SAITAMA ¨C Japan defender Maya Yoshida insists he and his teammates are relaxed ahead of Thursday¡¯s crunch World Cup qualifier against Australia despite rumors that manager Vahid Halilhodzic will be fired if the Samurai Blue fail to win.
¡°To be honest it¡¯s really calm, because we all know our situation,¡± the Southampton center back told reporters after a training session at Saitama Stadium on Tuesday. ¡°For the national team, every single game is important. We have to win, especially in Asia. The manager is always under pressure. That¡¯s their job.¡±
Japan heads into Thursday¡¯s game in Saitama knowing that a win will seal its place at a sixth straight World Cup, but also that anything less could open the door for second-place Saudi Arabia and the third-place Australians. Japan currently tops Group B on 17 points, one ahead of the Saudis and Australia on 16, with two games remaining and only two automatic qualifying spots up for grabs. The third-place team goes into the playoffs.
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