Oman beats Singapore to go top of Asian Cup qualifying

SINGAPORE: Oman swatted aside a tentative Singapore 2-0 on Wednesday to make it two wins from two as they went top of Group A in Asian Cup qualifying.
Singapore, under the guidance of new coach Bernd Stange, dominated possession in the first half but offered little in attack with Paul Le Guen's side proving clinical with their few chances.
Qasim Said eased past a static home defense to fire Oman into a 15th-minute lead with his fellow midfielder Eid Al-Farsi blasting a low drilled shot from 22 metres to double the advantage on the stroke of halftime.
The home side wilted in the second half with Oman guilty of wasting several chances to improve their goal difference in the four-team group, also featuring Syria and Jordan, where two sides will qualify for the finals in Australia in 2015.
"I think we did the job, it was vital to win and we did it," Le Guen, who had been concerned before the game that his players would still be feeling the effects of fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadam which ended last week, told reporters.
"During the first half we were average, not many chances but efficient.
"I was afraid of the context, the artificial pitch. But we prepared well ... the players accepted to leave Oman before Eid which is not easy for them and I want to thank them for the effort."
Syria host Jordan in Iran on Thursday in the other Group A match in the second round.
The teams are back in Asian Cup qualifying action in October along with the other 16 sides trying to reach the finals in Australia where the hosts, holders Japan and South and North Korea all have places and do not need to qualify.

Suarez scores as Uruguay beats Japan 4-2
In Rifu, Japan, unsettled Liverpool striker Luis Suarez scored for an impressive Uruguay in their 4-2 friendly win against Japan on Wednesday.
Suarez capitalized on some calamitous defending by the hosts to stroke home Uruguay's third goal seven minutes into the second half. Diego Forlan's two goals, including a fine free-kick, earlier gave the visitors a comfortable halftime lead.
Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa scored a tap-in to pull one back soon after Suarez's effort, but Alvaro Gonzalez restored Uruguay's three-goal advantage following a goalkeeping error by Eiji Kawashima.
Keisuke Honda responded with a free-kick to make it 4-2.
Suarez spent the summer pushing for a move away from Liverpool, but a newspaper in his home country on Wednesday quoted him as having had a change of heart and deciding to stay.
Japan, who lost all three of their Confederations Cup games in Brazil this summer, were back to full strength but remain far from convincing ahead of next year's World Cup finals.
"We haven't learned our lessons (from the Confederations Cup). There is still a lot to work on before the World Cup," Kagawa said.
Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni, meanwhile, praised the strength of the opposition.
"You have to give credit to Uruguay," said Zaccheroni. "They are one of the best teams in the world. They showed that again by reaching the Confederations Cup semifinals this year."