EURO 2004 Flashback: Kings of Europe
UEFA EURO 2004 - FINAL
| Portugal | 0 - 1 | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| 4-Jul-04 | 57' Charisteas |
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 sixth and final installment of our Flashback reports, we cover the match that would forever etch Greece’s name into football history, the EURO 2004 final versus Portugal.
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BACKGROUND
This was the first time in the history of the European Championship (or the World Cup for that matter) where the opening match of the tournament would also be repeated in the final. Greece had stunned the football world with their progress to the final, highlighted by their knockout round victories over tournament favorites France and the high-flying Czech Republic.
Portuguese fans were almost unanimously supporting Greece in the semi-final, wanting not only to avoid the explosive Czechs, but also to have an opportunity to exact revenge for their team’s shock defeat to Greece in the opener. Luis Felipe Scolari’s men managed to recover after that loss. Victory over Russia was followed by a do-or-die triumph over local rivals Spain as they finished top of Group A. In the quarter-finals, Portugal outlasted England in an epic match, prevailing on penalty-kicks. Against the Dutch in the semis, Portugal always seemed in control and won 2-1 to advance to the final.
The last hurdle for Portugal to lift the Henri Delaunay trophy at home was to defeat Greece. Otto Rehhagel’s side would be without Giorgos Karagounis who was suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Demis Nikolaidis was also ruled out through injury.
Over 62,000 fans packed the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, of which 12,000 were cheering Greece on. Most observers were convinced that Greece could not possibly defeat the hosts for a second time. With their momentum and home field advantage, Portugal were expected to claim their first-ever major title.
LINEUPS
PORTUGAL (Scolari): Ricardo, Miguel (Paulo Ferreira 43), Andrade, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Maniche, Costinha (Rui Costa 60), Ronaldo, Deco, Figo, Pauleta (Nuno Gomes 74).
GREECE (Rehhagel): Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Kapsis, Dellas, Fissas, Zagorakis, Katsouranis, Basinas, Giannakopoulos (Venetidis 76), Vryzas (Papadopoulos 81), Charisteas.
THE MATCH
Predictably, the match began with Portugal enjoying plenty of possession and looking for the early breakthrough. Miguel went close after 13 minutes as he burst into the area and forced Antonis Nikopolidis to push away his well-struck effort. Greece responded soon after as Charisteas just failed to reach a ball into the heart of the area as Ricardo came out to smother.
Chances came as the half wore on, but no real clear-cut opportunities.
Portugal were trying to attack from the flanks with Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo. Pauleta, the hosts’ lone striker, had a couple of sniffs, but was unable to find a way past Michalis Kapsis.
Nikopolidis looked assured when called upon and the Greek defense held firm. Maniche tried his luck from 25 yards as Portugal began to get frustrated with their lack of penetration. The half finished scoreless. The match was going exactly to plan for Greece. Having withstood Portugal’s early pressure, confidence had grown and the tempo of the game was exactly what Rehhagel and his players would have wanted.
Scolari’s halftime talk saw Portugal come out with more intensity after the interval. Ronaldo played in Pauleta, whose shot was blocked. Greece continued to find space on the counter and could have scored when Charisteas’ cross was just missed by Zisis Vryzas. The importance of the occasion did lead to both teams committing several unforced errors in possession. The match was becoming increasingly tenser.
Twelve minutes after the break, the game’s decisive moment came. Fyssas stripped Figo of the ball and passed to Angelos Basinas. The midfielder spotted Giourkas Seitaridis’ bursting run down the right and played him with a long, diagonal ball. Seitaridis’ terrific control kept the ball in and his cross was turned out for a corner by Ronaldo.
Basinas took the corner, a lofted ball met by the unmarked Charisteas. He headed down firmly. As the ball hit the net, the entire Greek team turned to celebrate. They had done it again. Improbably, the scoreboard inside the da Luz read Portugal 0 - Greece 1.
Seconds after the restart, Ronaldo’s run offered evidence that this match was far from over even if he shot wildly wide. Zagorakis and Giannakopoulos combined to nearly create a second for the Ethniki with the latter’s headed cross nearly pounced on by Katsouranis. Then, Vryzas had a dangerous cross cleared after Zagorakis had sent him clear.
As the minutes passed the game turned into one-way traffic as Portuguese tried to find an equalizer. Rui Costa and Deco were both trying to find the final ball to create openings as Figo came close with Nikopolidis doing well to save.
Three straight corners saw Greece defending with their backs to the wall. Kapsis and Dellas were immense. The sustained Portuguese pressure caused anxious moments, but the Ethniki stood firm. Portugal’s failure to score led to increasing frustration and rushed decisions. For twenty minutes following the goal, Portugal did everything they could to score, playing their best football of the night. The fact that they could not find a way through saw them begin to resort to speculative shots and crosses.
By the time injury-time came, there seemed to an inevitable nature regarding Greece’s win.
Markus Merk’s final whistle signaled wild celebrations on the pitch and from the outnumbered Greeks in the stands. The ultimate underdogs had done the unthinkable. Greece had defeated Portugal 1-0 and were the new European champions. Millions of Greeks across the planet were sent into ecstasy as captain Zagorakis lifted the trophy into the Lisbon sky.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Angelos Charisteas
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Charisteas’ display had everything, a performance of constant effort and fight. Whether it was chasing down loose balls, making runs, putting in the defensive work, or trying to create chances for teammates, Charisteas was everywhere against Portugal. His greatest contribution came just before the hour as he was in the perfect spot to score with a header from Basinas’ corner kick and in the process immortalize himself in the annals of the European Championship.
UNSUNG HERO - Kostas Katsouranis
Without the suspended Karagounis and with Rehhagel choosing to keep Tsiartas on the bench, the question begged as to which player would link the midfield with the attack. Katsouranis provided the answer and then some with a sterling display. The player’s runs from deep into the Portuguese box caused havoc on a few occasions, while his adeptness in possession was key in the times Greece had the ball. Above all, it was his energy and closing down on the defensive end that was most impressive. He typified this team of “scramblers” by not only playing disciplined defense in one-on-one occasions, but also covering for teammates when necessary.
PLAY OF THE GAME - From One Angel-os to Another
It may not have been the most well-constructed and surely Greece were helped by Ricardo’s poor positioning and the slow reaction of the Portuguese defense, but this goal will go down as the greatest in Greek football history. Basinas’ corner was met by Charisteas’ downward header and upon hitting the net, millions of Greeks across the globe celebrated like crazy.
THE TURNING POINT - Giannakopoulos Tackle
Just before the goal, Maniche, the player that had scored that magnificent goal against the Netherlands in the semi-final, found himself outside the area with the ball. Just as he was about to unleash another long-range effort from 25 yards, Giannakopoulos raced back to steal the ball away. It was a fantastic piece of defending, which led to the play that earned Greece a corner and the goal that resulted from it.
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.
