EURO 2004 Flashback: Turning Silver Into Gold
UEFA EURO 2004 - SEMI-FINALS
| Greece | 1 - 0 (ET) | Czech Republic |
|---|---|---|
| Dellas 105'+1' | 1-Jul-04 |
Fifteen years on from one of the greatest achievements in Greek sporting history, AGONAsport breaks down each game from Greece’s remarkable EURO 2004 success. In the fifth installment of this series, we delve into the epic semi-final encounter with the Czech Republic.
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BACKGROUND
Greece shocked the football world with the victory over France. The rank outsiders had ousted Zinedine Zidane and company and had found their way into the semi-finals of the competition. There they would face the Czech Republic. Karel Bruckner’s team had been considered by many to be playing the best football of the tournament. Ahead of the semis, the Czechs had seen off Denmark 3-0. They were scoring goals for fun in Portugal, having come from behind to defeat the Netherlands 3-2 in the group stage before their reserve side came back again to beat Germany 2-1. They possessed superb individual talent and the likes of Pavel Nedved, Tomas Rosicky, Milan Baros, and Marek Jankulovski were playing some of the best football of their lives.
It was the irrepressible Czech attack against the organized and resilient Greek defense. The Czechs were the clear favorites going into the match and most expected that their form and the variety of their attacking options would see them advance to the final.
LINEUPS
GREECE (Rehhagel): Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Kapsis, Dellas, Fissas, Zagorakis, Katsouranis, Basinas (Giannakopoulos 71), Charisteas, Vryzas (Tsiartas 90), Karagounis.
CZECH REPUBLIC (BRUCKNER) Cech, Grygera, Ujfalusi, Bolf, Jankulovski, Poborsky, Galasek, Rosicky, Nedved (Smicer 40), Koller, Baros.
THE MATCH
The Czech Republic began the encounter with all guns blazing. The directive from Bruckner seemed clear - score an early goal and force Greece to open up. It nearly worked. Rosicky’s thunderous volley from a Jan Koller knockdown had the crossbar rattling as Greece looked shell-shocked at the start. Later on, Jankulovski burst into the box from his left-back position and tested Nikopolidis with a stinging drive.
Bruckner’s men owned the first ten minutes with Greece struggling to come to terms with the pace of their opponents’ attack. The Ethniki slowly came into the match as Giorgos Karagounis fired on goal for the team’s first shot. Fewer unforced errors gave Rehhagel’s men some more possession, however it was the Czech Republic who were in control. Nedved was pulling the strings in midfield and conjuring up dangerous moments with his penetrative dribbling and passing. Baros turned Seitaridis on one play forcing the Greek defender into a bad challenge that earned a yellow. Koller was a menace as well and Jankulovski forced Nikopolidis into another good stop.
The Greek defense recovered well after that shaky start and while still on top, Nedved and company were not as rampant as they were when the match started. As halftime beckoned, Nedved went down in the area after running into Kostas Katsouranis. He tried to run off the knock, but it was to no avail. He was forced to come off as Vladimir Smicer took his place.
The second half of the game went to script. The Czechs were constantly trying to find a way through the opposing backline, while Greece tried to soak up the pressure and hit on the break. The half wore on without many clear-cut chances. Koller, Baros, and Smicer had attempts on target, but pressure from Greek defenders did not allow them to shoot as they would have wanted to. For Greece, Zisis Vryzas had a header that Petr Cech held on to.
Rehhagel’s introduction of Stelios Giannakopoulos succeeded in Greece having more energy and possession. It was the Czechs who finished the 90 minutes stronger though. Baros and Koller both missed when well placed inside the box. Pierluigi Collina blew his whistle three times to signal the end of regulation and extra-time.
Greece had never been anywhere near this far in a major tournament and they certainly did not have any experience in situations such as over-time. One wouldn’t have known that the way they began the first fifteen-minute period. The team seemed to be prepared to seize the moment. The deadlock was nearly broken as Giannakopoulos tried to head over Cech, but the goalkeeper just managed to deflect the ball away. Suddenly, Bruckner’s men appeared vulnerable. Greece, having defended so much and so well, were now the ones dictating terms as they surged forward. Traianos Dellas went close with a header as the Ethniki appeared to be getting stronger.
With less than a minute remaining in the first half of extra-time, Charisteas won a corner after chasing down a long ball from Katsouranis. Substitute Vasilis Tsiartas placed the ball down to take it. This was the first and ultimately only tournament where the Silver Goal rule was in place. This stated that if a team scored in the first period of extra-time, the remainder of that period would be played and then the match would end.
Tsiartas delivered toward the near post where Dellas’ glancing header beat Cech. Greece had taken the lead. There were chaotic scenes at the Dragao as Dellas ran over to celebrate with the entire Greek bench.
The Czechs were eager to kick-off, but there was no time. As soon as they tried to get the match restarted, Collina blew the final whistle. Greece had done it, they had defeated the Czech Republic in the most dramatic circumstances and stunned the world again. Greece were heading to the final of EURO 2004.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Traianos Dellas and Michalis Kapsis
Dellas and Kapsis were absolutely massive at the back in this match. Needing to deal with the pace and power of the forward tandem of Baros and Koller was challenging to say the least. Dellas was outstanding as he reprised the libero role he was installed in for the majority of the competition. Then, at the end of the first overtime, the Greek defender scored the goal that saw his team advance to the final.
Kapsis put forth one of the most inspirational performances ever witnessed in a Greek jersey. He won nearly all his battles, many of them aerial, against the much taller Koller in a display that featured timely interventions, wonderful positioning, and most of all, heart.
UNSUNG HERO - Stelios Giannakopoulos
Rehhagel threw on Giannakopoulos on in the 70th minute and it was just the boost of energy Greece needed. In overtime especially, Giannakopoulos was a force. His extra bit of pace caused all sorts of problems for the Czech defense and only Cech’s quickness of his line denied ‘Stelios’ a goal.
THE TURNING POINT - Early Survival
Without a doubt, Greece suffered in the opening stages as Rosicky slammed his volley off the bar and Jankulovski also came close. It was a start that saw the Czechs come at Greece with all guns blazing. The Ethniki hung in firmly and eventually gained a foothold in the match. While the Czech Republic continued to control proceedings it became more of an event contest, especially after Nedved went down toward the end of the first half.
LOOKING AHEAD
After the extraordinary victory over the Czech Republic, the Ethniki advanced to the final of EURO 2004. There, they would face off against hosts Portugal in a rematch of the opening game of the competition.
AGONAsport contributor George Tsitsonis is a Greek-American football journalist who is writing a book on Greece winning EURO 2004. It will be the first time this story is told in comprehensive fashion in English. The book will be produced by Fair Play Books and is due out early in 2020.
