TNT Sports
Greeks grab shock win
By
Published 12/06/2004 at 18:40 GMT+1
Greece stunned Portugal 2-1 on Saturday in a nervy Euro 2004 opener. The host nation were put on the back foot by a 7th-minute Giorgos Karagounis strike before a second-half Angelos Basinas penalty claimed the Greeks first major tournament win. Cristiano
Eurosport
Image credit: TNT Sports
Though backed by a partisan crowd in Porto's Estadio do Dragao, Luis Felipe Scolari's side looked ring rusty, a legacy perhaps of not having played a competitive game since the 2002 World Cup finals.
Caught cold, the Portuguese midfield gave Karagounis time and space to advance - and with defenders backing off - the Inter Milan player fired a low drive into Ricardo's bottom right corner to grab an unlikely lead.
In a disjointed first-half performance, playmakers Rui Costa and Luis Figo were peripheral figures as the Greeks held firm.
Otto Rehhagel's men did crumble momentarily to allow Rui Costa a free header after 26 minutes, but the goal-shy Milan midfielder should have done better than send the ball spinning wide of Antonis Nikopolidis' goal.
INCREASED VERVE
Scolari's half-time introduction of Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo - replacing Rui Costa and the equally ineffective Simao - promised increased attacking verve.
Ronaldo's impact was immediate, though sadly it was in his own box, clipping the heels of Giorgos Seitaridis to give referee Pierluigi Collina an easy task in pointing to the spot - Basinas' 51st minute spot-kick into the top corner leaving Ricardo little chance.
Ronaldo did show nice touches down the left, bamboozling the Greek defence with regularity, though too often his crosses dropped into space as Pauleta was too often left isolated in the box.
Ironically, it was Ronaldo who finally did get on the end of a high ball, powerfully nodding home a 93rd minute corner, but the Greeks were deserved winners.
An elated Rehhagel stressed the need to Greece not to lose sight of Wednesday's test against Russia.
"This is the biggest win of any Greek team ever," he said.
"The strategies and tactics we chose over the past week have been extremely successful.
"Tomorrow is a Sunday and I hope that the Greeks will hang their flags outside their houses.
"Tonight we will be a little bit happy but tomorrow we have to focus again because we play again in four days."
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