Don't blow it: Japan coach to players

Al Ain - Goals from Yuya Kubo and Yasuyuki Konno on Thursday kept the Blue Samurai level at the top of Group B with Saudi Arabia

Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic warned his players not to get "silly" after a 2-0 win in the United Arab Emirates moved them closer to a sixth successive World Cup.
Goals from Yuya Kubo and Yasuyuki Konno on Thursday kept the Blue Samurai level at the top of Group B with Saudi Arabia in the final round of Asian qualifiers for next year's Russia World Cup with 13 points from six games.
It also helped banish the demons of a 2-1 home defeat by the Emirates last September when Japan felt they were denied a point by poor officiating. Although newspapers had already gone to print when the game ended at sunrise Friday local time, online editions invariably screamed "revenge", despite Japan profiting from a bizarre penalty decision in a 2-1 win over the Saudis last time out.
Despite the euphoria, Halilhodzic was focusing on Tuesday's home game against Thailand with Asian Cup holders Australia just three points off the group's two automatic World Cup spots and the UAE a further point adrift with four games left to play.
"I told the players this win will mean nothing if we get beaten by Thailand," the Franco-Bosnian told local media.