Portugal V Netherlands: 2-1
juz as France proved in '98 tt it was possible 2 win e World Cup w/o a recognised world class striker..so Portugal r aiming 2 underline e same pt...bt while pauleta floundered up front.. figo n fellow winger ronaldo lit up deir Euro 2004 semi-final encounter against Holland wif dazzling displays...ronaldo put e host nation ahead aft 25 mins n proved once again he is now v much an international thoroughbred...figo meanwhile was e real class act..e last remaining galactico @ e tournament achieved wat beckham had notably failed 2 do..he hauled his side past e biggest test in deir history...4 while andrade's own goal gave Holland hope..maniche had already struck an incredible 30 yard effort 2 put e home nation in control...aft a tame opening by 2 cautious teams..it was left 2 figo 2 open up e dutch defense as he burst past his marker n delivered a pinpoint cross..bouma denied pauleta wif a last ditch tackle bt frm e ensuing corner..deco's delivery was met wif a powerful header by ronaldo in e 26th min..a repeat of his earlier goal against Greece...if advocaat was nt living dangerously enuff oredi..he replaced defender bouma wif van der vaart..bt his side were almoz immediately 2-0 behind..ronaldo's short corner was played 2 maniche n e dutch were helpless 2 prevent e thunderous shot which e midfielder unleashed in2 e far corner frm e edge of e penalty box...it was a goal worthy of winning any major occasion..bt Holland were nt out of it yet...4 mins ltr..andrade desperately stuck out his leg 2 stop van bronckhorst's cross reaching van nistelrooy n succeeded only in deflecting e ball over his own keeper..
wld lyk 2 add a pt tt e referee was disgustingly bias..a real home whistler..evry 50-50 situation was 4 e portuguese n e oranje cant do anithg abt it...e home side deserves e 1-0 lead by half-time as e dutch hardly showed deir strength in attack..dey fought bac to 2-1..bt it didnt wk out deir way..in fact e oranje played 4 all or nothg...n itz hard 2 say if Portugal had outclassed e dutch..cocu n co. gave evrythg n deir supporters in estadio jose alvalade n @ home were great...itz a bitter pill...
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vanna
15:37
