Greece Euro 2004 Triumph Marks an Inconceivable Feat – TBT #16
It’s the summer of 2004. EURO 2004 is about to begin, and Greece is one of 16 participants in total. The main goal for the Greece national team and coach Otto Rehhagel is to reach the knockout stage, and from then on, who knows what might happen?
It’s June 12th, 2004, and Greece is playing its first group stage match against Portugal’s national team. They win the game 2-1, with goals from Karagounis and Basinas. The fans can’t believe that Greece won against one of the best teams in the tournament.
Four days later, on June 16th, the Greek national team goes face to face against Spain. The match ends 1-1, and the Greece team has 4 points in the group stage.
On June 20th, Greece vs Russia is underway. Greece loses the match 2-1. Nevertheless, they advance to the knockout stage with 4 points.
It’s June 25th, and the Greece national football team is playing against France in the quarter-finals. Miraculously, the Greeks won the match against star-studded France thanks to a goal from Charisteas in the 65th minute of the game. They will now advance to the semi-finals.
On July 1st, the Greece team goes toe to toe against one of the tournament’s underdogs, the Czech Republic. After 90 minutes, the scoreboard is 0-0, and the game goes to extra time. In the 105+1 minute of extra time, Dellas scores a header, and the Greeks are going to the EURO 2004 Final thanks to his silver goal.
Three days later, on July 4th, the national teams of Greece and Portugal are meeting again in the tournament. They’re playing at the Estadio da Luz stadium in Lisbon this time. Portugal’s lineup is filled with football superstars like Carvalho, Maniche, Deco, Ronaldo, Figo, etc.
Meanwhile, Greece doesn’t have a squad full of stars, but it has team cohesion and incredible defense, which were the main reasons for reaching the finals.
The referee, Markus Merk, blows the whistle, and the EURO 2004 Final begins. The first half ends goalless. Then, in the 57th minute, magic happens. Greece striker Angelos Charisteas scores a breathtaking header, and the Greeks are leading the game. The crowd erupts into pandemonium. Portuguese players could not score a goal for 90 minutes, and the game ends 1-0.
That evening, the Greece national team pulled one of the greatest upsets in football history by winning EURO 2004.
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Featured image taken from YouTube.