After encountering an early stumbling block on the road to Russia for the 2018 World Cup finals, Japan comfortably beat Thailand 2-0 on Tuesday night to pick up its first three points of the final round of Asian qualifiers — and perhaps save coach Vahid Halilhozic from the very real possibility being fired.
Having been stunned 2-1 at home to the United Arab Emirates last Thursday, the general consensus, at least among the press, was that anything less than a win for Japan over rank outsider Thailand — in the final round of qualifiers for the first time since 2002 — would have probably spelled the end for Halilhodzic.
But goals in each half from Genki Haraguchi and Takuma Asano, two of three changes to the side that started in the defeat to the UAE, secured a one-sided victory that could have easily run into double figures at a rain-lashed Rajamangala Stadium.