Well done Portugal.

How about just using the stats from the game....


http://www.euro2004.com/tournament/matches/Round=1582/Match=1059188/Report=TS.html


Particularly the "passing" statistics.

GTM

 

well, that is an even bigger surprise to me than having beaten England in the euro!! :EEK:

how on earth did they go for such a muppet , i really don't know but they surely don't know him well enough (or maybe they want a muppet for the post, you know, someone they can control?! :JPS: )

god help us... :newbie:
Jack

 

Jack - Barroso isn't such a bad choice for EU Prez. I didn't like him at all as Portuguese PM but I think he's better suited to the EU job, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

Now, all we need to do here is convince Sampaio to call a general election to kick out the PSD government :JPS: ...otherwise we're going to have Santana Lopes as PM :chunder:

Michael.

 

I'll eat humble pie

Well done! The Dutch once again showed a total lack of desire and heart, the opposite of the Portugal. Should have had five!

 

I cant believe how lacklustre the dutch were. Although they have not really played well throughout the tournament, I thought they might have one big game in them. Obviously that wasnt the case.

 

Yes well done to Portugal. I feel a bit sad for Holland. They are capable of so much. All that talent and...

The better team won. Portugal even gave them a consolation goal

BTW What a cracker the second goal was. I think it could be THE best goal of the tournament.

 

another well done for portugal. didn't see too much of the game but i hopped in once or twice in the 2nd half and portuagal definately seemed the better side for most of what i saw - there was one bit towards the end where holland looked dangerous for about 5 minutes but once again the better team won.
cheers


julian

 

After seeing Czech Republic play in the early rounds, my hunch is that they will win the trophy this time.

I have been to different parts of CZR many times since 1990 and the progress this small nation of 10 million people is making is amazing. They are making their mark in the world arena in many fields.

Real survivors these Czechs! But shame about their human rights record.

 

I see now that Van Nistelrooy and the Dutch manager Advocaat are blaming the ref for their defeat . IMO the ref was pretty good. He didn't give a lot of fouls against Holland when he could have done but he did the same to Portugal. He was very balanced. Van Nistelrooy claiming that every 50/50 decision went in Portugal's favour is just bollox and pure sour grapes . You were beaten by a better team, just accept it.

Michael.

 

But Micheal, they did accept that. The reports I have read go on to say that both Advocaat and Nistelroy agreed that the dutch were outplayed and the portuguese deserved to win.

Selective quotes by the biased portuguese media? heaven forbid. They'll be as bad as the English Media soon!

 

Actually - it was the BBC :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/holland/3844475.stm

and

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/holland/3855245.stm

I'll grant you, Nistelrooy does have a begrudging "I'm really down but maybe we have to say that Portugal just played better in this match." at the end though. Advocaat says Portugal were the deserved winners but can't resist some digs at the end (and Cruyff gets to put the boot in too):

Michael.

 

Actually I think mr Van Nistelrooy.. (sp) was fairly lucky not to get red carded. That foot up against the portuguese goal keeper was clearly intentional, (admittedly he made a song and dance about it), and there were other incidences where he went down every time he was so much as touched or went in to challenges with his hip first. Been learning the "tricks of the trade" at M.U. obviously.

The Portuguese were in a different league to the Dutch. The Dutch did nothing all game until they were given a second chance by a really bit of bad luck for Portugal.

Portugal for champions !!

It won't be easy, but if they get CZ and smother their two main players (Nedved and Baros) then they'll do it. As for Greece. Well personally I think they've been lucky to get this far. More a case of comming up against badly playing teams rather than playing well IMHO. Portugal met them before and although they played really badly the Greeks didn't find it easy. If Portugal play like they did yesterday they will demolish Greece IMO.


GTM

 

I didn't get to see the game last night

From what I've seen on the news (Advocaat and Hooijdonk) the vibe seemed to be accepting they were beat by a better team, but that the ref seemed swayed to the "home" team on the 50/50 decisions.

I see Nistelrooy's been fined by UEFA!

 

wasn't Urs Meier was it Michael

 

Well thats it then

Congratulations Portugal, Euro 2004 Champions!

 

I feel sick, the best team did not win today

 

i didn;t watch it. but surely if they won they were the better team?
cheers


julian

 

Didn't watch the game, but I'm blown away that Greece won it. I'm going to try and catch the highlights now....

Michael.

 

I was hoping the Czech's would go through... pity....

Nevertheless...

COME ON GREECE!!!

 

Didn't get to see the game (highlights start soon), so can't comment on better team etc...

But what a result for the Greeks regardless! The Czechs weren't a tournament fav' to start, but they'd looked like potential winners. But an even bigger (smaller?) underdog has put em out!!!

Greece in the final! Who'da thunk it!