NATAL, Brazil -- Greece promised goals that didnt come. Willie Jones Jersey . 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 captain Costas Katsouranis was sent off in the 38th minute with his second booking, Greece held on for a critical result in the group by returning to the rock-solid defence that Colombia had blistered for three goals in an opening loss. "My players were brilliant," said Greece coach Fernando Santos. "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 defender Atsuto Uchida said he could sense Greece building a wall around the goal as soon as Katsouranis was sent off. "I had a bad feeling about it. It happens a lot in soccer, when a team goes down to 10, they know exactly what they need to do. And that also happens to be exactly Greeces way to fighting -- to fight by defending," Uchida said. 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 also was forced to make a diving save in injury time to preserve the draw and the point for Greece. Greece came in determined to turn around its dismal scoring history in the World Cup -- 18 goals conceded against just two scored -- inserting Kostas Mitroglou up front. Greek players had even promised goals against Japan. But Mitroglous best effort was an early volley that spun off his foot and he didnt even make it to halftime. After taking an elbow in the side in the 30th minute, Mitroglou collapsed to the ground. He got up and walked off under his own power but soon determined he couldnt continue and was taken off for Theofanis Gekas in the 35th minute. Things got worse for Greece just moments later when Katsouranis was sent off. Greece retreated into its half of the field for most of the second half. Japan had 68 per cent of ball possession. Katsouranis will be suspended for Greeces final group match against Ivory Coast. "It was a terrible start, losing a man," Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos said. "But we have a point and we have hope ... if things go well, let us get four points with a win in the next game -- and if God decides that we are eliminated because of the other result, so be it." Japan, which had been beaten up in a physical matchup with Ivory Coast in a 2-1 opening loss, once again had to deal with a bigger, stronger and much taller opponent. Coach Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni dropped Kagawa from the starting lineup in surprise move, putting veteran striker Okubo up front with Europe-based star Keisuke Honda. Okubo had one of Japans best chances to score in the first half but sent his header over the crossbar in the 33rd minute Zaccheroni was frustrated Japan didnt use its speed to exploit the spaces left by Greece being short a player. A win over Colombia wont guarantee Japans moves on to the next round. If Ivory Coast beats Greece, Japan will go home. "We played too slowly," Zaccheroni said. "This is not a positive result. We absolutely needed to win." ------ Japan: Japan: Eiji Kawashima, Atsuto Uchida, Keisuke Honda, Yuto Nagamoto, Shinji Okazaki, Yoshito Okubo, Yasuyuki Konno, Hotaru Yamaguchi, Makoto Hasebe (Yasuhito Endo, 46), Yuya Osako (Shinji Kagawa, 57) and Maya Yoshida. Greece: Orestis Karnezis; Yiannis Maniatis , Kostas Manolas; Georgios Samaras, Panagiotis Kone (Dimitrios Salpingidis, 81), Kostas Mitroglou (Theofanis Gekas, 35), Vasilis Torosidis, Yiannis Fetfatzidis (Georgios Karagounis, 41), Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Jose Holebas and Costas Katsouranis. Manny Trillo Jersey . Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap. Richie Allen Jersey .ca. Kerry, I hope you address Ron MacLeans comment during the second intermission of Game 4 in Montreal-Tampa series. Basically, he suggested that the NHL should not have used a referee from Quebec, following the Game 3 disputed non-goal, because the referee could be biased towards Montreal. https://www.cheapphilliesjerseys.us/2097n-jojo-romero-jersey-phillies.html .ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience. TORONTO -- Kyle Lowry scored on an awkward, lurching 31-foot buzzer-beater just before halftime Wednesday, a circus shot that left him sprawled, grinning on his stomach on the Air Canada Centre floor. The Raptors very nearly spoiled what was the point guards finest performance -- in a playoff series full of them -- while holding on for a 115-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Lowry poured in 36 points in the victory that gave the Raptors a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series. "He is great, he did a great job," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "But this game tonight, we have got to learn from it because there are so many learning experiences from tonights game. Having the lead, (handling) prosperity, embracing the pressure. "Kyle. . . 36 points is huge. Huge for us." DeMar DeRozan added 23 points, while Jonas Valanciunas finished with 16 and Greivis Vasquez added 15. Amir Johnson chipped in with 11 points for the Raptors who gave up a 26-point lead in the fourth quarter, making for some tense moments at the ACC, but held on for the victory. When asked to describe the emotions of a fourth quarter that saw the Nets score 44 points, Casey answered: "You wouldnt want to hear it." The series heads back to Brooklyns Barclays Center for Game 6 on Friday, and a victory there would send them to a second-round series against the Miami Heat. A Game 7, if necessary, would be Sunday in Toronto. The Raptors controlled the game through the second and third quarters, when it seemed they could do no wrong, and led by 26 points twice late in the third. They headed into the fourth up 91-69 and appeared poised to cruise to an easy victory, but the Nets had plenty of fight left, tying the game at 101 on a three-pointer by Joe Johnson with 3:16 to go, stunning the crowd. Lowry drained the go-ahead three and then scored on a driving hook shot to put Toronto up by three points with 27 seconds left. A three and foul shot by Anderson pulled the Nets to within a point, but Andray Blatche -- with Lowry running right at him -- turned the ball over on a backcourt violation sealing the Raptors victory. "Hes a helluva player," DeRozan said of Lowry. "Its just that dog in him. . . Every time hes out there on the court, understand, Im going to give my best effort, because I know hes going to do the same." Lowry, playing with his right knee in a protective sleeve after injuring it in Game 3 in Brooklyn, has been solid all series, but took it to another level Wednesday, providing all kinds of highlight-reel plays. There was the diving three at the halftime buzzer. There was the 85-foot outlet pass that found an unmarked Terrence Ross under the basket. But the point guard was particularly big down the stretch, taking charges and slicing through the Nets defence for tough buckets. "When we needed a big shot, No. 7 came through. Kyle was unbelievable," said Raptors forward Chuck Hayes. "Theres nothing more you can say. Hes doing it at the right time on the biggest stage. "We need an answer, we call Kyle. Kyle will figure it out." It was the kind of game the Raptors would have coughed up down the stretch last season, and Casey said the team does take something from holding on for a win. Eric Bruntlett Jersey. "But we cant live that way. Our history has been pretty good in the fourth quarter, but tonight, for whatever reason, they flipped the switch and flipped the script," the coach said. Joe Johnson led the Nets with 30 points, while Mirza Teletovic added 17, and Deron Williams and Alan Anderson finished with 13 apiece. The teams split the first two games in Toronto, and did the same in Games 3 and 4 in Brooklyn. A Game 7, if necessary, would be Sunday in Toronto. "One game at a time and we have to take care of home," said Pierce. "I think we will play better on Friday at home and we will see them back here on Sunday." The capacity ACC crowd of 20,393 that included Drake and rapper 50 Cent -- who dipped his head when the camera was on him to show fans his "Northern Uprising" hat -- was loud all game long, from the moment the fans sang along to O Canada to the final buzzer. The arena was a sea of white, as fans wore their white "We The North" T-shirts. They mocked the Nets by chanting "Broo-klyn!" the traditional chant at the Barclays Center. The Nets even took note, posting on the teams official Twitter account: ".Nets fans take note- this is what a playoff crowd sounds like..set your DVD and take notes .RAPTORSvNETS." Despite the rain and chilly temperatures, some 4,500 fans jammed into Maple Leaf Square outside the ACC to watch the game on the big screen. They were given rain ponchos. Some 1,200 fans were also given black and gold OVO/Raptors lint-rollers, a nod to Drake using a lint-roller while sitting courtside during Game 2. An array of Toronto sports celebrities took the stage, including Toronto FCs Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley and Julio Cesar, and former Raptors Morris Peterson and Jerome Williams. "Ive never seen support like this. This is special," Defoe said in an on-stage interview. Cesar, wearing a No. 7 Raptors jersey, yelled "Lets go Raptors!" This series has been spirited from Day 1 when Raptors GM Masai Ujiri took the stage and dropped his famous F-bomb about Brooklyn. An enterprising man outside the ACC on Wednesday was selling F--- Brooklyn buttons, three for $5. Fans were wearing the same on T-shirts at the game. Johnson led the way with nine points for Toronto in a first quarter that saw neither team lead by more than six. The Raptors ended the quarter with a 10-2 run capped by a Lowry three-pointer that put Toronto up 28-25 going into the second. The Raptors trailed by four points with just over five minutes to go in the second, but finished the quarter on a 26-4 run capped by Lowrys three, part of a 13-point performance in the quarter for the point guard. The Raptors went into the locker-room at halftime buoyed by a 62-44 lead. The third quarter has been the Raptors nemesis in this series, but not so on Wednesday. They didnt take their foot off the pedal, shooting 58 per cent to twice go ahead by 26 points. Toronto went into the fourth with a 91-69 lead. ' ' '