 Twenty-five hundred years ago, a small band of Greeks met a massive army from Persia miles from their home city. Badly outnumbered, and never expected to stand much of a chance facing such a powerful foe, the Athenians rallied against all odds and drove the enemy from the shores of Marathon.
It seems as though Greece never forgot how to achieve the impossible. No one would have pegged the Greek soccer team as being even remotely capable of achieving what they have in the Euro 2004 tournament. In what can only be described as the sports story of the year, the young group of Aegean's shocked the world, beat all the odds, and won a tournament second only to the World Cup in its importance in the soccer world.
Greece began to surprise viewers early on. The unheralded team, despite 2-0 opening losses to the Ukraine and Spain, went on to win their next six matches and achieve automatic tournament qualification.
Their surprising run for the cup continued throughout the tournament, as the underdogs handed host Portugal a heartbreaking 2-1 loss, followed by a 1-1 draw against favoured Spain and a 2-1 defeat courtesy of already-eliminated Russia. Despite the loss, Greece had already achieved its goals: Win a match in European tournament play for the first time, and make the playoffs.
The Greek side wasn't expected to go any further, yet shocking 1-0 decisions against powerhouses France and the Czech Republic proved the critics wrong, and set up a classic first-round rematch between the tournament hosts and the soccer upstarts.
By the end of the final match, Portugal had out-shot Greece 17-4, maintaining possession for the better part of the match and narrowly missing on numerous solid scoring chances.
In comparison, the Greek team only managed one shot on goal—although, it was the only shot they would need.
The strategic reformation of Greece's approach by Otto Rehhagel cannot be understated. In what can only be described as soccer's equivalent of a neutral zone trap in hockey, Rehhagel implemented the defense-minded 4-5-1 formation to perfection, continuing on with the strategy which Greece has relied on heavily throughout the tournament. This, in conjunction with inspiring performances by defensemen Dellas and Kapsis, completely nullified the creative offensive game-play of Portugal superstars Figo and Ronaldo.
“It was an unusual achievement for Greek football and especially for European football," explained coach Rehhagel. "The team played great football. We took advantage of our chances. The opponent was technically better than us but we took advantage of our chances. We should have made it 2-0. The Greeks made football history today. It's a sensation."
The disciplined, methodical style adopted by the Greeks not only focused on staunch defense, but capitalizing on unique opportunities as they came. Playing patiently in the opposing end, all three goals against France, the Czechs and Portugal came off of set pieces, especially corner kicks which proved to be most profitable for them.
Angelos Charisteas, often finding himself in the right place at the right time, took advantage of many set piece opportunities, burying several game-winning headers.
A great deal of discussion has revolved around the way in which Greece gained victory in Euro 2004, particularly in the danger that a stingy defensive structure presents to the excitement factor of international soccer. Despite the negative opinions, the Greeks faced no end of shots in each match, ultimately relying on rapid zone clearing, miraculous goalkeeping by veteran Antonios Nikopolidis, and a great deal of luck. In the end, no amount of criticism could dampen the spirits of Europe's new soccer champions.
"We're the champions of Europe,” said Charisteas. “We're the best team in Europe. We deserved it. It's very significant, I'm very happy and very moved. I call on all Greeks to rejoice and celebrate today. I believe this is a unique moment, which many of us may never experience again and I believe we deserved it.”
No matter what team you cheered for, the slaying of the giants by unknown Greece certainly ushers in a new era for international soccer—one in which anything is possible. **** |
