World Cup 2014 LIVE STREAM: Japan vs Greece: Both Teams Fighting to Stay Alive in Group C
ByJapan and Greece are each in need of a win to stay alive in Group C and the winner will still be able to move on while the loser will be eliminated.
With Colombia's victory over Ivory Coast earlier Thursday, they have clinched one of the winning spots in the group. Japan and Greece would each have to win their last two games in the group stage to make it to the round of 16.
CLICK HERE to watch the match online via WatchESPN. The game begins at 6 p.m. ET, but coverage starts at 5:30.
According to FIFA.com, the city of Natal's Estadio Das Dunas, an arena built in 1972 and that seats 39,971 people, will host Thursday evening's match.
As the sun goes down over the match, clear skies should give way to a warm evening, according to Weather.com, and players can expect temperatures to settle in the mid-70s.
Neither Japan nor Greece has much history in the World Cup, let alone playing one another. Greece has made three World Cup appearances since their first in 1994 and have never made it out of the group stage. Japan has hardly fared better, making five World Cup appearances since 1998 and only reaching the round of 16 twice.
Japan managed to strike first in their 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast, but could not prevent their foes from scoring two goals in the 64th and 66th minutes. They will need to be tougher on defense to protect against quick-strike scoring.
Greece managed no scoring in their 3-0 loss to Colombia and allowed each strike throughout the game. The Greeks will need to regroup and come up with a totally new game plan to rebound from the tough loss.
Greece has had success in other international tournaments aside from the World Cup, but Thursday they will focus on getting out of the first round for the first time.