GROUP A Matches - June 20, 2004
June 20, 2004
Group A 2:45 PM Spain 0-1 Portugal
The BBC pundits didn't care for this match but I thought it was riveting. With so much on the line how can it not be exciting? Portugal HAD to win this game if they wanted to reach the quarterfinals and they thoroughly deserved a 1-0 win over a dazed Spanish side. Spain rarely ventured forward but did have a few threatening moments. However, it was a creative Portuguese side that pressed the attack. Portugal worked like terriers to win the ball in midfield and created the best opportunities of the match.
Spain lost the plot before the match even started. Spanish coach Inaki Saez made some inexplicable changes for which Spain would be later punished. I'd said last night that leaving Morientes out of the starting attack was suicide and it rang true. Saez elected to go with a talented but inexperienced Fernando Torres up top. I can't possibly see the rationale behind leaving Morientes out and playing Torres in his place. I bet if you'd asked Torres the same question he would've thought Morientes should've played in his place. Torres, although touted as a future superstar by the Spanish press, failed to live up to the hype. He had a handful of chances but never really looked like putting them away. Raul played adequately but if Saez wanted to make an appropriate change he should've left Raul out of the side. Morientes must've done something that invoked Saez's wrath because as the subs came on, Luque got on at striker before Morientes did! I said it was suicide yesterday and I think I was proven right.
Spain just could not cope by the pressing and attacking Portuguese. Spain probably would've won more balls in midfield had Saez started with Etxeberria, Baraja and Valeron, but instead he went with what I would term a Spanish B team midfield of Albeda, Alonso, Sanchez and Vicente Rodriguez. Madness. As a result Spain lost control in midfield and spent most of the match chasing Christiano Ronaldo, Figo, and Deco around the pitch.
Defensively Spain again looked shakey; Saez opting to play Bravo, Helguera, Juanito and Puyol. Raul Bravo had a nightmarish performance and simply could not deal with the pace and flair of Ronaldo. Bravo played so poorly that Mark Lawrenson actually referred to him as Juliet Bravo! Helguera played well but he wasn't getting the help required at this level. Apparently the Beatles wrote a song about Juanito...it was called Nowhere Man. Puyol fulfilled his role but for a lad who's supposed to be the "heart of soul of the Barcelona defense" he failed to impress. I wish I could see more Barcelona matches because I'm sure he's a better player at club level than what we saw him do for Spain. Spain clearly missed the organization and leadership of Salgado but at this stage it's not fair to blame results on injuries.
With so many changes in the Spanish side, I think Saez was playing for a 0-0 and by the time Spain went down 1-0 it was too late for Torres, Luque and Morientes to produce. It should be said that Casillas had a good game although he's constantly out of position and as such has to perform some rather theatrical saves. He strikes me as a bit of a drama queen. Honestly, I feel Canizares would have been a wiser choice but it's doubtful we'll see much of him now.
Portugal looked the better side for the first 20 minutes. They drove into Spanish territory in wave after wave but were never able to supply the final ball. Throughout the tournament I have been highly disappointed by the performances of Figo and Pauleta. It's rare that I get to see these much-touted players play on the highest level and I'm sorry to say I think they were flops. Figo is a shadow of his former self although he does occasionally show flashes of his former brilliance. Pauleta never drops back to help in midfield and although his service has been poor, the opportunities he has had have resulted in nothing. Pauleta, nicknamed the Hurricane of the Azores, seems to have dissipated into a light rain. Very disappointing.
Christiano Ronaldo has been the star of the show thus far. Although he's been given a hard time for his incessant use of step over fakes, the kid is world class. He seems as much at home in the Portuguese side as he does in the Manchester United side. There's a certain buzz of expectation when he gets the ball...the crowd get louder, there's a buzz of anticipation, the supporters expect something thrilling. That said he could work more on his crosses from the wing and has to develop his defensive skills. If Ronaldo can develop leadership skills in his career I think he'll be the best Portuguese player since Figo.
I'd be worried if I was a Chelsea fan about the money they spent on Ferreira who can't justify a place in the team, although Chelsea must be very keen on Deco, who I think has had a solid tournament so far. Defensively for Portugal I've been most impressed with Jorge Andrade and I've seen strong performances from Miguel and Carvalho. In the end it was a fine shot from substitute Nuno Gomes (who always plays well in the big matches) that sealed a quarterfinal berth for Portugal at Spain's expense. Spain didn't deserve to go further.
A good match overall filled with creative attacking football from Portugal against a Spanish team that couldn't quite make up its mind whether it wanted to attack or defend. Big Phil Scolari has had to put up with a lot of stick from the press in recent days but I think he deserves full credit for playing Ronaldo, subbing Pauleta and putting on match winner Gomes. Watching Big Phil barking orders from the touchline and celebrate the goal with his coaching staff was sweet revenge...
June 20, 2004
Group A 2:45 PM Russia 2-1 Greece
Greece qualified for the quarter finals but it wasn't pretty. A Greek side that had looked so impressive against Portugal and Spain lost to a technically gifted (though passionless) Russian side. It's always the same with Russia, they play poorly in their first two competetive matches and then destroy teams like Cameroon 10-0! When the pressure's off the Russians fire on all cylinders but, unlike the former USSR teams, they lack that the discipline essential at this level. Within two minutes of kick off poor old Nikopolidis (who's having a fantastic tournament) was picking the ball out of his net. Gusev (which does actually mean Goose in Russian) flapped his way past a defender after a long goal kick and buried a volley into the Greek net. The Greeks showed heart in the match but the Russians really should've put five past them. Nikopolidis wasn't at fault for the second goal either. A free header, gifted to goal poacher Bulykin, was thundered past Nikopolidis, but one has to question the Greek marking. I think a lot of us were brought back down to Earth today by a less than impressive Greek performance. They are the Cinderella side of the Championship but if they don't learn to mark and pick up strikers in the box they won't go much further. Gusev looked dangerous all match and after scoring the first goal he turned creator for the second. It was his corner that was met neatly by Bulykin for Russia's second. Facing elimination form EURO 2004 the Greeks fought valiantly, conjuring up images of Spartan warriors, and we rewarded with their efforts by a great finish from Vryzas.
To be fair, Russia have not had a good tournament but it was good to finally see a talented Russian side exhibit some of their potential. I'm not sure that Wales would've done much better, but good to see Russia end on a high note and wonderful to see a Cinderella Greek side get to the ball.
Group A 2:45 PM Spain 0-1 Portugal
The BBC pundits didn't care for this match but I thought it was riveting. With so much on the line how can it not be exciting? Portugal HAD to win this game if they wanted to reach the quarterfinals and they thoroughly deserved a 1-0 win over a dazed Spanish side. Spain rarely ventured forward but did have a few threatening moments. However, it was a creative Portuguese side that pressed the attack. Portugal worked like terriers to win the ball in midfield and created the best opportunities of the match.
Spain lost the plot before the match even started. Spanish coach Inaki Saez made some inexplicable changes for which Spain would be later punished. I'd said last night that leaving Morientes out of the starting attack was suicide and it rang true. Saez elected to go with a talented but inexperienced Fernando Torres up top. I can't possibly see the rationale behind leaving Morientes out and playing Torres in his place. I bet if you'd asked Torres the same question he would've thought Morientes should've played in his place. Torres, although touted as a future superstar by the Spanish press, failed to live up to the hype. He had a handful of chances but never really looked like putting them away. Raul played adequately but if Saez wanted to make an appropriate change he should've left Raul out of the side. Morientes must've done something that invoked Saez's wrath because as the subs came on, Luque got on at striker before Morientes did! I said it was suicide yesterday and I think I was proven right.
Spain just could not cope by the pressing and attacking Portuguese. Spain probably would've won more balls in midfield had Saez started with Etxeberria, Baraja and Valeron, but instead he went with what I would term a Spanish B team midfield of Albeda, Alonso, Sanchez and Vicente Rodriguez. Madness. As a result Spain lost control in midfield and spent most of the match chasing Christiano Ronaldo, Figo, and Deco around the pitch.
Defensively Spain again looked shakey; Saez opting to play Bravo, Helguera, Juanito and Puyol. Raul Bravo had a nightmarish performance and simply could not deal with the pace and flair of Ronaldo. Bravo played so poorly that Mark Lawrenson actually referred to him as Juliet Bravo! Helguera played well but he wasn't getting the help required at this level. Apparently the Beatles wrote a song about Juanito...it was called Nowhere Man. Puyol fulfilled his role but for a lad who's supposed to be the "heart of soul of the Barcelona defense" he failed to impress. I wish I could see more Barcelona matches because I'm sure he's a better player at club level than what we saw him do for Spain. Spain clearly missed the organization and leadership of Salgado but at this stage it's not fair to blame results on injuries.
With so many changes in the Spanish side, I think Saez was playing for a 0-0 and by the time Spain went down 1-0 it was too late for Torres, Luque and Morientes to produce. It should be said that Casillas had a good game although he's constantly out of position and as such has to perform some rather theatrical saves. He strikes me as a bit of a drama queen. Honestly, I feel Canizares would have been a wiser choice but it's doubtful we'll see much of him now.
Portugal looked the better side for the first 20 minutes. They drove into Spanish territory in wave after wave but were never able to supply the final ball. Throughout the tournament I have been highly disappointed by the performances of Figo and Pauleta. It's rare that I get to see these much-touted players play on the highest level and I'm sorry to say I think they were flops. Figo is a shadow of his former self although he does occasionally show flashes of his former brilliance. Pauleta never drops back to help in midfield and although his service has been poor, the opportunities he has had have resulted in nothing. Pauleta, nicknamed the Hurricane of the Azores, seems to have dissipated into a light rain. Very disappointing.
Christiano Ronaldo has been the star of the show thus far. Although he's been given a hard time for his incessant use of step over fakes, the kid is world class. He seems as much at home in the Portuguese side as he does in the Manchester United side. There's a certain buzz of expectation when he gets the ball...the crowd get louder, there's a buzz of anticipation, the supporters expect something thrilling. That said he could work more on his crosses from the wing and has to develop his defensive skills. If Ronaldo can develop leadership skills in his career I think he'll be the best Portuguese player since Figo.
I'd be worried if I was a Chelsea fan about the money they spent on Ferreira who can't justify a place in the team, although Chelsea must be very keen on Deco, who I think has had a solid tournament so far. Defensively for Portugal I've been most impressed with Jorge Andrade and I've seen strong performances from Miguel and Carvalho. In the end it was a fine shot from substitute Nuno Gomes (who always plays well in the big matches) that sealed a quarterfinal berth for Portugal at Spain's expense. Spain didn't deserve to go further.
A good match overall filled with creative attacking football from Portugal against a Spanish team that couldn't quite make up its mind whether it wanted to attack or defend. Big Phil Scolari has had to put up with a lot of stick from the press in recent days but I think he deserves full credit for playing Ronaldo, subbing Pauleta and putting on match winner Gomes. Watching Big Phil barking orders from the touchline and celebrate the goal with his coaching staff was sweet revenge...
June 20, 2004
Group A 2:45 PM Russia 2-1 Greece
Greece qualified for the quarter finals but it wasn't pretty. A Greek side that had looked so impressive against Portugal and Spain lost to a technically gifted (though passionless) Russian side. It's always the same with Russia, they play poorly in their first two competetive matches and then destroy teams like Cameroon 10-0! When the pressure's off the Russians fire on all cylinders but, unlike the former USSR teams, they lack that the discipline essential at this level. Within two minutes of kick off poor old Nikopolidis (who's having a fantastic tournament) was picking the ball out of his net. Gusev (which does actually mean Goose in Russian) flapped his way past a defender after a long goal kick and buried a volley into the Greek net. The Greeks showed heart in the match but the Russians really should've put five past them. Nikopolidis wasn't at fault for the second goal either. A free header, gifted to goal poacher Bulykin, was thundered past Nikopolidis, but one has to question the Greek marking. I think a lot of us were brought back down to Earth today by a less than impressive Greek performance. They are the Cinderella side of the Championship but if they don't learn to mark and pick up strikers in the box they won't go much further. Gusev looked dangerous all match and after scoring the first goal he turned creator for the second. It was his corner that was met neatly by Bulykin for Russia's second. Facing elimination form EURO 2004 the Greeks fought valiantly, conjuring up images of Spartan warriors, and we rewarded with their efforts by a great finish from Vryzas.
To be fair, Russia have not had a good tournament but it was good to finally see a talented Russian side exhibit some of their potential. I'm not sure that Wales would've done much better, but good to see Russia end on a high note and wonderful to see a Cinderella Greek side get to the ball.
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