Second half collapse proves costly for Greece U19
UEFA 2019 U19 EURO QUAL. - ELITE ROUND (MATCHDAY 1)
| Greece U19 | 2 - 2 | Denmark U19 |
|---|---|---|
| Tsaousis (P) 19' Meliopoulos 37' |
Kaufmann 60', 72' |
The Greece U19s played to a 2:2 draw against Denmark in their opening match of the Elite qualifying round after giving up a two-goal first half lead.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage from AGONASport.com!
The Greek U19 national team began their quest to qualify for the 2019 European championships, matching up against Denmark in the opening match of Group 2 in the Elite qualifying round. The Ethniki Neon struck first in the 19th minute, when Mpotos was brought down by the opposing goalkeeper in the penalty area and Tsaousis stepped up to convert the spot kick into a 1:0 lead. The Danes hit the woodwork in the 28th minute but against the run of play, Greece doubled their lead when Tsaousis turned provider for Meliopoulos, who netted home from close range on 37 minutes.
Greece were in cruise control heading into the second half, however things began to fall apart. Kaufmann pulled one back for Denmark in the 60th minute and just twelve minutes later, substitute Damsgaard’s cross was met by Kaufmann, who added his name to the scoresheet for a second time. Despite Greece’s pressure in the final minutes to steal victory, the match ended in a 2:2 draw.
The result puts a heavy damper on Greece’s hopes of qualifying for the 2019 European championships after England defeated the Czech Republic 4:1 earlier today in the group’s other fixture. With only the top team from each group qualifying for the final tournament, Greece must defeat England on matchday two to have any hopes of progressing. The Ethniki Neon will play England on Saturday March 26th (16:00) while Denmark play the Czech Republic.
Starting Lineups
Greece: Nikopolidis, Lyratzis, Diamantis, Michailidis, Tsaousis, Mpotos, Neofytidis, Meliopoulos, Gkargkalatzidis, Emmanouilidis, Shehu
Denmark: Bernat, Sery, Ross, Gudmann, Klitten L., Christensen, Hautorp, Klitten O., Jensen, Kaastrup, Kaufmann
Group 2 Standings
England 3 (4:1)
Greece 1 (2:2)
Denmark 1 (2:2)
Czech Republic 0 (1:4)
