Japan stayed perfect in World Cup qualifying by routing Mongolia 14-0 on Tuesday, its fifth win of the second stage coming 16 months after the fourth.
The Japanese scored five goals in the first half, added nine more in the second and now lead Group F with 15 points. A victory over Myanmar on June 3 will secure first place in the group and a spot in the third round of Asian qualifying.
The eight group winners and four best second-place teams will advance to the next stage, which is scheduled to start in September.Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said a big winning margin against Mongolia wasn’t the priority. The Japanese warmed up with a 3-0 win last week in a friendly against South Korea, organized after their scheduled match against Myanmar was postponed.