North Korea-Iran 0-0 in World Cup qualifier

Associated Press ,  Seoul   |  Sat, 06/06/2009 7:01 PM  |  Sports

Iran's hopes of reaching the 2010 World Cup are hanging by a thread and North Korea missed a chance to take a big stride toward the same target, as the teams played a 0-0 draw in their 2010 World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang on Saturday.

The result pleased neither team. With the top two teams from the five-team group to qualify directly for South Africa 2010 and the third-placed team to go into a further playoff, Iran stays in fourth with seven points from six games.

It faces a must-win home game against the already eliminated United Arab Emirates on Wednesday before a final fixture away to first-placed South Korea.

Victory for North Korea would have secured at least a playoff spot, but it now must either win its final game away to Saudi Arabia on June 17, or hope other results go its way.

Iran was the better team for the first half of an open and entertaining game but struggled to find a way through the much-vaunted Korean backline. The host created better and more chances after the break.
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