SPORTS
Scoreless Draw Keeps Japan and Greece Alive
Baku, June 20 (AZERTAC). Greece promised goals that did not come. Japan pressed for a victory that eluded it yet again.
The ultimate result of what has turned out to be a rarity at this World Cup — a 0-0 draw — is that Colombia is guaranteed to move on to the knockout rounds, and Greece and Japan are still clinging to life in Group C.
Reduced to 10 men after the captain Kostas Katsouranis was sent off in the 38th minute with his second yellow card, Greece held on for a critical result in the group by returning to the rock-solid defense that Colombia had blistered for three goals in an opening loss.
“My players were brilliant,” Greece Coach Fernando Santos said. “They worked hard after the red card. Without the red card we probably would have won the game.”
Both teams inserted new strikers in search of goals and a first victory, but ultimately the main objective was survival, and both achieved that with one match left in group play. Japan would have been eliminated with a loss.
Once Katsouranis was sent off after a rough challenge on Makoto Hasebe, Greece withdrew into a defensive setup and held firm. Even short-handed, Greece was better organized against Japan and avoided any critical mistakes.
Japan pressed forward after halftime and had several chances to score.
The best came in the 68th minute when Shinji Kagawa played a long pass over the top to Uchida, who sent it back across the middle to Yoshito Okubo, who blasted the volley over the net.
Greece goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis was also forced to make a diving save in injury time to preserve the draw and the point for Greece.