SAITAMA -- Japan managed to avoid a major disaster with an injury-time winner from Masashi Oguro securing the points in a thrilling 2-1 win in a World Cup Group B Asian qualifier against North Korea at Saitama Stadium on Wednesday night.
Masashi Oguro (right) celebrates as teammate Takashi Fukunishi looks on after Oguro scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute of Wednesday's World Cup Asian Zone Group B qualifier against North Korea at Saitama Stadium.
Japan made heavy weather of what should have been a routine three points and can consider itself fortunate to come out of this media-hyped fixture unscathed.