Greece grind silky Spain
AFP, Oporto, Portugal
The silky skills of Spain were not enough to give them a second win in five days as they were held to a 1-1 draw by a determined Greece side to leave Group A at Euro 2004 wide open. Both teams won their opening games and were looking to take a step closer to the quarter-finals, but it will be Spain who feel more aggrieved at being denied another three points having dominated the match and created numerous chances against their technically inferior opponents. The result is bad news for the hosts Portugal and Russia who could be out of the quarter-finals if either is beaten in the second match of the day. Fernado Morientes, who was loaned out to Monaco from Real Madrid last season and helped the French club to the final of the Champions League which they lost to Porto, opened the scoring with a cool finish in the 28th minute only for Angelos Charisteas to prod home an equaliser in the second-half. Greece, 1-0 winners over Portugal in the first match of the tournament, came under the cosh in the opening exchanges with Valencia's Ruben Baraja orchestrating almost every move from the centre of midfield and Joseba Exteberria and Rodriguez Vicente making excellent use of the wings. Spain's industry should have opened the scoring in the 25th minute, Ivan Helguera's outstretched boot failing to make a decent connection with Vicente's whipped free-kick from the right wing. However, the pressure eventually told three minutes later as Spain captain Raul sliced his way into the penalty box before his deft backheel set up Morientes whose wicked right-footed shot gave Antonios Nikopolidis no chance. They may not have the same pedigree as Spain at international level, but the Greeks have fighting spirit in abundance and they went close to drawing level when Zisis Vryzas' goalbound shot was blocked. Vryzas exposed some flaws in Spain's defence once more before the Greeks survived a succession of corners just before the interval. Greece captain Theo Zagorakis led by example after the interval, flashing a shot narrowly over the bar before testing Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas from distance. Spain continued to spurn chances and they paid for their profligacy in the 66th minute when a swift Greek counter-attack ended with Charisteas sliding the ball in off Casillas' leg.
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