Quarterfinal - England 2-2 Portugal
June 24, 2004
Quarterfinals 2:45 PM Portugal 2-2 England
England started the match positively enough and were dominating possession from the kickoff. In the span of three minutes Michael Owen slid onto a missed header by the Portuguese centre half and took the ball over his shoulder and volleyed it past a helpless Ricardo. 1-0 England. Within three minutes! England were passing well and brimming with confidence. You could actually see the confidence oozing in their intricate and speedy passing. England was dominating the match and even up 1-0 we pressed forward and threatened the Portuguese.
Owen looked particularly dangerous darting around the pitch and after a cheeky chip from Beckham Owen almost chipped Ricardo, but the ball landed on top of the net. Owen was working hard in midfield too. No one was backing down. England were firing on all cylinders and the threat of Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes was visibly concerned the Portuguese defenders.
Suddenly, in the 27th minute, England’s morale dropped. Wayne Rooney had, we later found out, broken a bone in his foot. Rooney, the 18 year old boy wonder, who was the leading scorer in the tournament, had to be substituted. Eriksson preferring the pace of Darius Vassell over the presence of Heskey. Rooney had been playing so well and some of the fight left England at that moment. It appeared like we lost belief…and ultimately the match.
England tried to make do and pressed on but the stoppage had allowed Portugal to rethink their tactics and now we were chasing the Portuguese around. They clung onto the ball well and despite some poor long range efforts they started putting shots on goal.
Neville was playing well, overlapping down the wing, and Ashley Cole was manhandling Cristiano Ronaldo and putting some great crosses in. Portugal weren’t backing down and Nuno Gomes (who has scored against England before) was looking dangerous. His hovering presence around the England goal was forcing the defenders to play deeper than they would’ve liked. Beckham wasn’t the domineering presence in this match but he was doing his part in midfield. Gerrard was giving up possession too easily, Lampard was running his legs off and Scholes actually pulled off a fine tackle!
In the mid second half Portugal were starting to pen England in. When England did get possession they relied too much on the long balls to Owen and Vassell. England were defending gallantly; everyone wondered if we could just hang on a little longer!
Disaster struck in the 83rd minute. An innocuous cross was made spectacular when Helder Postiga, a Premier League flop, ghosted in past Terry and headed in a goal for Portugal. Somehow I knew it was coming. Maybe I’m a pessimistic Englishman but somehow I could feel it in my bones. Now could we hang on to extra time?
The Portuguese goal picked up a deflated England and we brazenly passed and crossed the ball around in the Portuguese area eventually earning a free kick. Beckham stepped up…it was the perfect time. With almost no time left in the match, Beckham struck, the ball hit the crossbar, Sol Campbell jumped…and headed the ball into the net! 2-1 England! No, no, the referee’s taken it away. Not only that, the Portuguese are running downfield attacking England and the England players haven’t realized! 1-1 was about to become 2-1 Portugal. England ran like terriers to capture the ball back but the ref blew his whistle, the England players surrounded him bitterly and we went to extra time.
Prior to the extra time kickoff both teams drank plenty of fluids, it was still hot, and others stretched to stave off cramp. The match back under and both teams went back and forth at each other. Portugal looking the more aggressive of the two teams.
The first period of extra time ended and the Portuguese were coming closer and closer to scoring. They were keeping David James busy but we weren’t getting near their keeper. A cross outside the box found an unmarked Rui Costa who blasted the ball into England’s net in the 110th minute, 2-1 Portugal. England set about scoring another and they had ten minutes to do it. In the 115th minute Frank Lampard, who had worked so hard on the night, tucked a ball tidily into the Portuguese net. 2-2!
The game finished 2-2 and now both teams were headed for the dreaded penalty kick shootout. England, who has never done well at penalties, faced a nation that had never been in this situation before. Beckham took the first penalty and sliced it over the bar. Rui Costa missed for Portugal. Ultimately it was the Portuguese keeper Ricardo, who had played poorly in the match, that tucked away the winning penalty and England were bounced out of EURO 2004.
There’s a lot of ways to spin this but it’s been four days and the simple fact is: we lost. England played their hearts out and although the best strategy after a one goal lead would be to press on and score another, we defended and eventually gave up the tying goal. Blame could be placed on Terry’s poor marking or underestimating Postiga, but the fact is that we defended most of the second half and Portugal fought to the end. I underestimated Portugal. I’m sorry for that now. Sol Campbell’s goal aside, we lost. It’s over, let’s pick our heads up like true Britons, and march on to World Cup 2006.
Sol's Goal (that never was)!
Quarterfinals 2:45 PM Portugal 2-2 England
England started the match positively enough and were dominating possession from the kickoff. In the span of three minutes Michael Owen slid onto a missed header by the Portuguese centre half and took the ball over his shoulder and volleyed it past a helpless Ricardo. 1-0 England. Within three minutes! England were passing well and brimming with confidence. You could actually see the confidence oozing in their intricate and speedy passing. England was dominating the match and even up 1-0 we pressed forward and threatened the Portuguese.
Owen looked particularly dangerous darting around the pitch and after a cheeky chip from Beckham Owen almost chipped Ricardo, but the ball landed on top of the net. Owen was working hard in midfield too. No one was backing down. England were firing on all cylinders and the threat of Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes was visibly concerned the Portuguese defenders.
Suddenly, in the 27th minute, England’s morale dropped. Wayne Rooney had, we later found out, broken a bone in his foot. Rooney, the 18 year old boy wonder, who was the leading scorer in the tournament, had to be substituted. Eriksson preferring the pace of Darius Vassell over the presence of Heskey. Rooney had been playing so well and some of the fight left England at that moment. It appeared like we lost belief…and ultimately the match.
England tried to make do and pressed on but the stoppage had allowed Portugal to rethink their tactics and now we were chasing the Portuguese around. They clung onto the ball well and despite some poor long range efforts they started putting shots on goal.
Neville was playing well, overlapping down the wing, and Ashley Cole was manhandling Cristiano Ronaldo and putting some great crosses in. Portugal weren’t backing down and Nuno Gomes (who has scored against England before) was looking dangerous. His hovering presence around the England goal was forcing the defenders to play deeper than they would’ve liked. Beckham wasn’t the domineering presence in this match but he was doing his part in midfield. Gerrard was giving up possession too easily, Lampard was running his legs off and Scholes actually pulled off a fine tackle!
In the mid second half Portugal were starting to pen England in. When England did get possession they relied too much on the long balls to Owen and Vassell. England were defending gallantly; everyone wondered if we could just hang on a little longer!
Disaster struck in the 83rd minute. An innocuous cross was made spectacular when Helder Postiga, a Premier League flop, ghosted in past Terry and headed in a goal for Portugal. Somehow I knew it was coming. Maybe I’m a pessimistic Englishman but somehow I could feel it in my bones. Now could we hang on to extra time?
The Portuguese goal picked up a deflated England and we brazenly passed and crossed the ball around in the Portuguese area eventually earning a free kick. Beckham stepped up…it was the perfect time. With almost no time left in the match, Beckham struck, the ball hit the crossbar, Sol Campbell jumped…and headed the ball into the net! 2-1 England! No, no, the referee’s taken it away. Not only that, the Portuguese are running downfield attacking England and the England players haven’t realized! 1-1 was about to become 2-1 Portugal. England ran like terriers to capture the ball back but the ref blew his whistle, the England players surrounded him bitterly and we went to extra time.
Prior to the extra time kickoff both teams drank plenty of fluids, it was still hot, and others stretched to stave off cramp. The match back under and both teams went back and forth at each other. Portugal looking the more aggressive of the two teams.
The first period of extra time ended and the Portuguese were coming closer and closer to scoring. They were keeping David James busy but we weren’t getting near their keeper. A cross outside the box found an unmarked Rui Costa who blasted the ball into England’s net in the 110th minute, 2-1 Portugal. England set about scoring another and they had ten minutes to do it. In the 115th minute Frank Lampard, who had worked so hard on the night, tucked a ball tidily into the Portuguese net. 2-2!
The game finished 2-2 and now both teams were headed for the dreaded penalty kick shootout. England, who has never done well at penalties, faced a nation that had never been in this situation before. Beckham took the first penalty and sliced it over the bar. Rui Costa missed for Portugal. Ultimately it was the Portuguese keeper Ricardo, who had played poorly in the match, that tucked away the winning penalty and England were bounced out of EURO 2004.
There’s a lot of ways to spin this but it’s been four days and the simple fact is: we lost. England played their hearts out and although the best strategy after a one goal lead would be to press on and score another, we defended and eventually gave up the tying goal. Blame could be placed on Terry’s poor marking or underestimating Postiga, but the fact is that we defended most of the second half and Portugal fought to the end. I underestimated Portugal. I’m sorry for that now. Sol Campbell’s goal aside, we lost. It’s over, let’s pick our heads up like true Britons, and march on to World Cup 2006.
Sol's Goal (that never was)!
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