Portugal 2004 - Episode 5

Once again we pay the penalty…

So to the final chapter in this little sojourn. Well most of you would have seen the game and you will all, no doubt have your own memories of the night. Mine were only good, I have to say, despite the result.

I felt that this was always going to be a tough match to win and fully expected extra time and felt that there was a strong possibility of penalties. And so it was. I even thought we would win on penalties!

The atmosphere inside the stadium was simply electric and to be honest, I have never known a stadium with such an atmosphere, the matches against France and again against Croatia had been pretty special. I reckon fans were split 50/50 on the night, maybe there were a few more Portuguese than English, but it was a close call. And here's a key thing, gone went the ridiculous and rude booing, by both sets of fans when the opposition's anthems were played. This disgusting practice has always annoyed me, indeed I remember 'fondly' being at the Germany vs England game in the Olympic stadium, Munich having to admonish a German fan who insisted in booing throughout our National Anthem and then doing the exact same thing to a couple of English lads who reciprocated.

Down again, but not out. We'll be back, get yer bratwurst ready...

We were seated behind the goal that three of the 4 goals were scored in. Owen who had been disappointing in the group stages grabbed a very early goal and boy did he take it well. Just as we did in Shizouka to another Portuguese speaking team in Nike shirts managed by Big Phil, we went 1-0 pretty much against the run of play. Add that to the fact that he scored into a mixed end of supporters where I was sitting. Deja vu perhaps? You know the rest, the Rooney injury, the fight back, the disallowed goal, the penalties…

Well it was all too familiar wasn't it. The same old story, the same set up, denouement and finale. The press built it up, identified their prey, hyped ordinary ' players' up beyond their actual standing and then took great pleasure in telling their audience, 'we told you so'. Yes, England were laid back, perhaps exhausted after climbing the heights, even defensive and certainly not aggressive, attacking or as our American friends would say 'offensive' enough. Ultimately our boys lived up to our worst nightmares, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Or were we?. Contrary to the popular (grabs Oxford English dictionary and frantically looks up this word) press, England actually confounded even the most hardened and cynical pundits. Yes, those overpaid, boorish, loud, rude fans did not run the nation through the slough of despond that was once an international football tournament. They were non aggressive, laid back and due to their 'work rate' for the most part tired out before the end of the tournament, well at least yours truly was.

I think that this European tournament was the acid test and a vital stage in the road to salvation. The World Cup two years ago in Japan was hailed as the best tournament of all time from the fans perspective. Well  I certainly thought so. Lovely locals, warm welcomes everywhere we went, a police force that was firm but fair and certainly non confrontational all mixed in with the sheer wonder and beauty of a great land meant it was a month of sheer football and life bliss. I remember those days so well, the memory of school children forming a welcoming guard of honour for all fans of all nations and then forming up to bid you farewell after every match was so charming it engendered a fantastic rapport between west and east. The Japanese fans leaping up and down in their tens of thousands shouting 'Nippon, Nippon' made for an enveloping and emotional environment that anyone who was there will be hard pressed to forget.

Portugal 04 could never scale these heights, but it certainly came close in many respects. Warm, friendly people, great atmospheres, world class stadia and a tolerant and laid back police force all helped this to be another festival of football and friendship. Even after we had been beaten by Portugal in that fateful game, there was only unbridled joy on the faces of the Portuguese, no hint of a gloat or aggression. Here were a modest and yet proud people who were genuinely elated at their success. Good luck to them I say, I really hope that they win their semi final and make it to the Estadio de Luz on Sunday July 4th.

Meanwhile, let’s hope we reconvene in Germany in June in a couple of years…..