Euro 2004: QUARTERFINAL 2 - France 0, Greece 1

QUARTERFINAL 2

Recap: Greece shocks reigning Champions

France 0, Greece 1






Greece pulled off one of the biggest upsets in European championships history Friday, beating title holder France 1-0 to advance to the semifinals of Euro 2004.

Werder Bremen striker Angelos Charisteas scored the winner in the 66th minute with a header as Greece, which had never won a game in a major tournament prior to Euro 2004, snapped France's 22-match unbeaten streak.

France's bewildered players slumped to the ground in disbelief after the final whistle, while the jubilant Greek squad rushed toward their fans, linking arms and jumping up and down in celebration.

PORTO, Portugal (AP)— Greece pulled off one of the biggest upsets in European championships history Friday, beating title holder France 1-0 to advance to the semifinals of Euro 2004.

Werder Bremen striker Angelos Charisteas scored the winner in the 66th minute with a header as Greece, which had never won a game in a major tournament prior to Euro 2004, snapped France's 22-match unbeaten streak.

France's bewildered players slumped to the ground in disbelief after the final whistle, while the jubilant Greek squad rushed toward their fans, linking arms and jumping up and down in celebration.

Greece, which also beat tournament host Portugal in the opening game, punished the French for wasting several chances. Captain Theodoros Zagorakis chipped the ball over Lizarazu and sped down the right. From his cross, Charisteas' bullet header left goalkeeper Fabien Barthez no chance.

Thierry Henry almost leveled with three minutes left, but his powerful header flew past the post.

Greece had the better openings against a stuttering French side which could never get to grips with its opponents well-organized defending.

Coach Otto Rehhagel's Greece side - making only its third appearance in a major competition - started brightly and Charisteas just failed to head a cross by midfielder Panagiotis Fyssas.

On two-time European champion France's first attack, Georgios Karagounis clattered into Zinedine Zidane and picked up a yellow card.

The teams were meeting for the seventh time, with Greece winning its first encounter.

France started with Olivier Dacourt replacing the injured Patrick Vieira in midfield and coach Jacques Santini again leaving veteran defender Marcel Desailly on the bench.

Midfielder Themistoklis Nikolaidis tried his luck with a long-distance effort, but his 14th-minute strike was comfortably saved by 'keeper Fabien Barthez.

The Greek fans cheered loudly a minute later, convinced their team had taken the lead.

Karagounis swung in a free-kick and Costas Katsouranis turned the ball onto the post with Barthez stranded. But he recovered to stop the ball on the line.

France responded with a neat move down the left, with Zidane putting Bixente Lizarazu through. From the defender's cross, Henry headed wide.

In the 28th, defender Mikael Silvestre failed to clear the ball. It fell kindly to Katsouranis and his shot bounced up into the arms of Barthez.

Barthez again had to be alert, tipping over a dipping 25-yard shot from Fyssas in the 37th minute. Zidane was shown a yellow card just before the interval after clipping an opponent's heel.

France began the second half positively and Henry fired narrowly wide from 15 meters (yards) with an acrobatic shot on the turn.

Lizarazu burst through the defense in the 57th minute but was unable to line up a shot. Henry then crossed to the left and the ball seemed destined for the head of David Trezeguet before Mihalis Kapsis cleared it away.

With France pressing hard, Henry and William Gallas tried their luck with half chances that did not trouble 'keeper Antonios Nikopolidis.

With 20 minutes left, Santini brought on Louis Saha in place of Trezeguet and Sylvain Wiltord for Dacourt in a bid to break down Greece's stern rearguard.

In the 87th, French hopes disappeard as Henry, meeting Lilian Thuram's cross from the right, placed his header wide, wasting his team's last chance.

Lineups:

France: Fabien Barthez; Bixente Lizarazu, William Gallas, Lilian Thuram, Mikael Silvester, Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele, Olivier Dacourt (sub: Sylvain Wiltord 72nd), Robert Pires (Jerome Rothen 79th), David Trezeguet (Louis Saha 72nd), Thierry Henry.

Greece: Antonios Nikopolidis; Takis Fyssas, Traianos Dellas, Mihalis Kapsis, Giourkas Setairidis, Angelos Basinas (Vasilios Tsiartas 85th), Theodore Zagorakis, Themistoklis Nikolaidis (Vasilios Lakis 61st), Costas Katsouranis, Giorgos Karagounis, Angelos Charisteas.

Referee: Anders Frisk, Sweden