Japan and Iraq face off in the World Cup Qualifiers 2018 on Thursday.

Japan's campaign got off to a bumpy start when it lost at home against the United Arab Emirates in its debut. But the team righted the ship with a solid 2-0 win over group minnow Thailand. While not the most convincing of performances, the team got the job done and remains in the driver's seat as it takes on Iraq, another side struggling in this qualification round.

Iraq has two defeats to its name. The first was a 2-0 loss in Australia and the second a tough 2-1 loss at home against Saudia Arabia that saw the team take an early lead and then concede two goals in the final 10 minutes of regular time.

Japan is looking to qualify for its sixth straight World Cup. The team has only gotten out of the group stage on two occasions in its history with a ninth place finish in 2002 its best result thus far.

Iraq qualified for the 1989 edition of the World Cup and finished 23rd.

Prediction

Japan is the favorite and should have little difficulty dominating on its home turf. Look for a 3-0 win from the Samurais.

Start Time, Date, Location

Japan and Iraq kick off at 6:35 a.m. EDT on Thursday.

Live Stream and TV Info

The match between Japan and Iraq will be broadcast in the USA via the ESPN3 App.