PORTUGAL VENCE INGLESES E ESTÁ NAS MEIAS-FINAIS SO EURO 2004

O JOGO VISTO PELOS INGLESES

Quarter-final
Portugal 2 - 2 England aet
Portugal win 6-5 on penalties

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The same old story

Postiga; Rui Costa | Owen; Lampard

Kevin McCarra in Lisbon
Friday June 25, 2004
The Guardian

A penalty shoot-out was England's misery once more. After misses from David Beckham and Darius Vassell they lost it 6-5 to be eliminated from Euro 2004 in this quarter-final. Sven-Goran Eriksson will not be lucky enough to have this evening recalled solely as a ghastly addition to the gallery of anguish.
He raised a whole new battalion of critics here. Enjoying a 1-0 lead that had been attained with a balanced approach, the manager sought to retain it by replacing Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard so that the midfield had a conservative air. The pair were tiring, but, as in the defeat by France, the opposition were offered the initiative and snapped it up. After 83 minutes Beckham could not stop the substitute Simao from piloting an in-swinging cross and, with John Terry making a poor jump, another substitute Helder Postiga scored with a fine header. The man whom Spurs might wish to junk was abruptly treasured by the Portuguese.

For good measure he was also to hit the net with a puckish penalty in the shoot-out. Before all that a brutal drive from a third substitute, Rui Costa, after 20 minutes of extra-time had put Portugal 2-1 in front and seemed likely to cap their comeback. A tenacious England hauled the score level five minutes later when Frank Lampard swivelled to convert a Terry knock-down from Beckham's corner- kick.

There were searing events to be endured by both sides. Eriksson's men have a particularly intricate tale of woe. They thought they had clinched the match in the last minute of normal time when Sol Campbell forced in a corner at the second attempt but the referee Urs Meier ruled controversially that Terry had impeded Ricardo, the goalkeeper who would later bring down the curtain by firing in the final penalty.

There was all sorts of mischief from the fates. Wayne Rooney, acclaimed as a match for Beckham in celebrity, collected one of the captain's old injuries, breaking a metatarsal and leaving the match after 27 minutes. Perhaps, if he could have stayed, the team's positive attitude might also have been sustained.

Hurt and grievance: England have had their fill of them. Yet there was far more to the contest than gothic horror. The side had their opportunity to make this game end in their favour. The melodrama was a consequence of a situation mishandled. Until Eriksson meddled with matters, his side had never lost sight of weaknesses on which they might prey.

Call it opportunism or counter-attack but England's method could have brought more than a 1-0 lead at half-time. Michael Owen, after four appearances without a goal, had put them ahead as early as the third minute.

The generally dependable Costinha headed a long clearance from David James between his two centre-backs. Owen, at his most alert and intuitive, spun round to whirl the ball beyond Ricardo with his right foot.

England did not immediately falter when Rooney was hurt either. It would have been a slur on their professionalism had they been seen to be demoralised by the departure of a mere youth. With 30 minutes gone, Owen could have had his second goal, taking advantage of further hesitation in the back four and striking the drive that Ricardo saved excellently for a corner.

England, implementing a plan fastidiously, had frequently prevented the duels developing between their full-backs and the Portuguese wingers that the coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had envisaged. Midfielders were often on the scene to harass and there was scarcely any classical dribbling to test Gary Neville. On the other flank Ashley Cole was trenchant for the full two hours.

Until deep into the second half the team did not look ready to budge from Lisbon. After 19 minutes Gerrard drove play through the middle and a hooked pass set up Owen for a chance that he lobbed on to the roof of the net. Two minutes later, when Beckham and Neville combined, Campbell ought not to have missed the target with his header.

Portugal, inevitably, were not quiescent. James had to tip over a Maniche 30-yarder and he caused alarm later when fumbling a Luis Figo effort following a Miguel cross. Even so, the relatively low level of anxiety was a welcome surprise for England.

That did not prevent them from making the fatal mistake of deepening their conservatism. Twelve minutes into the second half, a dumbfounded Scholes realised that he was being substituted. It was incidental that his replacement Phil Neville thereby earned his 50th cap, making himself and Gary the first brothers both to reach that landmark with England.

Eriksson's side had lost to Scolari's Brazil at the 2002 World Cup after holding the lead and there was to be a heavier, ill-advised emphasis on prudence here. The combative substitute went to the centre of midfield, with Gerrard obliged to stomp off to the left before he too was withdrawn.

England's ability to hold the ball was reduced. That factor had some bearing on France's comeback against Eriksson's team at the start of this competition, but the view seemed to be that Portugal were foes of a lesser order. Most likely they are, with Figo twice wasting the sort of free-kick opportu nity from which Zinedine Zidane scored.

It was important for England to stop such situations arising at all and Eriksson will have been proud of the several occasions when challenges were made well before Portugal could develop impetus. James, all the same, had to turn a low drive from Figo round the post in the 74th minute.

Portugal's captain was taken off immediately and Postiga introduced in his stead. Premiership observers scoffed but were proved to be as wrong in that verdict as Eriksson was to be in his own substitutions.





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