As I was sitting up in bed last night thinking about something to write about because I couldn’t go to sleep, I had a flashback. A flashback of watching the most unlikely team to make an amazing run, and WIN the Euro Cup in 2004. The team I am talking about of course is Greece. Their amazing run and managing to pull the impossible, should be used as inspiration today for Greece everywhere, but I will get into that later.
Way back when (almost 9 years ago now), the Greek national football (soccer) team was not considered to be ANYTHING. They were supposed to show up at Euro 2004, lose all three group matches, and go home with nothing. Hell, the bookmakers made them 150-1 odds to win the competition! If you put money on Greece, you would be a rich man! However, this team managed to come together and pull off one of the biggest upsets of all time in football. This was how they did it.
The Greeks came to the European Championships with hardly any star power, known for defensive anti-football (parking the bus), and were only in the competition 1 time before (the competition was made in 1960). That is not a very good football pedigree although now they have started to make the big competitions every time (World Cup and Euro Champs.). The Greeks were drawn in the same group with the hosts of the competition that year (Portugal), Russia, and Spain. Now I don’t know what you think, but that is a VERY DIFFICULT group, and it looked impossible for the Greeks. However, they had a little surprise in stall for everyone.
The Greeks opened the competition against Portugal. Everyone thought Portugal would wipe the floor the Greeks in front of their home fans. However, in the 7th minute that plan went out the window. A poor pass, led to Karagounis (with a full head of hair at this time) stealing the ball in the midfield. He ran in the midfield and nobody closed him down. So he thought “I might as well have a go”. He shot the ball from about 25-30 yards out, and it skidded by the keeper. 1-0 to the Greeks! Everyone was in a state of frenzy, but this would not be it. In the 51st minute, a young and overzealous Cristiano Ronaldo brought down a Greek player in the box and a penalty was awarded. Basinas stepped up to take it. It was the perfect penalty! Upper corner, and sent the keeper the wrong way. The Greeks ended up pulling the upset, and winning 2-1! Surely this was a fluke everyone thought, but this would not be the end.
The Greeks were scheduled to play Spain next. Spain were obviously favorites once again to beat the Greeks. It looked like Spain would cruise to victory when Morientes scored in the 28th minute. However, the Greeks never gave up, and were rewarded for their hard work! In the 66th minute Charisteas ran onto a ball lofted up from the midfield. He took a touch, and then blasted it through the keepers legs. 1-1! That is how the game would end with the Greeks pulling the upset once again. The Greeks ended up losing to the Russians 2-1 but Vryzas made the goal that sent the Greeks through because they scored more goals than Spain! The run was on!
The Greeks drew France in the quarter-finals. This was supposed to be a 3-0 French victory. It turned out to be yet another shocking upset! The Greeks after playing sexy football through the group stage reverted back to their old ways of parking the bus and frustrating the other team. It was 0-0 and you could clearly see the French getting frustrated that they could put a ball past the Greeks. Frustration turned into madness when Zagorakis got the ball on the wing, and chipped the ball over the oncoming French defender to himself. The ball fell perfectly for him, and he put in a fantastic, pin point cross. The ball met Charisteas’ head, and he thumped it in. 1-0 to the Greeks! Everyone at this point was shocked, and couldn’t believe when they were seeing. The Greeks pulled ahead of the French who were supposed to win the competition! Incredible! The Greeks like the 300 Spartans pulled together to fend off all French attacks. The Greeks advanced to the semi-finals in the ugliest way possible, but they were there!
In the semi-finals, the Greeks went up against another upset team in the Czech Republic. Both teams were supposed to go out in the group stages. This set up for a what was surely going to be a crazy match. However, after 90 minutes the score was 0-0. Both teams played defensive styles and just couldn’t score. However this all changed in extra time. On a corner kick, the ball was swung in for the Greeks. Dellas made a run towards the near post. There were many players in the box, and it seemed like even if someone got their head on it, it wouldn’t make it past all the bodies. But somehow, Dellas got his head on the end of the corner…it made it through all the bodies including the goal-keeper! 1-0 to the Greeks in extra time!!! It was on! The Greeks made it all the way to the final! 150-1 odds placed against them, and they managed to stick up a big middle finger to all the bookies in Europe. They were in the final in a re-match against the host nation, Portugal.
After beating the Portuguese 2-1 in the opening match of the tournament, the Greeks looked to end the tournament the same way. The Greeks fielded a defensive line-up as you would expect. If you were not Portuguese, you were cheering for the Greeks! The game was slow and dull because the Greeks refused to attack as expected. But that all changed in the 57th minute, and a nation of 10 million people, with little footballing heritage was about to erupt in frenzy. The ball was looped in from another corner, and who else but Charisteas leapt above 2 Portuguese defenders and the charging goal keeper to thump in in! 1-0 to the Greeks! It was on! The upset of the century was on! The Greeks were hanging on by a thread against the fiery Portuguese. The Greeks however, managed to pull it off, and pull off the most shocking upset in football history to many people including myself. I will take a joke from a comedian on this one “Before the Euro 2004 final if you were to say…GREECE NAME THE STARS, you would say Olivia Newton John and John Travolta. But after Euro 2004 you will say Zagorakis and Charisteas! Charisteas is hailed as the hero for scoring the goals, and Zagorakis is hailed as the almighty captain and leader that led them to pull this off. The best part though, was watching a young Cristiano Ronaldo cry like a little baby after he lost twice to the mighty Greeks and in the final. To this day, he has not come as close to winning a major title with Portugal.
Above: CAMPEONES CAMPEONES OLE OLE OLE! The moment that changed a nation!
Above: The team that was fielded to win the final.
Above: Zagorakis (#7) and Charisteas (#9) the two hero’s of the tournament!
This was just the start to a great 2 years for Greece before it all went horribly wrong in 2008.
Later that summer Greece hosted the olympics in Athens, the birthplace of the olympics. The next year in 2005, Greece managed to win the European Basketball Championship, but this was not as shocking because Greece is known for basketball more than football. And lastly to top in all off, Helena Paparizou won the Eurovision Song Contest with her hit song “My Number One”! Not going to lie, I have that song on my i-pod (Don’t judge), and she is well fit! Life looked up for Greece, but in 2008 a devastating financial crisis rocked the country.
Today in Greece these happy times are gone. The government is basically broke, over 25% of Greeks have no jobs, there are constant protests and riots in Athens.
Above: Happier times in Greece
However, this European Cup team taught me something, and Greeks should learn the same. No matter what, don’t give up. If the odds are stacked against you to the greatest degree, just put your head down and charge head on. Don’t slow down, don’t be weak, show your mental strength. The odds are stacked against Greece as a country right now. Many people believe the country will default and leave the Eurozone (not as much now, but still a possibility). The Greek government should take inspiration from this team. Keep fighting. As for regular Greeks, they should remember the happy times. When they won three of the biggest competitions in the world and hosted the summer olympics! My prediction is a positive one despite the odds. I think Greece will pull through this financial crisis, and the Eurozone will prosper once again, and become better than ever. I hope to visit Greece sometime soon, and party with people that know how to live. COME ON GREECE! I’m pulling for you once again!
Don’t forget to comment and like this blog, and follow my twitter (@JJmast1) and my youtube channel (Mastoloni1). Until next time, cheers guys!
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