Australia down Iraq as UAE shock wasteful Japan

Australia made a confident start to the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 victory over Iraq on Thursday, while United Arab Emirates beat Japan 2-1 and a late penalty handed Saudi Arabia a 1-0 win over Thailand in Group B. Tomi Juric created one goal and scored another inside six second-half minutes to give Asian champions Australia a comfortable victory. The Socceroos, aiming for a fourth straight appearance at the finals in Russia in 2018, always looked the stronger side but