The South Korean soccer team got the start they wanted to their 2006 World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Lebanon in their opening qualifying match in Suwon Wednesday evening.

Headed goals in each half, one each from Cha Du-ri and Cho Byung-kuk, were enough to give South Korea the win, but only after goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae had saved a first-half penalty kick with the game still scoreless.

Lebanese coach Mahmoud Hamoud had suggested the weather could cause problems for his players, and with the temperature hovering around 9 degrees Celsius at kickoff, there was the danger that the visitors would be caught cold.

Vietnam, playing in the same division as South Korea, defeated Maldives four to nothing and Japan narrowly edged out Oman one to nil.

The Korean soccer team is scheduled to play in Maldives for their second qualifier, scheduled for March 31st.