The CONMEBOL/OFC playoff between Australia and Uruguay went to overtime after both legs finished 1-0 to the home team. After thirty goalless minutes, it became the first time a Men's World Cup place was decided on penalties. Mark SCHWARZER saved two attempts, and John ALOISI scored the winner to send Australia into their first World Cup since Germany 1974. Elsewhere, Dennis LAWRENCE was the hero for the Soca Warriors as Trinidad-Tobago won the AFC/CONCACAF playoff 2-1 on aggregate over Bahrain, qualifying for the first time. In the UEFA playoffs, Turkey stormed back from a 3-0 aggregate deficit, but Marco STRELLER scored a second away goal as the final score ended up 4-4, Switzerland qualifying 2-0 on away goals. The Czech Rep dispatched Norway 2-0 on aggregate, and Spain won 6-2 on aggregate over Slovakia.

After 837 matches played and 2,441 goals scored [not counting Mirjalal KASIMOV's goal in the Great Annulled Match of SAT 03 SEP 2005], 27 of the 32 teams to compete at Germany 2006 are known. The other five will be the winners of the AFC/CONCACAF playoff between Trinidad-Tobago and Bahrain, the CONMEBOL/OFC playoff between Uruguay and Australia, and the winners of the three UEFA playoffs. Each of the three seeded teams – Czech Rep, Spain, and Turkey – will be drawn against an unseeded team – Norway, Slovakia, and Switzerland – in Zürich on FRI 14 OCT 2005.

The only thing to be determined in the CONCACAF final round on WED 12 OCT 2005 was the playoff team's identity. more...

Bahrain came out attacking against Uzbekistan in the second leg of their AFC playoff on WED 12 OCT 2005, and despite never finding net, they also kept the Uzbeks off the scoreboard. With a 0-0 result on the day and a 1-1 aggregate scoreline, Bahrain moved through on away goals, 1-0, thanks to Talal MOHAMED's goal in the first leg in Tashkent. Trinidad-Tobago will face Bahrain in the AFC/CONCACAF playoff.

The last of the usual suspects qualified in the CONCACAF final round on SAT 08 OCT 2005. more...

In a unique case, the first leg of the AFC playoff has been annulled by the FIFA World Cup Organising Committee. The match, which Uzbekistan won 1-0 over Bahrain in Tashkent, was marred by controversy in the 39th minute when referee Toshimitsu YOSHIDA ruled that an Uzbek player had encroached on the area during Server DJEPAROV's penalty kick. The problem, however, was that Yoshida failed to order a retake, as the Laws of the Game dictate, and instead awarded Bahrain a free kick. Hence, both legs of the playoff will now be pushed back, the first leg due in Tashkent on SAT 08 OCT 2005 and the second leg in Manama on WED 12 OCT 2005.

Bahrain's playoff opponents were revealed in the AFC third round WED 17 AUG 2005. more...

All four automatic Men's World Cup berths were secured in the AFC third round on WED 08 JUN 2005. more...

A quick summary of action around the AFC third round on FRI 03 JUN 2005. more...

On FRI 29 APR 2005, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee handed down punishments for crowd trouble at 2006 Men's World Cup qualifiers in MAR 2005. Korea DPR must play at a neutral venue, with doors closed, against Japan on WED 08 JUN 2005 after unrest at AFC group B matches against Bahrain and Iran. Iran, in turn, must play Korea DPR on FRI 03 JUN 2005 with no more than 50,000 spectators in attendance. Six were killed in a crush at the exits at Iran's match against Japan on FRI 25 MAR 2005. Georgia, whose fans threw objects onto the field at UEFA Group 2 matches against Greece and Turkey, are to face the Ukraine on SAT 03 SEP 2005 and Kazakhstan on SAT 08 OCT 2005 behind closed doors. In addition, Korea DPR were fined 20,000 Swiss francs [US$16,700], Iran CHF30,000 [US$25,100], and Georgia CHF5,000 [US$4,200]. All of these decisions can be appealed.

A quick summary of action around the AFC third round on WED 30 MAR 2005. more...

A quick summary of action around the AFC third round on FRI 25 MAR 2005. more...

A quick summary of action around the AFC third round on WED 09 FEB 2005. more...

The eight surviving Asian teams were drawn into their AFC third round groups on THU 09 DEC 2004. Group 1 features Korea Rep, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan, whilst Group 2 will involve Bahrain, Iran, Japan, and Korea DPR. The matches will be contested between WED 09 FEB-WED 17 AUG 2005, with the top two in each group qualifying for Germany 2006. The third placed teams must then face one another for the right to contest the AFC/CONCACAF playoff.

Iran's Ali KARIMI was awarded the AFC's Player of the Year award on THU 09 DEC 2004, becoming the fourth Iranian to win the honour since its inauguration ten years ago. Karimi's accomplishments include a hat trick in a 4-3 win over Korea Rep in the Asian Cup quarterfinals and a league leading 14 goals for his club, Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates. A'ala HUBAIL of Bahrain and Shunsuke NAKAMURA of Japan were the other finalists. Awards also given include PARK Chu Young of Korea Rep as best youth player, Japan as the team of the year, and Iraq's Adnan HAMD as best coach.

The teams in the AFC third round are Bahrain, Iran, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Rep, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan. They will be drawn into two groups of four on THU 09 DEC 2004. In the CONCACAF final round, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad-Tobago, and the United States will play in a single group. Both rounds begin on WED 09 FEB 2005.