In the World Cup match against Japan, Greece managed a clean sheet for the first time in a World Cup match and managed to avoid defeat for just the second time in their eight matches with a final score of 0-0. Japan had the better play in the opening 20 minutes, however they were unable to solve Greece’s defence despite having a one man advantage for more than half the match.

Greece 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 and that keeps both alive in Group C and sends rival Colombia to the next round of the World Cup.

The first notable moment for Greece in the first half came when striker Kostas Mitroglou left the match with an injury to his side in the 35th minute and was replaced by Theofanis Gekas.

In the 38th minute, Greek captain Kostas Katsouranis took out Makoto Hasebe with a sliding tackle and getting a second yellow card. Once Katsouranis was sent off, Greece withdrew into a defensive setup and held firm.

Ultimately, the goal of the game was survival and both did that.

Greeks were glued to their sets throughout the match with social media accounts focusing on the showdown in humorous ways such as this one:

Both sides picked up their first point and can still qualify from Group C, although they must win their final matches to do so. Greece play Ivory Coast, who are on three points, in their final match while Japan tackle Colombia, who have a perfect six points.