Scoreless draw keeps Japan and Greece alive

By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS

10 years ago

Greece’s Giannis Fetfatzidis, left, challenges Japan’s Maya Yoshida during the group C World Cup soccer match between Japan and Greece at the Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil, Thursday, June 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Greece’s Kostas Katsouranis is booked by referee Joel Aguilar from El Salvador during the group C World Cup soccer match between Japan and Greece at the Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil, Thursday, June 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Referee Joel Aguilar from El Salvador shows a red card to Greece’s Kostas Katsouranis, left, during the group C World Cup soccer match between Japan and Greece at the Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil, Thursday, June 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

NATAL, Brazil — Reduced to 10 men after captain Costas Katsouranis was sent off in the 38th minute with his second booking, Greece held on for a 0-0 draw with Japan on Thursday that keeps both alive in Group C and sends rival Colombia to the next round of the World Cup.

Both teams inserted new strikers in search of goals and a first victory, but ultimately the goal was survival and both did that with one match left in group play. Japan would have been eliminated with a loss.

Once Katsouaranis was sent off after a rough challenge on Makoto Hasebe, Greece withdrew into a defensive setup and held firm. Greece surrendered three goals in a loss to Colombia, but even short-handed was better organized against Japan and avoided any critical mistakes.