Japan can take a giant step toward a fifth consecutive World Cup appearance by beating Iraq in next Tuesday's Brazil 2014 qualifier in Saitama, and if Alberto Zaccheroni's side can come anywhere close to matching its recent performances, the visitors will be in for a rough evening.
Japan takes on the United Arab Emirates in Niigata on Thursday in a tuneup for next week's main event, with Zaccheroni's men sitting in a commanding position at the top of Group B after two wins and a draw from their opening three games. The fixture list and other results in the group have combined to help Japan seize the early advantage, but such favors have hardly been needed by a side playing some of the best soccer in the national team's history.
Japan thrashed Oman 3-0 to open the final qualifying round on June 3 before destroying Jordan 6-0 five days later, with an acknowledgement of the opposition's weakness not enough to take the shine off two displays of devastating power. The movement, speed, precision and confidence approached levels that would trouble any team at the finals in Brazil, and although that standard dipped understandably in an eventful 1-1 draw with Australia, Iraq will surely have no answer should everything click into place next Tuesday.