SAITAMA ¨C National team manager Vahid Halilhodzic believes his players ¡°deserve two glasses of champagne¡± after Thursday¡¯s dramatic 2-1 World Cup-qualifying win over Iraq, but warned they will have to sharpen up at set pieces before they take on Australia on Tuesday.
Hotaru Yamaguchi scored a 95th-minute winner to resuscitate Japan¡¯s bid for a place at a sixth straight World Cup, salvaging a match that looked destined for a draw after Saad Abdul-Amir¡¯s 60th-minute header from a free kick canceled out Genki Haraguchi¡¯s first-half opener.
Halilhodzic, whose job was reportedly on the line after starting the final Asian round of Russia 2018 qualifiers with a loss to the United Arab Emirates and a narrow win over Thailand, breathed a sigh of relief but lamented the defending on Abdul-Amir¡¯s goal after watching his team concede twice from set pieces against the UAE.
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