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Giant-killer Greece stun France to reach semis
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-06-26 10:21
Determined Greece stunned the defending champions France with a 1-0 victory in the quarter- finals of the European soccer championship in Lisbon on Friday.
Angelos Charisteas sent Greece into rapture with a 65th minute header to finish off a fine cross from Greece skipper Theogoros Zagorakis.
Angelos Charisteas celebrates scoring the only goal of the game. [AFP] |
Flicking the ball over defender Bixente Lizarazu, the Greece playmaker Zagorakis stormed down the right and sent a curling cross to the unmarked Charisteas, who headed home into the top right-hand corner.
Goalscorer Charisteas was inspired with their performance. " Tonight we really showed what we can do, " said Charisteas. "We played the best team in the world, and we beat them. "
"We've shown Greece deserves to be exactly where it is. This had nothing to do with luck. Now we have to calm down and see what the stage brings. We've made it here - now everything is possible. "
"We have a very good team and, for me, our qualification for the semi-finals is the greatest moment in Greek football history, " added he.
France captain Zinedine Zidane had nothing but a yellow card from the match when the Real Madrid midfielder tackled down Georgios Karagounis from behind just before the match.
Greece were lively and keen to work hard for the whole match as they almost outplayed France in the first half. The Greek eleven came close to taking a lead on 15 minutes when Konstantinos Katsouranis steered a Karagounis's free-kick towards French goalkeeper Barthez, who blocked the ball on the goalline with a little help from his post.
"We were just rushing forwards, and that was not the best way to go about it. It's a big disappointment. We had hoped to get to the final, " said France's head coach Jacques Santini.
"Greece deserved to score in the first half, but in the second half it was the other way around.
"There was too much wasted technique, and at the end of the game we lacked lucidity. We came up against a very tightly-knit defence. "
France came out strong in the second period and threatened with several chances, especially a late Thierry Henry header but Greece held firm until the 65th minute when their counter-attack finished in a 1-0 lead.
In the later match, the title holders looked shiftless with the Greek's solid defense. They failed to level the game before Greece celebrated a place in the last four.
Greece, who earlier stunned Portugal 2-1 in the opening game, will play the winner of the match between Czech Republic and Denmark.
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