Greece, Japan eye improvement - 6pm et/3pm pt (TSN 1050, TSN 690, TSN 1200, TEAM 1410) Natal, Brazil - Two teams hoping to rebound from tough opening-game losses will meet when Greece clashes with Japan in Group C action Thursday at Estadio das Dunas. Greece was on the wrong end of a 3-0 rout to Colombia in its first game of the tournament. They surrendered a goal in just the sixth minute of the contest, and despite some promising attacking play, failed to crawl back into the match. Japan, on the other hand, struck first in its match with Ivory Coast, with Keisuke Honda putting his side into the lead in the 16th minute. The Elephants picked up serious momentum in the second half, though, scoring in the 64th and 66th minutes to pull ahead and grab a 2-1 victory. Both teams will be looking to hang onto their hopes of pushing through to the knockout stage with a crucial three points. Greek midfielder Georgios Samaras insisted there was reason for his side to remain positive moving forward after being held without a goal. "We have more to give at this tournament, but I think we showed something today," he said. "It was a strange game. For the first five or six minutes, we didnt seem to be 100 percent in it and we conceded a bad goal. But after that, we had a lot of possession, a lot of pressure, and created some quite good chances." Japan boss Alberto Zaccheroni claimed his men gave their all but were not quite cohesive enough. "We werent aggressive enough and we need to improve on that because weve been playing better than that," he said. Honda had his own take on where things went wrong, believing that Japan didnt have enough possession. "Possession, that is our strength," said Honda. "When we have the ball we just need to keep the ball and not give it away easily. When we do lose the ball we should press immediately. That is our philosophy. The last game we lost the ball too easily so that is how we spent a lot of energy in the first half, that is the point. That is why we must concentrate on keeping the ball." Given the defensive lapses that contributed heavily to these teams opening- match defeats, Greece will be looking to build on those aforementioned positives, while Japan will be hoping to stay composed for a full 90 minutes and do better on the ball. Both teams will also be hoping for a draw in the match between Colombia and Ivory Coast, the two teams looming overhead at the top of the group. Jarius Wright Panthers Jersey . Jose Bautista homered for the fifth straight game in the sixth inning, following a two-out solo homer by Melky Cabrera. Edwin Encarnacion led off the seventh with a homer to tie the game 3-3 and, with two out in the seventh, Munenori Kawasaki came through with the two-out single to score pinch-runner Steve Tolleson with what proved to be the winning run. 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Halak, 28, split his eighth NHL seasons between the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals, compiling a 29-13-7 record in 52 games.Kirkland, WA (SportsNetwork.com) - Soccer star Hope Solo no longer faces domestic violence charges after the case against her was dismissed Tuesday by a judge who agreed that the alleged victims hadnt cooperated during the investigation. Solo, the longtime goaltender for the U.S. womens national team and two-time Olympic gold medalist, said the decision means she can focus with a clear mind on training for this years Womens World Cup in Canada. She was arrested June 21 in Kirkland, Washington, and jailed on two counts of fourth-degree domestic violence assault over accusations she attacked her sister and 17-year-old nephew. According to KING-TV news, Kirkland Judge Michael Lambo dismissed the case after Solos attorney, Todd Maybrown, argued the alleged victims failed to show up for scheduled interviews and had changed their stories about what happened, which prosecutors disputed. Maybrown argued in court papers that Solo was the victim, saying she received a concussion after her nephew, upset over a comment she made about his weight and demeanor, hit her in thhe head with a broomstick, according to the New York Times.dddddddddddd The nephew alleged he called Solo a name, at which point she attacked him, the paper reported. Maybrown told KING-TV reporter Chris Daniels that Solo has been through a terrible ordeal but that they are grateful the court has dismissed the charges. If the case had been reviewed carefully at the outset, no charges would have been filed, he said. Solo released a statement on the decision, saying it brings closure to what has been one of the most difficult and emotionally draining times of my life. I always had faith that once the facts of the case were presented, I would be cleared of all charges and I am so happy and relieved to finally have it all behind me, she said. She said she looks forward to joining the U.S. team with a clear mind to train, compete, and help bring a World Cup title to the U.S. in 2015. Solo, 33, plays for the Seattle Reign in the National Womens Soccer League. She won Olympic gold medals as the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. womens team in 2008 and 2012. ' ' '