Does anyone know what the deal is with the Asian qualifying tourney? China is listed as a participant, but it already has a spot in the World Cup as the host. What happens if (actually, when) China wins its qualifying group?
The AFC is using their continental championship was their World Cup qualifying, same as CONCACAF. If China should happen to win the tournament, the second and third place finishers would get the automatic spots with the fourth place team going into the AFC-CONCACAF playoff against Mexico. http://www.asian-football.com/scripts/runisa.dll?s7:gp:413082:39913+awc/03/results+1077+2003+E
Actually, in the last AFC Championship, December 2001, China lost to North Korea in the semi-finals and ended up third overall.
Group B Thailand, Hong Kong, North Korea, Singapore, South Korea. I wonder if the SARS epidemic will impact either Hong Kong or Singapore, not that it would really matter. North Korea should win this group rather easily with South Korea finishing in second. South Korea will hope not to get killed by North Korea and not get to much resistance from homestanding Thailand to have a good goal differential. Group B Myanmar, Chinese Taipei, Philippines, Guam, Japan. SARS could also affect Chinese Taipei, it has just been declared a contageous epidemic here on Taiwan and every county on the island now has suspected cases of the illness. Be that as it may, Japan should be the favorite in the group with Chinese Taipei being the only threat to the Japanese. Myanmar, the Philippines and Guam are all minnows. Chinese Taipei should be able to run up a good goal differential while not losing to much to the Japanese in the event of a loss there. Group C Uzbekistan, India, Viet Nam, and Mainland China. I don't expect the SARS problem to affect Mainland China that much because it has been mostly in the south of the country and the team is based in the north. Besides, the government there will be sure to isolate their players from any threat. It may affect Viet Nam as the northern part of that country has been hit hard. Regardless of any of this, China has the easiest draw and should cruise out of this group. The only question is, who will be the second place team to advance and get the chance to play Mexico? Chinese Taipei on goal difference over South Korea.