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Portugal through to quarter finals
Nuno Gomes has sparked delirious celebrations across Portugal after his goal sealed a 1-0 win over Spain and a ticket to the quarter-finals for the Euro 2004 hosts.
In the other Group A game in Faro, Russia beat Greece 2-1 in a match remarkable for Russian striker Dmitry Kirichenko scoring after 67 seconds, the fastest goal in the history of the finals. Dmitry Bulykin scored a second for Russia but Greece qualify for their first quarter-final thanks to a goal shortly before halftime by striker Zisis Vryzas.
That put them ahead of Spain on goals scored after the two teams finished level on points. Portugal needed to beat their bigger Iberian neighbours for the first time since 1981 and the first time ever in a competitive fixture to avoid a sad exit from the tournament. The tension was hanging heavy around the Jose Alvalade stadium from the first whistle and both sets of players appeared to be swallowed up by the occasion in a stop-start first half. But Nuno Gomes, who starred for Portugal in their run to the semi-finals four years ago, raised the roof in the 57th minute with a superb right foot finish after coming on as a substitute. Final whistle The final whistle was greeted with an explosion of euphoria across the nation. "It's going to be crazy tonight. People will lose their heads. I don't think there will be many people at work tomorrow," said Joao Fragoso, a technician from Lisbon. Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who knew only a victory would be enough, paid tribute to the fans. "Fortunately, we won and we're happy. I want to send congratulations to the public, which weren't the 12th player, but the 13th and the 14th," he said. "Without them we wouldn't have had all this force to fight to qualify. Now we'll see what will happen." For Spain, who needed only to draw, it is another chapter in a long history of under-achievement. "The players are extremely low. We had great hopes for this tournament and had qualification within our grasp, but it just wasn't to be," said coach Inaki Saez. The Lisbon battle between the two Iberian neighbours has been the only talking point in the capital for days. In the hours before kickoff hundreds of good-natured Portuguese and Spanish fans, draped in their national colours, streamed into Lisbon's bars and squares to swig beer together. National flags Up and down the country from Braga to Faro houses and cars were decorated with Portuguese flags. Newspaper headlines helped whip up the atmosphere. "It's all or nothing," rattled the sober Lisbon daily Diario de Noticias on Sunday. "Kill, kill," screamed the lead headline of a special section on Jornal de Noticias. Greece captain Theodoros Zagorakis said qualification for the quarter-finals had put his team on the football map. "It sook us some seconds to understand what had happened tonight. We fulfilled all our promises. We made Greece not just the talk of Europe but also of the world," he said. Coach Otto Rehhagel said his team now had nothing to lose. "Today there will only be joy, no criticism," he said. We have already won everything." With three teams through - the Czech Republic qualified on Saturday - and five quarter-final spots still to play for, the final round of group matches are fraying nerves in training camps across Portugal. The tension in the Italian squad was vividly displayed by striker Christian Vieri who marched out of a news conference vowing not to speak to the Italian press again after newspapers reported on Sunday that he had argued with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon after Friday's 1-1 draw with Sweden. "This is the last day that I speak to you," Vieri said. "You can say what you want about me as a player but when you offend me as a person, well ... I am more of a man than all of you put together." Italy play Bulgaria in Group C on Tuesday. Their were even ripples of discontent in the camp of champions France, with the players concerned about the tactics used in a 2-2 draw with Croatia in their second Group B match. L'Equipe reported that captain Marcel Desailly and playmaker Zinedine Zidane went to coach Jacques Santini to plead for a change in their 4-4-2 line-up. "The coach listened carefully to the two players," said L'Equipe. "But he has not given any answer to their request yet." |
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