SAITAMA, Japan — Keisuke Honda made sure Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup by calmly converting a stoppage-time penalty Tuesday to secure a 1-1 draw against Australia. Tommy Oar had given Australia a 1-0 lead in the 82nd minute with a lob over Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawasahima but a handball by Matthew McKay in the last minute of regulation set up the penalty for Honda, who beat Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer with a left-footed shot into the top of the net. Japan needed at least a point to clinch a spot in next year's World Cup in Brazil from Group B. Lowly Oman beat Iraq 1-0 Tuesday in Muscat to rise to second in Group B and raise hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time in their history. Oman now lies behind Japan and two points ahead of the Socceroos. Oman's final game is away against Jordan on June 18. “I have achieved one of the goals I was hired for,” Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said. “But just qualifying is not enough. We have a very strong commitment to playing well so we will aim even higher in Brazil.” Honda had missed Japan's last two matches — both defeats — but was his team's best player Tuesday, even before the goal that saved Japan having to wait for the result of a later match between Oman and Iraq to see if it would qualify. Just when the match looked set to finish in a goalless draw, Oar silenced the crowd of 62,172 when he beat a Japanese defender on the wing and sent a lob toward the net that dipped inside the bar and past the flailing arm of Kawashima. Australia, bidding for a third straight World Cup appearance, has seven points with two matches remaining. The first two spots earn automatic berths in Brazil. Australia's next two matches are both at home against Jordan in Melbourne on June 11 and Iraq on June 18 in Sydney. Ismail Al-Ajmi's header in first-half stoppage time was the difference at a sun-baked Sultan Qaboos stadium as the host leapfrogged Australia and Jordan into second spot. Quality was hard to come by in a scrappy first half-hour, but after both teams paused for a drinks break Oman forward Abdul Aziz tried an ambitious bicycle-kick which sailed narrowly wide. The game looked headed for 0-0 at the break but in the fourth minute of first-half injury time, Ismail's header from a corner bounced off Humam Tareq Faraj on the line and into the Iraqi goal. — Agencies
