep the outsiders in with a
chance as the away trips look to be too difficult for the team's inexperienced players. A play-off place would be greeted with delight in Pyongyang but it is more likely that North Koreans will be finishing bottom.
