IN BRIEF/ SOCCER: Okada's woeful Japan falls to Bahrain

Japan's 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign took a turn for the worse on Wednesday night when Takeshi Okada's men fell 1-0 to Bahrain in Manama.

Ala'a Hubail headed home the winning goal in the 77th minute to lift his team into first place in the Asian Group 2 standings after two rounds.

Ismail Abdullatif set up the winner with a cross from the left flank that Japan keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi misjudged, allowing Hubail to head the ball over him into an unguarded net.

"It's a tough loss--the worst-case scenario," said Okada, who tasted defeat for the first time in seven matches since taking over the national team from Ivica Osim in December. "But regardless of what happened here tonight--even if we had won or drawn--the key to us advancing is winning at home. We still have to play Bahrain at home and we have to win. We have time to turn things around, and I think we will."

Bahrain, who beat Oman 1-0 in Round 1, has six points, three better than both Japan and Oman. Thailand sits in fourth with a goose egg after losing 4-1 to Japan in the opener and 1-0 to Oman Wednesday.

--Andrew Mitchell, Staff Writer(IHT/Asahi: March 28,2008)