Iraq 1 - Jordan 0; Japan 2 - Oman 1

Oman welcomed Group Two leaders Japan to Muscat in the hopes of finally breaking their duck against the Samurai Blue by recording a first win in their ninth match against Japan.  However, even a draw would see Oman skip idle Australia to move into second position in the group.  Oman had a golden chance ten minutes into the match when Ismail Al Ajmi's run down the right side of the box drew two defenders and the goalkeeper before laying a ball off in front of the empty net.  However, Fawzi Bashir missed the easy effort well over the goal.  Japan would punish Bashir's miss ten minutes later.  Japanese left back Yuto Nagatomo sent a weak cross from the left side of the box that somehow eluded all the Oman defenders in the area, allowing Hiroshi Kiyotake to score his first international goal to give Japan a 1-0 lead.  The visitors took that lead into the break.

With less than one quarter hour remaining in the match, Oman found their equalizer.  Ahmed Mubarak stood over a free kick from twenty-three yards.  Mubarak selected a low ball that rolled around the wall and curled into the far corner as it passed beyond the reach of multiple outstretched legs searching for a redirecting touch.  In the final minute, the crowd were stunned into silence.  Gotoku Sakai raced down the let flank and sent a ball into the box that was flicked on at the near post by Yasuhito Endo.  Shinji Okazaki was the beneficiary as the ball bounced to him for a tidy short-range put away and a road victory.  Japan win 2-1, guaranteeing themselves at worst a spot in the Asian fifth-place playoff with today's result.

Doha, Qatar was the home site for Iraq against Jordan.  This match was dominated by the two goalkeepers: Noor Sabri of Iraq and Amer Shafi of Jordan.  A whipped in cross was too much for Jordan forward Tha'er Bawab to handle as his header could not find the frame unmarked from ten yards.  Jordan right winger Khalil Bani Attiah preserved the tie later in the half as his last-ditch sliding block prevented an Iraqi shot from five yards.  Jordan had a good chance to go ahead near the end of the period, but Abdallah Deeb's dipping effort from outside the box was parried away on the short hop by Sabri.  The half ended scoreless.

In the latter portions of the second half, Shafi was called into action often.  He punched away a strong strike from substitute Amjed Rahdi.  With four minutes left, Iraq's Hammadi Ahmed took advantage of the time and space he had at the left side of the half circle by unleashing a ball that tailed away from a diving Shafi and into the Jordanian net.  Iraq held onto their new-found 1-0 lead for the remainder of the match to grab their first win of the campaign 1-0 over Jordan.

Japan 13 pts +11
Australia 5 pts 0
Iraq 5 pts -1
Oman 5 pts -3
Jordan 4 pts -7

Goals
Japan
Hiroshi Kiyotake 20
Shinji Okazaki 89

Oman
Ahmed Mubarak 77

Iraq
Hammadi Ahmed 86

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1900115/index.html
http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/soccer/story/Japan-beats-Oman-21-in-WCup-qualifier-20504303
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1900117/index.html
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Iraq-beats-Jordan-1-0-in-2014-WCup-qualifier-4036526.php

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjCh5aAwS5A&feature=g-all-u (Japan v. Oman)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50I9dCipWRE&feature=relmfu (Iraq v. Jordan)

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYeRIiRV-Pw (Japan v. Oman)