Asia wants five World Cup berths

From Sports Illustrated • Grant Wahl: Inside the media circus • Photo Gallery: Get to know me • Photo Gallery: One that got away Features • 91st Minute: Turks win third, set table for final • Baddoo: Cup fulfills aim of game • Pinto Postcard: Don't doubt Ronaldo • Head2Head: Who will win? • Quiz: Cup final trivia • World Cup Hall of Fame: Top 100 • Scores | Schedules and Standings From Soccer America • Mahoney: Guile, guts carry Brazil • Archive: In Korea/Japan From World Soccer • Cup delivers magic • Transfer rumors From CNN.com • Football fever hits Germany • Special Coverage: CNN.com Europe From Time.com • World Cup Weblog • Full Coverage: Insight from Korea/Japan Multimedia • Photo Gallery: Ticket to Yokohama

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Historic World Cup performances by South Korea and Japan have strengthened Asia's resolve to get an additional mandatory slot in the 2006 tournament, a senior official said Sunday.

Peter Velappan, general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation, said that FIFA "should look favorably" on Asia's request for five berths of its own at the 2006 edition in Germany.

"Asia deserves five teams," Velappan, who helped piece together the joint bid by Japan and South Korea to host the World Cup, told The Associated Press by telephone from Tokyo. "We will fight for five teams in 2006."

Velappan, who is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, added that Asia was home to a large portion of the world's population and provided a lucrative TV audience of devoted soccer fans.

South Korea and Japan qualified as co-hosts this year, while China and Saudi Arabia advanced via regional qualifying. A fifth Asian team, Iran, could have reached the finals but missed out after losing an intercontinental playoff to Ireland.

The Koreans, who failed to win a match in five previous trips to the World Cup, finished in fourth place this time after a 3-2 loss against Turkey on Saturday in the bronze-medal match. The team had downed Poland, Portugal, Italy and Spain to reach the semifinals.

Japan finished top of Group H after tying with Belgium and defeating Russia and Tunisia, but exited in the second round after losing 1-0 to Turkey.

No Asian team had ever progressed further than the qualifying rounds in past World Cup finals.

Velappan stressed that "all of Asia must be proud" of Japan and South Korea, saying that both nations had set an example for other Asian countries by successfully co-hosting the World Cup and performing well during their matches.

"They have gone beyond our wildest dreams," Velappan said. "This has really brought a lot of prestige to Asia."

Sunday's final was between powerhouse teams Brazil and Germany who have won seven World Cup titles between them.