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Results of first weekend...
Updated: 18-Jun-2004
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Otto Rehagel – master tactician
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Greek tragedy
The innocent and childlike euphoria of the Portuguese nation received a severe dampness in the very first game of the tournament against unfancied Greece in Porto’s Dragão Stadium. Rather than sitting back and defending, as was generally expected, the Greeks attacked from the word go, completely taking the hosts by surprise.
By the time the shell-shocked Portuguese found a way back into the game, Figo had committed the first foul of Euro 2004 and Inter Milan midfielder Karagounis had put the Greeks one up, with a flat shot into the bottom right-hand corner from outside the penalty area. Rui Costa and Simão had clear-cut chances to equalise, but failed to take them.
Both players were punished for their ineptitude by coach Scolari, who replaced them with Deco and Ronaldo at the start of the second half. Portugal started to look more menacing, only for the over-enthusiastic Ronaldo to bring down Seitardis in the area with a clumsy tackle. Pierluigi Collina pointed to the spot and Basinas buried the ball in the top left-hand corner of the net to put Greece 2-0 up on the night.
Portugal began to throw everything forward in a desperate bid to avert a national disaster, but Greece’s German master tactician on the bench, Otto Rehagel, started pulling off strikers and reinforcing his defensive formation. The trap had been sprung and Portugal caught.
Ronaldo did try to make amends for his blunder, shooting just wide in the 82nd minute before scoring with a fine header deep into stoppage time. But it was too little too late. The game was over and Greece had won their first competitive match ever. Beware of Greeks and the gifts they bear!
A wave of ‘saudade’ and stoic acceptance that often threatens to define the Portuguese way of life threatened to engulf the country, only for renewed hope to emerge. We have lost a game, but we live to fight another day! And fight they must. The way things are working out in the group (Spain beat Russia 1-0 in the Algarve), Portugal must beat Spain in Sunday’s big showdown in order to stay in the competition.
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