World Cup 2018 Qualifying Results: Tuesday's AFC Scores, Tables, Latest Fixtures
Australia's perfect start to the second round of AFC 2018 World Cup qualifying continued on Tuesday with a comfortable 3-0 win over Tajikistan, while Japan crushed Afghanistan 6-0 to keep up with the Syrians in Group E.
Syria maintained their perfect start with a dominant 6-0 win over Cambodia, setting the stage for what should be an epic clash when the two teams meet in October.
Elsewhere, China cruised past Maldives 3-0, while Thailand completed a late comeback against Iraq. Here are the full results of Tuesday's fixtures, as well as the upcoming schedule:
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| September 8 | A | Malaysia | Suspended | Saudi Arabia |
| September 8 | A | Palestine | 0-0 | UAE |
| September 8 | B | Bangladesh | 0-4 | Jordan |
| September 8 | B | Tajikistan | 0-3 | Australia |
| September 8 | C | Maldives | 0-3 | China |
| September 8 | C | Hong Kong | 2-3 | Qatar |
| September 8 | D | Guam | 0-0 | Oman |
| September 8 | D | India | 0-3 | Iran |
| September 8 | E | Cambodia | 0-6 | Syria |
| September 8 | E | Afghanistan | 0-6 | Japan |
| September 8 | F | Taiwan | 1-2 | Vietnam |
| September 8 | F | Thailand | 2-2 | Iraq |
| September 8 | G | Laos | 0-2 | Kuwait |
| September 8 | G | Lebanon | 0-3 | South Korea |
| September 8 | H | Philippines | 1-5 | Uzbekistan |
| September 8 | H | Yemen | tbd | Bahrain |
| October 8 | A | Timor-Leste | tbd | Palestine |
| October 8 | A | Saudi Arabia | tbd | UAE |
| October 8 | B | Kyrgyzstan | tbd | Tajikistan |
| October 8 | B | Jordan | tbd | Australia |
| October 8 | C | Bhutan | tbd | Maldives |
| October 8 | C | Qatar | tbd | China |
| October 8 | D | Turkmenistan | tbd | India |
| October 8 | D | Oman | tbd | Iran |
| October 8 | E | Singapore | tbd | Afghanistan |
| October 8 | E | Syria | tbd | Japan |
| October 8 | F | Vietnam | tbd | Iraq |
| October 8 | G | Myanmar | tbd | Lebanon |
| October 8 | G | Kuwait | tbd | South Korea |
| October 8 | H | North Korea | tbd | Philippines |
| October 8 | H | Bahrain | tbd | Uzbekistan |
Here are the current group standings:
| UAE | 3 | 7 | Australia | 3 | 9 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | 6 | Jordan | 3 | 6 |
| Palestine | 3 | 4 | Kyrgyzstan | 3 | 3 |
| Timor-Leste | 3 | 1 | Tajikistan | 3 | 1 |
| Malaysia | 3 | 1 | Bangladesh | 4 | 1 |
| Qatar | 3 | 9 | Iran | 3 | 7 |
| China | 3 | 7 | Oman | 3 | 7 |
| Hong Kong | 4 | 7 | Guam | 4 | 7 |
| Maldives | 3 | 0 | Turkmenistan | 3 | 1 |
| Bhutan | 3 | 0 | India | 3 | 0 |
| Syria | 3 | 9 | Thailand | 3 | 7 |
| Japan | 3 | 7 | Iraq | 2 | 4 |
| Singapore | 3 | 4 | Vietnam | 2 | 3 |
| Afghanistan | 3 | 3 | Chinese Taipei | 3 | 0 |
| Cambodia | 4 | 0 | Indonesia | DQ | DQ |
| South Korea | 3 | 9 | North Korea | 3 | 9 |
| Kuwait | 3 | 9 | Uzbekistan | 3 | 6 |
| Lebanon | 3 | 3 | Philippines | 3 | 6 |
| Myanmar | 3 | 1 | Bahrain | 2 | 0 |
| Laos | 4 | 1 | Yemen | 3 | 0 |
Recap
Tim Cahill scored twice as the Socceroos easily beat Tajikistan 3-0, maintaining their perfect record and a two-point lead over Jordan in Group B.
Mark Milligan opened the scoring in the second half before Cahill's brace put the hosts away for good. Tajikistan did well to keep the game close as long as they did, but according to Matthew Spiranovic, the Aussies knew they'd tire eventually, as shared by the team's official Twitter account:
Jordan still sit just two points behind the Socceroos, and with the two teams set to meet in Irbid next month, the race to the top spot in Group B is about to get interesting.
Japan cruised to a 6-0 win over Afghanistan, with Shinji Kagawa opening the score early with an absolute beauty and adding a second goal later. AC Milan's Keisuke Honda also got on the scoresheet, while Shinji Okazaki (twice) and Masato Morishige rounded out the scoring.
The J-Talk podcast was actually somewhat disappointed with the final score, a testament to how dominant the Samurai Blue were:
Kagawa's first goal was a superb effort from long range that neatly tucked into the left corner, setting the stage for an easy afternoon for the Samurai Blue. Japan were shockingly held to a draw by Singapore and have been chasing Syria at the top of the table ever since, but it looks like the team is finally turning the corner.
Syria have been in sensational form of late and recorded another lopsided win over Cambodia, beating the hosts 6-0. As shared by BBC Sport's Matt Slater, the Eagles have now gone nine straight matches without tasting defeat:
The hosts did well to shut out the favoured Eagles for almost half an hour, but three quick goals in 11 minutes sealed their fate. Omar Khribin was the big hero for the visitors, scoring two of the first three goals.
The Eagles and the Samurai Blue have yet to face each other, and with the rest of Group E dropping points left and right, the battle for first place will undoubtedly come down to these two teams. The two will finally meet for the first time next month in Oman, and while Japan remain the favourites, Syria's incredible form means an upset could be in the making.
China and Qatar continued their strong starts in Group C, with the former securing a 3-0 win over the Maldives and the latter beating Hong Kong 3-2 in Tuesday's most anticipated clash.
He Bai and Godfred Karikari scored twice in three minutes to bring the hosts back within one goal of Qatar, who held on to the lead and the top position in their group. The Qatari have yet to lose but now face a tough match against China in Doha next month.
Dabao Yu scored twice for Team Dragon, who took their foot off of the gas early and wasted little energy against the football minnows. Similar to Japan's situation, their upcoming match against Qatar will be crucial, so avoiding injuries or suspensions was key.
Iraq were leading Thailand by two goals with just 10 minutes left to play when the hosts kicked off the comeback of the day, scoring twice in three minutes to secure a draw and keep the lead in Group F.
First, Theerathon Bunmathan converted from the penalty spot, before Mongkol Tossakrai broke Iraqi hearts with a late equaliser. Iraq are still expected to reach the third qualifying round with ease, although their path to the Asia Cup may not be as straightforward as first expected.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's match against Saudi Arabia was suspended, per the AFC Asian Cup's official Twitter account.
