P W D L F A PTS
Portugal 3 3 0 0 7 2 9
Romania 3 1 1 1 4 4 4
England 3 1 0 2 5 6 3
Germany 3 0 1 2 1 5 1
Quarter Finals
Romania vs Italy
Portugal vs Turkey
20 JUNE 2000
PHILIP NEVILLE SENDS ENGLAND OUT
ROMANIA 3-2 ENGLAND
Chivu 22 Shearer 40 (Pen)
Munteanu 48 Owen 48
Ganea 89 (Pen)
Martyn made an excellent save from Ilie's free kick in the opening minutes
and would have been tested further but for a poor finish by Moldovan. Owen
slipped at a crucial moment when the Romanian defence ball watched a
throw in. England were made to pay for failing to clear a corner, Chivu's
cross bounced off the far post and into the net. Stelea made a mess of a
Beckham cross but Wise made a bigger mess of the finish. Ilie headed straight
at Martyn from Petrescu's cross. Chivu wasted another opening and then
England stunned Romania with two quick goals, Shearer converted a penalty
awarded for a 'foul' on Ince and Owen tapped into an empty net when Stelea
came out to collect Scholes ball over the top and missed.
England returned the charity at the start of the second half. Their defence
wasted several opportunities to clear a ball, Martyn came out and punched
Mutu's cross straight to Munteanu who bounced the ball off his chest and
volleyed past Martyn. Beckham and Shearer combined to give Owen a great
opening but he shot weakly at Stelea. Ilie and Rosu went close and just when
it seemed England would undeservedly hang on and take their place in the
quarter-finals Philip Neville fouled Moldovan in the box, Ganea sent Martyn
the wrong way and England out of the tournament.
The media have typically gone to the lack of technique argument that's
used whenever England screw up. As I have said before technique is no longer
an excuse given the domestic talent in the Premiership. The level of passing
and defending by England throughout this tournament was appalling. I have
seen better passing in the English first division and that is no exaggeration.
The scoreline flattered England.
Man of the Match - Dan Petrescu
Assists : Ince (penalty), Scholes to Owen
Moldovan (penalty)
SERGIO CONCEICAO HITS HAT-TRICK
PORTUGAL 3-0 GERMANY
Sergio Conceicao 35, 54, 71
Pauleta just failed to convert Sergio Conceicao's cross. Pauleta played a
one-two with Rui Jorge and seemed to miss hit his cross, the flight of the
ball rooted Kahn to his spot and Sergio Conceicao arrived to head in at
the far post. I lost my satellite feed for the next 20 minutes due to a freak
rainstorm. Rocha sprayed the ball wide to Sergio Conceicao on the right
flank, he cut infield and hit a weak shot fortunately Kahn probably made the
worst mistake of his career and the ball slipped through his fingers. Ok the
ball bounced at the last minute but you would still expect a 'keeper of
Kahn's class to save it. Pauleta failed to scored a deserved goal when he
volleyed Sa Pinto's cross into the ground. Kirsten somehow managed to head
Rink's cross wide. Rocha intercepted a hospital pass and fed Sergio Conceicao
to complete his hat-trick with a shot across goal.
Portugal's B team, they rested Rui Costa and Figo amongst others, were way
too strong for Germany.
Man of the Match : Sergio Conceicao. I told you he was borderline World
Class
Assists : Pauleta to Sergio Conceicao (2), Rocha to Sergio Conceicao
17 JUNE 2000
ENGLAND FINALLY DEFEAT GERMANY
ENGLAND 1-0 GERMANY
Shearer 53
Scholl should have given Germany the lead following great work by Jeremies
but shot weakly at Seamen. Ziege also wasted a good chance due to a weak
finish. Late in the first half a miracle, a decent cross from England's left
flank via Philip Neville, Owen getting in front of Ziege but Kahn saved
spectacularly. Beckham was booked for one of those now legendary petulant
fouls on Kirsten. Scholes controlled a Beckham cross with his arm (bicep
to be precise) and shot straight at Khan.
Beckham's teasing free kick missed just about everyone in the box, everyone
that is but Shearer who brilliantly threw himself at the ball to head past
Kahn. Owen may or may not have handled the ball during flight so I'll
give Beckham the benefit of the doubt. Jancker held off Campbell, flicked up
the ball, turned and volleyed over the bar. Matthaus picked out Scholl with
a beautiful first time pass, Seaman came off his line but Scholl shot wide.
Babbel headed down Scholl's corner, Kirsten turned sharply and shot literally
on the goal line but Seaman made a superb reaction block and Jancker put the
rebound wide.
Awful game. Very low on quality. Germany played the better football but
after 34 years their luck ran out against England. Whoever qualifies from
this group alongside Portugal, all three are still in with a chance, I just
can't see them posing much problem for Italy - their likely opponents in the
Quarter Finals. No man of the match award because no one deserved it.
Assist : Beckham to Shearer
EURO 96
PORTUGAL 1-0 ROMANIA
Costinha 94
Baia tipped over an excellent long range effort from Hagi. Figo almost lazily
swung a free kick into the box from about 30yds and Costinha headed in
with Stelea absolutely nowhere.
If you're wondering about the headline it reflects the quality of the match
basically the two teams should apologise for stealing 95 minutes of our
lives, like most teams during Euro 96.
Man of the Match : Sergio Conceicao - Came on late in the match and was the
only player who made an effort to win it. Gave his usual level of
performance - worked hard, playing in some good crosses. He's borderline
World Class and I still can't understand why Coelho doesn't play him from
the start.
Assist : Figo to Costinha
12 JUNE 2000
WOR KEV, YOU STUPID TWAT!
PORTUGAL 3-2 ENGLAND
Figo 22 Scholes 3
Joao Pinto 37 McManaman 18
Gomes 60
Two trademark laser precision crosses from Beckham gave England a dream
start. Scholes headed the first in off the crossbar, Owen brilliantly played
in Beckham with a reverse pass and he stuck a cross up to McManaman who
volleyed England further in front. In between Joao Pinto squandered a gift
by heading into the ground when Seaman couldn't get off his fat arse to cut
out a Rui Costa cross but he did well to save a drive from Rui Costa
minutes later. Nuno Gomez had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside and was
denied again when Seaman flew off his line. Shearer wasted a glorious pass
from Beckham, because he's so damn slow the ball had run wide by the time
he caught up. Figo picked up the ball on the half way line, drove forward and
let rip from about 20yds, the ball taking a deflection off Adams into the top
corner. Portugal then went one better than Germany, literally, 16 passes,
Rui Costa whipping the ball into the box and midget Joao Pinto managed to
get in front of Campbell to send a diving header crashing in off the post,
great goal.
Joao Pinto wasted a great chance early in the second half when Seaman once
again came off his goal and completely missed the ball. McManaman and Owen
came off injured but it's not as though they were doing anything. Nuno Gomez
took a superb pass from Rui Costa, seemed to get a heavy first touch but
recovered brilliantly as Adams slid, he jumped and hammered the ball past
Seaman. Best finish of the match. Portugal sat back, England couldn't find a
way through, their only chance falling to Scholes but Shearer got in the way.
England's defence was a disgrace, I've seen better defending on a park in
five-a-side matches, I know, I was there! You cannot win games at this level
with so many liabilities in a team and England have too many - Seaman,
Neville, younger crapper Neville and Shearer. Adams kept going up for corners
leaving his sorry excuse for a defence exposed. Scholes left huge gaps in the
centre of midfield because he never tracked back and McManaman kept
running down the left wing and doing piss all with the ball. Portugal
eventually got the measure of Beckham, the only England player to emerge
with any credit with the possible exception of Ince.
Man of the Match : Rui Costa - He's been one of the best playmakers in
Serie A for the past two seasons, far superior to Zidane, this tournament
is his chance of establishing himself as World Class, he's on his way.
Assists : Beckham (2) - Scholes and McManaman
Rui Costa (2) - Joao Pinto and Nuno Gomez
DEFENCE?
GERMANY 1-1 ROMANIA
Scholl 39 Moldovan 5
Linke made a complete mess of Munteanu's pass, Ilie ran clear and centered
for Moldovan to give Romania a shock lead. Hagi left old man Matthaus for
dead, back heeled to Ilie who sent a brilliant cross to the far post but
Moldovan somehow managed to miss. Kahn rescued his team several times
as the defence went asleep and left him with one on one situations with the
forwards. Bierhoff wasted a good chance created by Scholl by going down in
the box and then a combination of poor finishing and bad 'keeping saw him
blow another 100% chance. A fantastic 15 pass move, started by Kahn to
Babbel and then spreading all over the pitch ended with Scholl blasting a
wicked curling shot high into the net, fantastic goal, typically lost on the
commentators, they notice when Portugal do it but not when Germany do it.
Linke made up for his earlier mistake with two crucial clearances from
Moldovan. Nowotny clipped Ilie in the box, if he didn't make a meal of the
challenge he probably would have won a penalty.
Moldovan had a shot saved by Kahn and then wasted a cross from Hagi.
Bierhoff headed against the post from a fantastic Scholl cross. Ziege
headed into the ground from a deflected cross. Moldovan missed two 100%
chances, Kahn came out to block Ilie, the ball fell to Moldovan and he shot
straight at Matthaus on the line and the smashed the rebound into the
stands. Twat. Bierhoff had a goal (scored with his right foot) wrongly
disallowed for offside, Rink giving him the chance with a fantastic back heel
flick. Bierhoff went down in the box, didn't see the replay so can't say
whether it was legit. A fair result in the end.
Matthaus was hopeless. Diabolical defending.
Man of the Match : Scholl - scored a fabulous goal, didn't do much
else admittedly.
Assists : Ilie to Moldovan, Rink to Scholl
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