Associated Press

Saitama, February 10:

Regional powers Japan and South Korea both opened the final round of Asian World Cup qualifying with home victories on Wednesday, with the Japanese needing an injury time goal to get past North Korea 2-1.

South Korea beat Kuwait 2-0 to take the lead in Group A ahead of Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, which drew 1-1. Bahrain and Iran drew 0-0 to sit behind Japan in Group B.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the 32-team field at the 2006 World Cup. The third-place teams will face each other in a playoff for the right to play a team from CONCACAF for a fifth berth in Germany.

Reigning World Cup champion Brazil trounced Hong Kong 7-1 in a friendly match.

Substitute Masashi Oguro scored the winner for Japan at Saitama Stadium when North Korean goalkeeper Sim Sung Chol lost control of the ball in front of his goal and the Gamba Osaka forward capitalised.

Midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara had given Japan an early lead with a curling free kick in the third minute after teammate Alessandro Santos was dragged down in the area. The North Koreans took the momentum in the second half and Nam Song Chol scored in the 62nd minute to tie the match.

In South Korea, Lee Young-pyo scored a late goal to seal a win for the home team over Kuwait. Striker Lee Dong-gook opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a left-footed shot that delighted the crowd at Seoul’s World Cup Stadium. Lee latched onto a pass from teammate Park Ji-sung in the 82nd minute and converted South Korea’s second goal.

In Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 88th-minute substitution Anvarjon Soliyev scored four minutes after entering the game to give Uzbekistan the draw with Saudi Arabia.

Soliyev stole the ball and tallied on a solo effort down the right flank.

Sami Al Jaber entered the game in the 71st and silenced the sellout crowd of 55,000 at Pakhtakor stadium four minutes, settling a long pass, and with his back to the goal, lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Alexey Polyakov.