Round-up of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup finals

Qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals is reaching its climax, with footballing heavyweights such as Argentina, France and Portugal still battling to be in the hat when the draw is made in Cape Town on December 4.

The ultimate prize -- 32 teams will be bidding to raise the winner's trophy in South Africa next year.

Five-time champions Brazil, and dark horses Paraguay and Chile have clinched places in the South American zone, but struggling two-time winners Argentina are vying with Uruguay and Ecuador for the one automatic slot remaining and a play-off position.

In Europe, 1966 champions England, Netherlands and European champions Spain secured three of the nine automatic places on offer to group winners in September, with two matches left.

They were joined on Saturday by three-times winners Germany, defending champions Italy, Denmark and Serbia.

Meanwhile, 1998 victors France must settle for a place in the playoffs, from where four nations will progress to the showpiece in South Africa, and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal go into Wednesday's final qualifier against Malta still seeking to achieve even that position.

Ghana were the first country from Africa to clinch qualification, comfortably winning their group last month with two matches still to play, while the Ivory Coast joined them on Saturday to leave three other places still up for grabs.

In the CONCACAF zone, Mexico defeated El Salvador 4-1 on Saturday to secure their place, while the United States joined them after a victory in Honduras.

Costa Rica and Honduras are battling it out for the final qualification place, while the fourth-placed team will go into a play-off position against the fifth-placed South American nation.

In Asia, the four automatic places have been taken by Australia, Japan and North and South Korea, while Bahrain face a play-off against Oceania group winners New Zealand for the zones' remaining finals spot.

Bahrain were held 0-0 at home in the opening leg in Manama on Saturday, with the return leg in Wellington on November 14.

Injured Glock ruled out of Brazil Grand Prix

Timo Glock has been ruled out of next Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos after tests revealed he sustained a cracked vertebra from his crash in Japan last weekend.

Timo Glock will miss the Brazilian Grand Prix following the injury he sustained in qualifying at Suzuka.

Toyota driver Glock was initially diagnosed with only a minor cut to his right leg following his accident in qualifying at Suzuka.

However, subsequent medical checks in Germany have now revealed another injury, ruling Glock out of the penultimate race of the year and potentially the season-ender on November 1 in Abu Dhabi.

The team's third driver, Kamui Kobayashi will now replace Glock in Brazil, as he did in Friday practice in Japan when the German was unwell.

Team principal John Howett said on the official Toyota Web site: "Obviously everyone in the team is very disappointed and feels for Timo, and we wish him a very speedy recovery.

"Based on the initial diagnosis, we fully expected Timo to return in Brazil, but unfortunately a different injury has been revealed which prevents that.

"He will remain in Germany to recover and we hope he can recuperate in time for Abu Dhabi, although at this stage the situation is not clear.

"Kamui was the natural choice to step in, and he proved in Suzuka that he is capable of holding his own.

"It is a difficult task for him, but he knows the team will give him its complete support and we know he is motivated to make the most of this unexpected opportunity.

Italy snatch finals place from jaws of defeat

Italy scored a last-gasp equalizer away to the Republic of Ireland on Saturday to ensure that the World Cup champions will be in South Africa to defend their title next year.

Mauro Camoranesi brought Italy level in Dublin with his header in the first half

Substitute Alberto Gilardino's 90th-minute goal made it 2-2 soon after Sean St. Ledger's spectacular header seemed to have given Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni an emotional win against his home nation.

Victory would have given the Irish a chance to top Group Eight in Wednesday's final round of qualifiers, but they have the consolation of a playoff place after Cyprus ended third-placed Bulgaria's hopes with a 4-1 victory at Larnaca.

Glenn Whelan had lifted the Dublin crowd with a crashing eighth-minute opening goal after a well-worked free-kick move with Liam Lawrence, but Mauro Camoranesi stole in with a near-post header to level the scores 18 minutes later.

Italy had a goal ruled out for offside soon after the halftime break as the offender Vincenza Iaquinta touched Giorgio Chiellini's header into the net.

Ireland kept battling for a win that would have taken them to within a point of Italy, and went ahead in the 87th minute when St. Ledger launched himself low to meet a left-wing free-kick from substitute Stephen Hunt and head his first international goal.

But Trapattoni was left to ponder what might have been as St. Ledger allowed Iaquinta too much time in the penalty area to set up a simple sidefoot shot for Gilardino's 13th goal for his country.

Three-time champions Germany earlier qualified for the finals with a 1-0 victory away to Group Four rivals Russia, thanks to a first-half winner from striker Miroslav Klose.

The visitors had debutant Jerome Boateng sent off in the 69th minute, but Joachim Low's side held on to establish an unassailable four-point lead with one match still to play.

The Russians will now have to go to the playoffs next month for the eight best second-placed teams, with the draw to be made on October 19.

Guus Hiddink's team were already assured of that consolation prize, with third-placed Finland still four points adrift despite beating Wales 2-1 on Saturday.

Russia started strongly in Moscow, with striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov having two early chances and Vladimir Bystrov denied by the legs of Germany goalkeeper Rene Adler.

However, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil combined to set up Klose in the 34th minute, and the veteran forward did well to divert Ozil's cutback inside the near post.

In the second half, Adler twice denied Andrei Arshavin and then was relieved to see his save from Yuri Zhirkov squirm wide of the post.

Fullback Boateng was dismissed for his second yellow card after a foul on Bystrov, but the Russians could not take advantage of their extra man.

The home side were left feeling aggrieved when referee Massimo Busacca did not award a penalty when Bystrov was brought down again, this time by Arne Friedrich.

In Helsinki, Finland took the lead after just five minutes through Roni Porokara after Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey parried a shot by veteran forward Jonatan Johansson, but Craig Bellamy equalized from David Vaughan's low cross on 17.

Fullback Niklas Moisander drove in the winner from the edge of the penalty area in the 76th minute, while Finland goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen denied Vaughan a last-gasp leveler to leave Wales eight points adrift of the Finns in fourth place.

Group Five winners Spain, who qualified last month, marched to a ninth successive victory on Saturday, winning 2-1 away to bottom-placed Armenia thanks to a 64th-minute penalty from Juan Manuel Mata.

Midfielder Cesc Fabregas gave the European champions a 33rd-minute lead, but Robert Arzumanyan headed an equalizer just before the hour mark.

Bosnia-Herzegovina clinched second place and a playoff berth with a 2-0 win away to Estonia, as strikers Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic scored in each half.

Last-gasp Palermo goal rescues Argentina

Substitute Martin Palermo's close-range finish deep into injury time earned Argentina a thrilling last-gasp 2-1 win over Peru in Buenos Aires just minutes after Diego Maradona's side looked to have suffered yet another World Cup qualifying setback.

Palermo celebrates his dramatic last-gasp goal to give Argentina a vital 2-1 victory over Peru.

Palermo, whom Maradona recalled to the side after a 10-year absence, tapped home at the far post in driving rain to send his coach diving across the sodden turf in celebration.

Hernan Rengifo had headed an equalizer for Peru in the 90th minute to cancel out debutant Gonzalo Higuain's opener early in the second half.

The win moved Argentina up to fourth place in the South American qualifying table, a point ahead of Uruguay, whom they play on Wednesday, and two clear of Ecuador.

Maradona sprung a surprise with his team selection, leaving big-name strikers Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero on the bench and instead handing Higuain his first cap.

Argentina went into the match having lost their last three qualifiers to Paraguay, Brazil and Ecuador, but if ever there was a chance to restore some confidence in the side this was it -- a home match against the team bottom of the group.

Argentina took the lead in the 48th minute, Pablo Aimar stabbing a pass through into the right of the area, which Higuain ran onto and slotted into the far corner.

But they began to grow more nervous as the second half wore on, their chances drying up as torrential rain started to pour down.

Argentina seemed prepared to hold out for the final whistle and were made to pay when they conceded in the final minute.

Moments after keeper Sergio Romero had made a superb point-blank save, Rengifo nodded home a cross from the left from barely two yards to bring Peru level.

But just as Argentina's World Cup dreams looked to be slipping away, Palermo came up trumps for his under-fire coach.

With no fewer than eight Argentinian players in a packed Peru penalty area, the Boca Juniors striker found himself in the right place at the right time to convert the easiest of chances after a low ball across the box came all the way through to him.

There was more drama to come as Peru's Rainer Torres tried his luck straight from the kick-off, but his effort struck the bar and Argentina and Maradona claimed a vital win.

Meanwhile, Chile became the third team from South America to secure World Cup qualification with a thumping 4-2 victory away to Colombia in Medellin.

Midfielder Jorge Valdivia was the star of the show as he came off the bench to score one goal and help create the other three.

Fabian Orellana scored twice with Waldo Ponce also on target for Chile, who had to come from behind after Arturo Vidal's own goal gave the home side the lead.

Giovanni Moreno scored a second for Colombia, but their hopes of making it to South Africa are over.

The victory lifted Chile five points clear of fourth-placed Argentina in the standings with just one game to play. It will be Chile's first appearance at the tournament since 1998.

Already-qualified Paraguay showed no mercy to Venezuela as they won 2-1 in Puerto Ordaz to move level on points with Brazil at the top of the table.

Second-half goals from Salvador Cabanas and Oscar Cardozo put the Guaranies in command before Salomon Rondon halved the deficit for Venezuela, for whom Nicolas Fedor missed a penalty.

The defeat ends Venezuela's hopes of being in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Uruguay claimed a crucial 2-1 victory away to Ecuador to keep their hopes of qualification alive going into the final round of fixtures.

An injury-time penalty from Diego Forlan gave the Charruas victory at the Olimpico Atahualpa and they now need a win over Argentina on Wednesday to achieve automatic qualification.

Antonio Valencia had put the home side ahead in the second half only for Luis Suarez to equalize for Uruguay almost immediately.

Ecuador must now beat Chile on Wednesday to make sure of a play-off place against a country from North, Central America and Caribbean qualifying. The Uruguayans, meanwhile, will make it to the World Cup if they beat Argentina.