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| 20th June - 19.45 - Group A Match | ||||
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| 2 - 1 | ||||
| Portugal Team | Holland Team | |||
| . Alexandre Ricardo Luis Miguel Jorge Andrade Alberto Ricardo Carvalho Jorge Nuno Valente Cristiano Ronaldo Nuno Maniche Francisco Costinha Luis Figo Anderson Deco Pedro Pauleta |
Edwin Van der Sar |
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| Portugal Subs | Holland Subs | |||
| Joaquim Quim Jose Moreira Renato Paulo Ferreira Sousa Rui Jorge Fernando Couto Armando Petit Manuel Rui Costa Sabrosa Simao Roberto Luis Beto Cardoso Tiago Miguel Nuno Gomes Helder Postiga |
Sander Westerveld Ronald Waterreus Andy Van der Meyde Patrick Kluivert Rafael Van der Vaart Roy Makaay Wesley Sneijder Pierre Van Hooijdonk Johnny Heitinga Paul Bosvelt Boudewijn Zenden |
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| Match Report |
| Portugal was celebrating tonight as they beat Holland to reach the final of Euro 2004.
After a cagey opening the game began to open up and Ronaldo's lunge was a whisker away from connecting with Figo's cross. Figo's electric 70-yard run at pace ended with a ball back to Ronaldo to fire his shot straight at Edwin van der Sar. Figo was a different player to that withdrawn against England and he again showed his pace to run Michael Reiziger and as his dangerous cross came in Wilfred Bouma slid in to nick the ball away from Pauleta. But the disappointment did not last long as Portugal swept into the lead on 26 mins. Figo's inswinging corner found the Dutch marking wanting and Ronaldo got in between Reiziger and Giovanni van Bronckhorst to power in a downward header. As Holland sought an equaliser Edgar Davids broke down the left and his cross dropped at the far post for Marc Overmars who blasted over from eight yards. Davids then tricked his way past Miguel to whip in a cross for Clarence Seedorf at the near post, whose header came off Andrade for a corner. Portugal should have doubled their lead on 35 minutes when Deco's deft touch sent Maniche clear and his cross was met by Pauleta whose under-powered close-range shot allowed van der Sar to save. The host nation were gaining the upper hand but five minutes before half time Ruud van Nistelrooy's clinical finish was wiped out by an offside flag. At the other end, Figo worked himself a yard of space to curl a delicious left-foot shot against van der Sar's right-hand post with the keeper floundering. Holland replaced Overmars with Roy Makaay at the start of the second half to try and give support to the lonely van Nistelrooy. The Dutch looked more prepared to commit players forward and when Davids fed Philip Cocu in Ronaldo showed great defensive responsibility to race back and rob him. Holland almost over committed themselves on 55 minutes as Ricardo's long punt caught them out and Pauleta raced clear, only to fire straight at van der Sar. But Portugal put one foot in the final on 56 minutes with a stunning goal from Maniche. Holland were caught napping as Figo tapped a short corner to Maniche who from the corner of the penalty area curled in a blistering right-foot shot past van der Sar. The game was far from over and Portugal gifted Holland a lifeline on 63 minutes when Andrade's attempt to clear van Bronckhorst's cross looped the ball over the stranded Ricardo. Seedorf then whipped a free-kick across the face of goal and van Bronkhorst, Makaay and van Nistelrooy all agonisingly failed to make contact. Holland were prone to Portuguese breaks and when Miguel got forward to screw the ball back to Maniche Cocu bravely threw himself in front of the shot to deny an almost certain third goal. Coach Dick Advocaat played Holland's last card when he sent Pierre van Hooijdonk to partner Makaay and van Nistelrooy but central defenders Ricardo Carvalho and Andrade cemented their growing reputations by ushering Portugal to the final. |
