Post by Taxigirl on Jul 2, 2004 8:55:12 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/euro_2004/3844467.stm
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/euro_2004/photo_galleries/3846379.stm
(0-0 at 90 mins, Greece win on silver goal rule)
Greece ripped up the form book by beating Euro 2004 favourites Czech Republic with a silver goal to face host nation Portugal in the final.
Traianos Dellas lost his marker at a corner to glance home the winning goal seconds from the end of the first period of extra-time.
The Czechs had their chances, with Tomas Rosicky striking the crossbar.
But the plucky Greeks worked tirelessly to deny the Czechs, with Dellas a giant at the heart of their defence.
The Czechs came flying out of the traps and almost took a spectacular lead after just two minutes when Jan Koller nodded on a free-kick and Rosicky dipped a thumping volley against the bar with keeper Antonis Nikopolidis a helpless spectator.
But the Greek keeper proved up to the task two minutes later when Marek Jankulovski roared forward and Nikopolidis stood firm at the near post to parry his piledriver for a corner.
Having ridden out the early storm, Greece grew in confidence and after Giorgos Karagounis was upended by Rene Bolf, the Greek playmaker picked himself to take the free-kick but the Czech wall did its job to take the sting out of his strike.
With at least a foot height advantage over his marker Michalis Kapsis, Koller's height was always going to be a threat and Nikopolidis was very cool as the giant striker's apparently harmless looping header bounced on top of the bar.
Takis Fyssas epitomised Greece's growing confidence as he supported the attack to tease in a tempting cross which Angelos Charisteas missed at the near post and Petr Cech palmed away at full stretch as Karagounis sniffed for scraps.
Nikopolidis came to Greece's rescue on 33 minutes, going full length to palm claw away Jankulovski's first time shot after Rosicky's low cross found its way through to him.
KEY MOMENTS
2 mins: Rosicky's shot hits the bar
33 mins: Nikopolidis denies Jankulovsky
40 mins: Pavel Nedved limps off
80 mins: Koller fires wide from 10 yards
105 mins: Dellas glances home the winning goal
The Czechs suffered a blow as half-time approached when starman Pavel Nedved limped off to be replaced by Vladimir Smicer.
Despite the loss of their talisman, the Czechs turned the screw in the second half and Nikopolidis was relieved as he completely misjudged Karel Poborsky's corner and Koller's goal-bound header struck team-mate Milan Baros.
But back came Greece and Zisis Vryzas glanced his header from Angelos Basinas's free-kick straight into Cech's arms.
Jankulovsky wasted a good opportunity presented by Theodoros Zagorakis's foul on Baros, driving his free-kick into the two man wall from five yards in from the goal-line.
With 10 minutes left Koller took a cute return pass from Rosicky only to drag his shot wide from 10 yards out.
Baros then weaved his way inside but choked his shot after opening up the angle on the goal.
Cech came to his side's rescue as the game went into extra-time, sprinting from his goal to block a header from Stelios Giannakopoulos.
Dellas then had a chance to score what would have been the winning silver goal but placed his glancing header from Vassilis Tsiartas' free-kick too close to Cech.
With the seconds ticking down to the end of the first period of extra-time, Dellas lost his marker Bolf at the near post to glance home the winning header from a corner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greece: Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Kapsis, Dellas, Fissas, Zagorakis, Katsouranis, Basinas (Giannakopoulos 71), Charisteas, Vryzas (Tsiartas 90), Karagounis.
Subs Not Used: Chalkias, Katergiannakis, Dabizas, Georgiadis, Goumas, Kafes, Lakis, Nikolaidis, Papadopoulos, Venetidis.
Booked: Seitaridis, Charisteas, Karagounis.
Czech Republic: Cech, Grygera, Ujfalusi, Bolf, Jankulovski, Poborsky, Galasek, Rosicky, Nedved (Smicer 40), Koller, Baros.
Subs Not Used: Blazek, Kinsky, Heinz, Hubschman, Jiranek, Lokvenc, Mares, Plasil, Rozehnal, Tyce, Vachousek.
Booked: Rosicky, Smicer, Baros.
Attendance: 42,449.
Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICIAL STATS BY UEFA
Category Greece Czech Republic
Total shots 9 16
Shots on target 5 5
Possession 48% 52%
Corners won 4 8
Fouls committed 15 24
Offsides 4 2
Bookings 3 3
Sent Off 0 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRIVIA
This is the first time that a European Championship match was decided by a silver goal.
This is the first time at the European Championship and World Cup that the two teams who played the opening match have qualified for the final.
Greek Giorgios Karagounis received his fourth yellow card of the tournament and is suspended for the final. In the history of European Championship finals no other player has received more than three cards in a single tournament.
Karel Poborský equalled the competition record for most appearances in the European Championship, held jointly by Lilian Thuram and Zinedine Zidane who have played 14 matches.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/euro_2004/photo_galleries/3846379.stm
(0-0 at 90 mins, Greece win on silver goal rule)
Greece ripped up the form book by beating Euro 2004 favourites Czech Republic with a silver goal to face host nation Portugal in the final.
Traianos Dellas lost his marker at a corner to glance home the winning goal seconds from the end of the first period of extra-time.
The Czechs had their chances, with Tomas Rosicky striking the crossbar.
But the plucky Greeks worked tirelessly to deny the Czechs, with Dellas a giant at the heart of their defence.
The Czechs came flying out of the traps and almost took a spectacular lead after just two minutes when Jan Koller nodded on a free-kick and Rosicky dipped a thumping volley against the bar with keeper Antonis Nikopolidis a helpless spectator.
But the Greek keeper proved up to the task two minutes later when Marek Jankulovski roared forward and Nikopolidis stood firm at the near post to parry his piledriver for a corner.
Having ridden out the early storm, Greece grew in confidence and after Giorgos Karagounis was upended by Rene Bolf, the Greek playmaker picked himself to take the free-kick but the Czech wall did its job to take the sting out of his strike.
With at least a foot height advantage over his marker Michalis Kapsis, Koller's height was always going to be a threat and Nikopolidis was very cool as the giant striker's apparently harmless looping header bounced on top of the bar.
Takis Fyssas epitomised Greece's growing confidence as he supported the attack to tease in a tempting cross which Angelos Charisteas missed at the near post and Petr Cech palmed away at full stretch as Karagounis sniffed for scraps.
Nikopolidis came to Greece's rescue on 33 minutes, going full length to palm claw away Jankulovski's first time shot after Rosicky's low cross found its way through to him.
KEY MOMENTS
2 mins: Rosicky's shot hits the bar
33 mins: Nikopolidis denies Jankulovsky
40 mins: Pavel Nedved limps off
80 mins: Koller fires wide from 10 yards
105 mins: Dellas glances home the winning goal
The Czechs suffered a blow as half-time approached when starman Pavel Nedved limped off to be replaced by Vladimir Smicer.
Despite the loss of their talisman, the Czechs turned the screw in the second half and Nikopolidis was relieved as he completely misjudged Karel Poborsky's corner and Koller's goal-bound header struck team-mate Milan Baros.
But back came Greece and Zisis Vryzas glanced his header from Angelos Basinas's free-kick straight into Cech's arms.
Jankulovsky wasted a good opportunity presented by Theodoros Zagorakis's foul on Baros, driving his free-kick into the two man wall from five yards in from the goal-line.
With 10 minutes left Koller took a cute return pass from Rosicky only to drag his shot wide from 10 yards out.
Baros then weaved his way inside but choked his shot after opening up the angle on the goal.
Cech came to his side's rescue as the game went into extra-time, sprinting from his goal to block a header from Stelios Giannakopoulos.
Dellas then had a chance to score what would have been the winning silver goal but placed his glancing header from Vassilis Tsiartas' free-kick too close to Cech.
With the seconds ticking down to the end of the first period of extra-time, Dellas lost his marker Bolf at the near post to glance home the winning header from a corner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greece: Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Kapsis, Dellas, Fissas, Zagorakis, Katsouranis, Basinas (Giannakopoulos 71), Charisteas, Vryzas (Tsiartas 90), Karagounis.
Subs Not Used: Chalkias, Katergiannakis, Dabizas, Georgiadis, Goumas, Kafes, Lakis, Nikolaidis, Papadopoulos, Venetidis.
Booked: Seitaridis, Charisteas, Karagounis.
Czech Republic: Cech, Grygera, Ujfalusi, Bolf, Jankulovski, Poborsky, Galasek, Rosicky, Nedved (Smicer 40), Koller, Baros.
Subs Not Used: Blazek, Kinsky, Heinz, Hubschman, Jiranek, Lokvenc, Mares, Plasil, Rozehnal, Tyce, Vachousek.
Booked: Rosicky, Smicer, Baros.
Attendance: 42,449.
Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICIAL STATS BY UEFA
Category Greece Czech Republic
Total shots 9 16
Shots on target 5 5
Possession 48% 52%
Corners won 4 8
Fouls committed 15 24
Offsides 4 2
Bookings 3 3
Sent Off 0 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRIVIA
This is the first time that a European Championship match was decided by a silver goal.
This is the first time at the European Championship and World Cup that the two teams who played the opening match have qualified for the final.
Greek Giorgios Karagounis received his fourth yellow card of the tournament and is suspended for the final. In the history of European Championship finals no other player has received more than three cards in a single tournament.
Karel Poborský equalled the competition record for most appearances in the European Championship, held jointly by Lilian Thuram and Zinedine Zidane who have played 14 matches.