South Korea handles Jordan without star forwards and Australia wins in Popovic’s first game
China's Hu Hetao reacts after a collision with Australia's Jordan Bos, left, during the World Cup 2026 Group C qualifying soccer match between Australia and China at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia, Thursday Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/James Elsby)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/James Elsby]
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — South Korea has beaten Jordan 2-0 without injured English Premier League stars Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan and topped its group in Asian World Cup qualifying. Lee Jae-sung headed the opener and Oh Hyeon-gyu sealed the win after the break in Amman on Thursday. Australia got its campaign back on track by beating visiting China 3-1 in coach Tony Popovic’s first game in charge. Japan beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 in Jeddah to stay top of the group with three wins from three. Group A leaders Uzbekistan and Iran, for which Saleh Hardani was sent off after 57 minutes, drew 0-0 in Tashkent.
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