Japan Alive in World Cup Qualifier

Japanese soccer’s most popular star, Kazuyoshi Miura, scored the game’s only goal against South Korea Monday, keeping alive Japan’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup.

The defeat was South Korea’s first in the Asian qualification tournament at Doha, Qatar.

An estimated 1,000 Japanese fans chanted “Miura, Miura,” as the 26-year-old player scored the goal in the 60th minute.

Japan faces Iraq in its last match Thursday to decide if Japan, winner of the eight-nation Asian Cup in 1992, will take one of the two Asian slots for the 24-nation World Cup tournament.

Iran beat North Korea, 2-1, in another qualifying match.

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Coach Jose Candido and five assistants were fired by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation after they apparently disobeyed an order from Sultan Bin Abdul Azia, a son of the Saudi ruler, to change goalkeepers during Sunday’s 1-1 tie with Iraq.

Horse Racing

The owners of Bertrando, Best Pal and Paseana made the first supplementary payments that will make their horses eligible for the Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita on Nov. 6.

Bertrando and Best Pal, who will be entered in the $3-million Classic, were kept eligible with payments of $120,000 apiece. The balance on their $360,000 supplementary fees is due by Nov. 3, when entries will be drawn for the seven Breeders’ Cup races.

Paseana has been kept eligible for the $1-million Distaff with a $67,000 payment toward a total of $200,000 that is also due by Nov. 3.

Miscellany

Mikael Pernfors, Richey Reneberg, MaliVai Washington, Aaron Krickstein and David Wheaton won first-round matches in the opening round of the Stockholm Open. . . . Softball player Lisa Fernandez and volleyball/basketball player Natalie Williams of UCLA are among 11 finalists for the Collegiate woman athlete-of-the-year award. . . . Cedric Ceballos of the Phoenix Suns will be sidelined a minimum of four weeks after tests showed he has another fracture in his left foot. . . . Former Philadelphia Phillie first baseman Marv Blaylock died of respiratory complications from bypass heart surgery. He was 64. . . . Dominique Bariod of France, the first-place finisher in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, was declared the official winner despite “uncontested evidence” he veered off course. . . .A lifetime doping ban against Norwegian shotputter Georg Andersen has been lifted after the silver medalist in the 1991 World Championships won an appeal on a technicality.