So miracles do happen, after all. The year of the underdog was taken to an incredible extreme as Greece completed one of the biggest upsets in
international football to lift the Euro 2004 trophy.
Whereas Porto clinched the Champions League against all the odds, this time Greece was the word.
Striker Angelos Charisteas, the man with the golden boots, headed home the 57th-minute winner as the nation of the 'golden generation' suffered extreme pain as their team froze on the big stage.
And so a team which had entered the competition as 80-1 outsiders, without a single victory in a major tournament before, produced a truly heroic display to prevail in Lisbon.
It is not the fault of Greece's German coach Otto Rehhagel that he has conjured a notably efficient team out of relatively meagre resources.
And it is not his responsibility that mediocrity seems to rule football right now, with the power of the team greater than that of the individual.
Faced with what is, in truth, an average Greek side who were beaten in the group stages by Russia after all, the supposed might of Portugal, Spain, France and the Czech Republic were found wanting.
And none more so than Portugal in a desperately poor final display.
For this was just as much about the way in which Portugal's supposed star players - Luis Figo, Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo - all failed to deliver when it
mattered most.
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari may have led Brazil to the World Cup two years earlier, but this time his team were a shadow of the side who had previously
overcome England and Holland.
The fear before kick-off had been that Greece would suffocate the life out of the game, just as they had stifled the Czechs in the semi-final.
However, for the first-half, it was Portugal who were devoid of inspiration as they were seemingly paralysed by last-night nerves.
They had suffered them on the first night too, when Greece had seized the lead in the tournament's opening game after just six minutes and never released their
grip on the match.
This time around, with Bolton's Stelios Giannakopoulos in for the suspended Giorgios Karagounis, they repelled Portugal's early advances and then made them sweat.
With Konstantinos Katsouranis keeping a close eye on playmaker Deco, the home nation were shorn of ideas as Greece's excellent full-backs took control of the
flanks.
Miguel's shot was tipped around the post, while Maniche also flashed a shot wide, but Portugal's woes were summed up when Miguel and Pauleta collided in going for the same cross.
If anything, Scolari's side became more predictable and ponderous as the first-half endured. Even the home fans were joining their team in becoming muted, compared to their vociferous counterparts.
Their problems continued as injury forced off Miguel two minutes before the break, bringing on Chelsea's signing, Paulo Ferreira, whose mistake had handed
Greece their first goal three weeks ago.
The home crowd desperately tried to lift their lifeless team. But with no top-class striker and Figo strangely subdued, Deco was twice left to desperately
claim a penalty which never came.
Finally, Greece exacted full punishment. The attacking spark came from the superb Georgios Seitaridis, who charged down the right flank as if his life
depended on it to win a corner.
From Angelis Basinas' dead-ball delivery, Charisteas stole in unmarked to meet the ball and head powerfully past Ricardo.
With Ronaldo's shot being parried by goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis, Scolari needed inspiration - and quickly.
He duly turned to the veteran figure of Rui Costa, replacing defensive midfielder Costinha with 30 minutes still left, while Nuno Gomes soon joined
him.
Figo shot was saved, Ronaldo beat the offside trap but could not control his
finish and then had another shot blocked by Traianos Dellas.
Ricardo Carvalho's effort was also saved and Figo came agonisingly close,
while Greece tried to threaten on the break.
However, the more Portugal huffed and puffed amid five minutes of injury-time
- a figure which would have been less but for a rogue pitch invader - the
stronger the Greek defence became.
It was, admittedly an anti-climax to the tournament, but the truth was that
Greece were, as in the opening game, quite simply the better side on the day.
In fact, perhaps the greatest shock of all, when the life had drained out of a
vapid Portuguese side and the Greeks had sunk to their knees in triumph, was
just how little a surprise it actually felt at all.
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
