Syria routs Cambodia 6-0 in World Cup qualifying

TOKYO (AP) — War-torn Syria's national soccer team won its third straight World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday, routing Cambodia 6-0 in Phnom Penh, while the game between Malaysia and visiting Saudi Arabia was suspended three minutes from the end after fans hurled flares onto the field.

Syria striker Omar Khribin scored two of the four first-half goals to help his team take the lead in Group E with nine points. Syria has so far scored 13 goals without conceding.

Japan, which previously defeated Cambodia 3-0 and drew against Singapore in the same group, recorded a 6-0 win over another war-torn country, Afghanistan.

In Selangor, angry Malaysian fans threw flares and fireworks onto the field in the 87th minute at Shah Alam Stadium with Saudi Arabia leading 2-1. The Group A match was suspended as the players left the field.

In another Group A match, Palestine held the United Arab Emirates to a 0-0 draw in a match watched by 10,000 fans on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Palestinians from the West Bank and Israel provided plenty of boisterous support for their team. The playing conditions were tough, though, following a sandstorm that blanketed the area and raised pollution levels.

The Palestinians, whose team includes two Arab citizens of Israel, have hosted only a handful of high-profile international matches.

In Group C, Yu Dabao scored two goals as China beat the Maldives 3-0 to rebound from its scoreless draw last week against Hong Kong. Also, Qatar beat Hong Kong 3-2.

Australia forward Tim Cahill scored his 41st international goal as the Asian Cup champions defeated Tajikistan 3-0. Australia has nine points from three matches, two points more than Jordan in Group B.

In other matches, Jordan beat Bangladesh 4-0 to improve to seven points from three games in Group B, and Vietnam scored in stoppage time for a 2-1 victory over Taiwan, its first win in Group F.

Also in Group F, Thailand came back from a two-goal deficit in the last 10 minutes to draw 2-2 against Iraq. Thailand leads the group with seven points, one ahead of Vietnam.

Guam maintained its unbeaten record at home by holding Oman to a 0-0 draw to stay in contention in Group D with seven points. Guam opened with wins at home against Turkmenistan and India but was beaten by Iran last week in its first away game.

Iran recorded a 3-0 win over India in Bangalore. Iran has seven points from three matches, ahead of Oman on goal difference.

Kuwait recorded its third win in a row in Group G by defeating Laos 2-0. In a Group H match, Uzbekistan beat the Philippines 5-1.