What is RSS?

Costly mistakes end Portugal’s Euro 2008 dream

Portugal 2-3 Germany

Portugal’s European Championship campaign came to an untimely end as they were beaten 3-2 by Germany in a rousing quarter-final in Basel on Wednesday night, bringing an end to the Luiz Felipe Scolari era.

Scolari’s men paid the ultimate price for their inability to deal with two German set-pieces, on a night in which Portugal often struggled to find the rhythm of their opening two games in the tournament.

Starting with the same side that beat Turkey and Czech Republic in the group phase, Portugal were the first to show signs of genuine threat after a tight first fifteen minutes, with much of their best play coming from the right flank. First Jose Bosingwa’s fired cross narrowly missed Nuno Gomes, before Simao worked himself into space to smash a shot at the near post, which Jens Lehman was able to save.


Scolari: “If we had won today we would have sailed into the final”


More excellent play on the right from Bosingwa saw him jink his way past Lukas Podolski before swinging in a perfect delivery for the onrushing Joao Moutinho, but the Sporting midfielder could not get a good enough contact on the cross and the ball went wide of the German goal.

Having looked the more likely, Portugal went behind on 22 minutes when they were carved open by a superb Germany move. Podolski and Michael Ballack combined brilliantly on the left, setting Podolski free down the flank to whip in a cross for Bastian Schweinstieger to score at the near post.

Defensive lapse

Less than four minutes later, the lead was doubled. If the first goal was the result of excellent interplay from the Germans, the second came due to a basic lack of defensive competence from Portugal. Schweinstieger clipped a free-kick into the penalty area and Miroslav Klose found himself unmarked to head past the poorly positioned Ricardo.

As things went from bad to worse, Scolari was forced to introduce Raul Meireles in place of the injured Joao Moutinho, but the Brazilian would have been happy with his team’s response ahead of half time, and Portugal deservedly pulled a goal back five minutes before the break.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco had already combined well minutes earlier before failing to complete the final pass to Nuno Gomes. Portugal’s pressure told when Simao found Ronaldo with a pinpoint pass, with the Manchester United man using his first touch to get free of Friedrich, before drawing a save from Lehman that was pounced on by Gomes, the striker firing home from ten metres.

Both Ballack and Ronaldo went close for their sides on the stroke of half time, but the whistle came at a bad time for Portugal, who had thoroughly deserved their goal and looked the more progressive side, and Scolari’s men struggled to establish the same level of momentum after the break.

Pepe chance

The best chance of the half arrived ten minutes after the re-start. A well-rehearsed corner routine saw Simao’s delivery flicked on at the near post by Deco, with Pepe arriving unmarked but unable to convert his headed chance from close range.

The Germans had rarely threatened in the second period, but got the game’s crucial fourth goal just after the hour following another horror show from the Portuguese defence. In an almost identical formula to the second Germany goal, Schweinstieger’s free-kick found Ballack unchallenged in the area, with the Chelsea midfielder’s header made even simpler by Ricardo’s ill-judged attempt at intercepting the cross.

However, TV replays showed the German captain had preceded his header with a clear push on Paulo Ferreira which the officials missed.

Scolari threw on both Nani, in place of Nuno Gomes, and then Helder Postiga, for Petit, but the expected Portuguese onslaught did not materialise, with Deco and Ronaldo efforts from long range failing to seriously trouble Lehman.

Nani magic

Brief hope arrived with just over two minutes of normal time remaining when substitutes Nani and Postiga combined to reduce the deficit back to one goal. Nani received possession on the left wing and worked the ball onto his right foot before delivering a perfect cross for Postiga, who guided his header past the German ‘keeper.

The renewed optimism would be short-lived, however, as the additional four minutes of stoppage time brought no further goals, and Portugal were left to reflect on an early exit from a tournament which had promised so much.

PortuGOAL man of the match – Deco:
The midfield maestro produced another outstanding performance and did not deserve to be on the losing side.

Portugal:
Ricardo, Bosingwa, Pepe, Carvalho, Ferreira, Petit (Postiga 73), Joao Moutinho (Raul Meireles 31), Ronaldo, Deco, Simao, Nuno Gomes (Nani 67)
Yellow Cards: Petit, Pepe, Postiga

Germany:
Lehmann, Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm, Schweinsteiger (Fritz 83), Rolfes, Ballack, Hitzlsperger (Borowski 73), Klose (Jansen 89), Podolski
Yellow Cards: Friedrich, Lahm

Goals:
[1-0] Schweinsteiger, 22
[2-0] Klose, 26
[2-1] Nuno Gomes, 41
[3-1] Ballack, 62
[3-2] Postiga, 87


Euro 2008 Portugal diary
Portugal v Germany - Your Verdict