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Japan, South Korea and Australia became the first teams to advance to the 2010 World Cup finals, leaving just one direct qualification place still up for grabs from Asia.

Japan beat Uzbekistan 1-0 in Group One and were the first team through for the second time in a row, having also set the pace for the 2006 finals in Germany.

South Korea, the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists, outclassed already-eliminated United Arab Emirates 2-0 in their Group Two affair and reached the tournament for the seventh successive time.

Australia advanced via the Asian route for the first time after ditching Oceania two years ago.

They were content to play out a goalless draw with Qatar in Doha to maintain their unbeaten run and share the lead with Japan on 14 points, trailed by Bahrain (7), Qatar (5) and Uzbekistan (4), still in with a chance of a play-off spot.

The top two in each of the two groups qualify directly for South Africa, with the two third-place teams meeting to decide who goes through to a play-off to take on Oceania champions New Zealand.

"They put us under pressure, we knew that, but we thought they could only do that for 20 minutes and they did it for almost 90," Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek said of their opponents.

"The World Cup is a great, great event and I'm already looking forward to going there."

Shinji Okazaki scored a crucial but clumsy early goal for Japan against Uzbekistan in Tashkent to guarantee the Blue Samurai a place in South Africa with two games to spare.

North Korea missed their chance of securing at least a play-off berth in Group Two when they were held to a goalless draw with Iran. The draw was a setback for Iran, whose chances of qualification now appear slim.

In Dubai, South Korea were ahead after only five minutes against UAE when Park Chu-young chested down a cross in a crowded area and coolly prodded home from six metres.

The visitors were always in command and were two up on 37 minutes after a comical goalkeeping blunder by Majed Nasser.

Nasser tried to keep the ball from going for a corner but only pushed the ball into the path of a surprised Ki Sung-yueng who slotted casually into an empty net.

South Korea lead the group with 14 points from six matches, followed by North Korea, who last reached the World Cup in 1966, on 11 points. Saudi Arabia are third on 10 points, with Iran fourth on seven.

In Tashkent, Okazaki shot tamely at the Uzbek keeper from close range nine minutes into the game but somehow managed to head the loose ball into the net as he fell to the floor.

Japan looked jittery as the match went into stoppage time and they almost threw away their chances of early qualification, with Islom Tuhtahujaev and Server Djeparov coming agonisingly close from long range.

The next matches across Asia take place on Wednesday, when Bahrain get a chance to cement a play-off place and Saudi Arabia push for an automatic Group Two berth.

SOUTH AMERICA

Brazil went top of the South American World Cup qualifying group with an astonishing 4-0 win in Uruguay as previous leaders Paraguay slumped to a 2-0 home defeat by Chile .

Bolivia, 6-1 winners at home to Argentina in La Paz two months ago, were brought back to earth with a bump as they lost 1-0 to a youthful Venezuela team in the same stadium at 3,600 metres above sea level.

Argentina, meanwhile, were relieved to run out 1-0 winners at home to Colombia and put their campaign back on track.

Saturday's results left Brazil, Paraguay, Chile and Argentina as clear favourites to claim the four direct places at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The fifth-placed team faces the fourth side from CONCACAF in a two-leg play off.

With five matches each to play, Brazil lead the 10-team group with 24 points, ahead of Paraguay on goal difference. The two sides meet in Recife on Wednesday.

Chile are one point behind in third place with Argentina a further point adrift in fourth. Fifth-placed Uruguay are five points behind Diego Maradona's team on 17 and only one ahead of Venezuela, who they visit in Puerto Ordaz on Wednesday.

Colombia, eighth with 14, still have an outside hope but Bolivia, ninth with 12, appear to be out of contention.

Brazil, who appear to revel when the opposition attack them, stunned Montevideo's Centenario stadium when Daniel Alves scored with a 40-metre shot which was badly misjudged by goalkeeper Sebastian Viera in the 12th minute.

Juan headed the second against the run of play before halftime and Luis Fabiano blasted the third into the roof of the net early in the second half, his seventh goal of the qualifiers.

Although Luis Fabiano was sent off for a second bookable offence, Kaka won and converted a penalty in the 75th minute to give Brazil their first win in Uruguay since 1976. The hosts had Maximiliano Pereira sent off for a wild lunge at Ramires.

"When you play football, you always win," said Brazil coach Dunga, implying that Uruguay had tried to intimidate his team with strong-arm tactics.

Venezuela avoided falling into the same trap as Argentina for their visit to La Paz.

Argentina suffered in the thin air last April after arriving two hours before kick off and fielding almost the same side which had played only four days earlier.

The Venezuelans dispatched an alternative team, made up of players from their under-20 side, and spent three weeks acclimatising at altitude.

Bolivia self-destructed in a 12-minute first-half spell when Marcelo Martins missed a penalty and Ronald Rivero put through his own goal.

"We showed that it's possible to play at altitude and that it's possible to face Bolivia on equal terms and win," said goalkeeper Rafael Romo.

Defender Daniel Diaz volleyed Argentina's winner early in the second half after Colombia had dominated the first half in Buenos Aires.

"I was furious at halftime," Maradona said. "In the first half, Colombia won all the 50-50 balls. That can't happen in our own stadium."

Matias Fernandez and Humberto Suazo scored in each half as Chile won in Paraguay, who have taken only one point from their last nine.

"Our opponents were clearly better than us," said Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino. "There's not much to say."

NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

Mexico slumped to their fourth successive away defeat in World Cup qualifiers with a 2-1 reverse in El Salvador, while the United States recovered to get their campaign back on track for South Africa.

Midfielder Celso Borges scored twice as CONCACAF region leaders Costa Rica backed up their win over the US on Wednesday with a 3-2 triumph at Trinidad & Tobago to stay top of the final stage standing as the marathon tournament nears its climax.

Mexico dropped to fifth in the six-team group after Eliseo Quintanilla's late penalty left them on three points from four games, ruining coach Javier Aguirre's second debut with the side.

The top three teams qualify directly for South Africa and the fourth plays off against the fifth South American team for an additional berth.

Mexico have lost all three away games - against US, Honduras and El Salvador - and were also beaten in Honduras in the last away game of the competition's previous stage.

Four of their remaining six games are at home but they have no more margins for error.

Former Atletico Madrid coach Aguirre, brought back after Sven-Goran Eriksson was sacked in April, had promised a more positive attitude but instead saw his team fall behind to Julio Martinez's 11th goal at San Salvador's hostile Cuscatlan stadium.

Mexico equalised in the 71st minute with a penalty converted by playmaker Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who was recalled by Aguirre despite announcing his international retirement under Eriksson last year.

But Oscar Rojas was adjudged to have handled with four minutes left and Quintanilla stepped up to score and take El Salvador to third place with five points.

"Beating Mexico is a special sensation," El Salvador coach and former Mexico international Carlos de los Cobos said. "We have a team of players who know how to play football."

The US edged to a nervy 2-1 victory over Honduras after the visitors had made a dream start in Chicago when Carlos Costly scored with a 25-metre shot in the fifth minute.

Landon Donovan equalised with a penalty two minutes before halftime after Mario Beata handled and a brave diving header by captain Carlos Bocanegra in the 69th minute gave the relieved hosts the points.

"After we went behind, we were thinking 'not again' but we fought together and stayed together in a team effort and showed character to come back and win," Bocanegra said.

The US stayed second with 10 points from five games while Honduras dropped to fourth with four from four.

Norwegian-based Borges, on target against the US last Wednesday, scored twice in the second half as Costa Rica came from behind to beat the Soca Warriors.

The Central Americans have 12 points while Trinidad are bottom with two. Honduras are fourth on four points.

AFRICA

Burkina Faso and Gabon kept up their unlikely march on a possible 2010 World Cup places with key wins in their qualifying matches.

Both kept their 100 per cent records in the final phase of Africa's qualifiers, as did Tunisia, who beat Mozambique 2-0.

Gabon, who scored an upset away victory over Morocco in their opening Group A match in March, easily disposed of Togo 3-0 in Libreville while Burkina Faso won 1-0 away in Malawi .

Zambia were also far from convincing in their Group C match but a 1-0 win over Rwanda in Chililabombwe puts them ahead in the standings.

Reuters