UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations is the administrative body for association football and beach soccer in Europe, although several member states are or located in Asia. It is one of six continental confederations of world football's governing body FIFA. UEFA consists of 55 national association members. UEFA represents the national football associations of Europe, runs nation and club competitions including the UEFA European Championship, UEFA Nations League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, controls the prize money and media rights to those competitions. Henri Delaunay was Ebbe Schwartz the first president; the current president is Aleksander Čeferin, a former Football Association of Slovenia president, elected as UEFA's seventh president at the 12th Extraordinary UEFA Congress in Athens in September 2016, automatically became a vice-president of the world body FIFA. UEFA was founded on 15 June 1954 in Basel, Switzerland after consultation between the Italian and Belgian associations.
The European football union began with 25 members. Until 1959 the main headquarters were located in Paris, in Bern. In 1995, UEFA headquarters were transferred to Switzerland. UEFA membership coincides for the most part with recognition as a sovereign country in Europe, although there are some exceptions; some states are not members. Some UEFA members are not sovereign states, but form part of a larger recognised sovereign state in the context of international law; these include Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the Faroe Islands, Kosovo, however in the context of these countries government functions concerning sport tend to be carried at the territorial level coterminous with the UEFA member entity. Some UEFA members are transcontinental states and others are considered part of Europe both culturally and politically. Countries, members of the Asian Football Confederation were admitted to the European football association Israel and Kazakhstan. Additionally some UEFA member associations allow teams from outside their association's main territory to take part in their "domestic" competition.
AS Monaco, for example, takes part in the French League. F. C. participate in the English League. Derry City, situated in Northern Ireland, plays in the Republic of Ireland-based League of Ireland and the 7 native Liechtensteinian teams play in the Swiss Leagues. Saarland Football Union, joined Football Association of West Germany Football Association of East Germany, joined Football Association of West Germany as German Football Association Football Federation of the Soviet Union. Four other successor republics formed their own football organisations. Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro. Montenegro, which exited the union, created the Football Association of Montenegro, it competed as FR Yugoslavia until 2003 when the country changed its name to Montenegro. Football Association of Czechoslovakia, became Football Association of the Czech Republic and Slovak Football Association with the Football Association of the Czech Republic acknowledged as its direct successor. Lithuania, in 1990 sanctions were imposed due to secession of Lithuanian Football Federation from the Football Federation of Soviet Union Yugoslavia, in 1992-1998 sanctions were imposed due to the Bosnian War Italy, in 1974-1975 sanctions were imposed against SS Lazio due to its fans, Italy was restricted from the European Cup to which Lazio qualified England, in 1985-1991 sanctions were imposed against English association football clubs due to the Heysel Stadium disaster by suspending their participation in continental competitions for five years Netherlands, in 1991-1992 sanctions were imposed against AFC Ajax due to its fans, the Netherlands were restricted from the European Cup to which Ajax qualified Albania, in 1967 special sanctions were imposed against 1966–67 Albanian Superliga due to its political background 1968–69 the Warsaw Pact demonstrated political protest and imposed sanctions on clubs of its members in continental competitions (included E
Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)
Red Bull Arena, is a football facility located in Leipzig, Germany. It is the largest football stadium in the former East Germany and has hosted music concerts as well as football. Opened in 2004, it is the home stadium for first-division club RB Leipzig, with FC Sachsen Leipzig having used the stadium from its opening until 2009. Due to UEFA sponsorship regulations, the stadium is known as the RB Arena for European matches. In 1956, the first Zentralstadion opened, at the time it was one of the biggest stadiums in Europe being able to hold 100,000 spectators. Various Leipzig football teams used the venue as a home stadium, including VfB Leipzig at various points in the 20th century. However, over the years it was costing the city too much to maintain. In 1997, the city of Leipzig decided to build a new stadium within the old stadium, a modern state of the art stadium only for football; the new stadium was built from December 2000 till March 2004. A similar endeavor of constructing a new stadium within the confines of an historic stadium's exterior was completed in Chicago's Soldier Field, which build a modern stadium while preserving the exterior of the original structure.
The Zentralstadion was the only stadium in the former East Germany to host games in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. It hosted four group a round of 16 game in the tournament. A year earlier, it was one of the venues for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup and hosted three matches of the tournament, including the third-place match. From 2005 to 2007, the Zentralstadion was host of the German League Cup final. FC Sachsen Leipzig used the stadium as a home ground from time to time between 2004 and 2007, however they moved back to their traditional home, the Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark at the start of the 2008–09 season. In July 2009, energy drink manufacturer Red Bull took over the license of SSV Markranstädt and renamed the team RasenBallsport Leipzig, in short RB Leipzig. From the outset, the new team outlined their wish to move into the tenant-less Zentralstadion and rename it the "Red Bull Arena"; the naming rights were granted on 25 March 2010 and the stadium will be named so for a minimum period of 10 years as of 1 July 2010.
The cost for renting the stadium will rise in accordance with the level of football RasenBallsport Leipzig are at. The team has pledged to upgrade the seating, install video advertising boards and make changes to the boxes and the VIP area. In the 2010–11 season, Hallescher FC played between three and five games at the Zentralstadion due to their own Kurt-Wabbel Stadion being renovated. In 2014, the stadium was ranked 17th in the country based on attendance and number of events. There are bridges built over the old stadium to connect with the new stadium; the roof is designed to provide superior acoustics. The grass area is 120 x 80 m, the actual playing field is 105 x 68 m, it has been integrated into the area surrounding the stadium by large numbers of trees and other greenery. North to South: 230 m East to West: 210 m Height to Roof: 46.5 m Roof Area: 28,100 m² Map Coordinates: 51° 20' 44" N. The following games were played at the stadium during the 2006 World Cup: The arena is used as a concert venue.
Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, Herbert Grönemeyer, Bon Jovi, Depeche Mode, AC/DC, Mario Barth, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Helene Fischer have all played at this venue. Facts and photos about the old and new Zentralstadion at Erlebnis-stadion.de Homepage Zentralstadion
2004 African Cup of Nations
The 2004 Africa Cup of Nations was the 24th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa. It was hosted by Tunisia. Just like in 2002, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four. Tunisia won their first title, beating Morocco in the final 2−1. Tunisia participated in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany as the representative from CAF. Bids: Benin / Togo Malawi / Zambia Tunisia ZimbabweThe organization of the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations was awarded to Tunisia on 4 September 2000 by the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Cairo, Egypt. Voters had a choice between four countries: Malawi and Zambia and Zimbabwe. Benin and Togo were both candidates at the start but withdrew on 4 September 2000 before the meeting; this edition was awarded to Tunisia which represented Africa in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France by taking the majority of the votes of the CAF Executive Committee members which are 13 after its impressive success in the 1994 edition. This is the third time that Tunisia has hosted the African Cup after 1965 and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.
Teams highlighted in green progress to the quarter-finals. All times local: CET 4 goals 3 goals 2 goals 1 goal Own goal Anicet Adjamossi 11Possibly 2nd goal Anicet Adjamossi 73og against Morocco Goalkeeper Vincent EnyeamaDefenders Walid Regragui Khaled Badra Abdeslam Ouaddou Timothée AtoubaMidfielders Karim Ziani Riadh Bouazizi Jay-Jay Okocha John UtakaForwards Frédéric Kanouté Youssef Hadji Details at RSSSF
Leipzig
Leipzig is the most populous city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. With a population of 581,980 inhabitants as of 2017, it is Germany's tenth most populous city. Leipzig is located about 160 kilometres southwest of Berlin at the confluence of the White Elster, Pleiße and Parthe rivers at the southern end of the North German Plain. Leipzig has been a trade city since at least the time of the Holy Roman Empire; the city sits at the intersection of the Via Regia and the Via Imperii, two important medieval trade routes. Leipzig was once one of the major European centers of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing. Leipzig became a major urban center within the German Democratic Republic after the Second World War, but its cultural and economic importance declined. Events in Leipzig in 1989 played a significant role in precipitating the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe through demonstrations starting from St. Nicholas Church. Since the reunification of Germany, Leipzig has undergone significant change with the restoration of some historical buildings, the demolition of others, the development of a modern transport infrastructure.
Leipzig today is an economic centre, the most livable city in Germany, according to the GfK marketing research institution and has the second-best future prospects of all cities in Germany, according to HWWI and Berenberg Bank. Leipzig Zoo is one of the most modern zoos in Europe and ranks first in Germany and second in Europe according to Anthony Sheridan. Since the opening of the Leipzig City Tunnel in 2013, Leipzig forms the centrepiece of the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland public transit system. Leipzig is listed as a Gamma World City, Germany's "Boomtown" and as the European City of the Year 2019. Leipzig has long been a major center for music, both classical as well as modern "dark alternative music" or darkwave genres; the Oper Leipzig is one of the most prominent opera houses in Germany. It was founded in 1693, making it the third oldest opera venue in Europe after La Fenice and the Hamburg State Opera. Leipzig is home to the University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy", it was during a stay in this city that Friedrich Schiller wrote his poem "Ode to Joy".
The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, established in 1743, is one of the oldest symphony orchestras in the world. Johann Sebastian Bach is one among many major composers who lived in Leipzig; the name Leipzig is derived from the Slavic word Lipsk, which means "settlement where the linden trees stand". An older spelling of the name in English is Leipsic; the Latin name Lipsia was used. The name is cognate with Lipetsk in Liepāja in Latvia. In 1937 the Nazi government renamed the city Reichsmessestadt Leipzig. Since 1989 Leipzig has been informally dubbed "Hero City", in recognition of the role that the Monday demonstrations there played in the fall of the East German regime – the name alludes to the honorary title awarded in the former Soviet Union to certain cities that played a key role in the victory of the Allies during the Second World War; the common usage of this nickname for Leipzig up until the present is reflected, for example, in the name of a popular blog for local arts and culture, Heldenstadt.de.
More the city has sometimes been nicknamed the "Boomtown of eastern Germany", "Hypezig" or "The better Berlin" for being celebrated by the media as a hip urban centre for the vital lifestyle and creative scene with many startups. Leipzig was first documented in 1015 in the chronicles of Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg as urbs Libzi and endowed with city and market privileges in 1165 by Otto the Rich. Leipzig Trade Fair, started in the Middle Ages, has become an event of international importance and is the oldest surviving trade fair in the world. There are records of commercial fishing operations on the river Pleiße in Leipzig dating back to 1305, when the Margrave Dietrich the Younger granted the fishing rights to the church and convent of St Thomas. There were a number of monasteries in and around the city, including a Franciscan monastery after which the Barfußgäßchen is named and a monastery of Irish monks near the present day Ranstädter Steinweg; the foundation of the University of Leipzig in 1409 initiated the city's development into a centre of German law and the publishing industry, towards being the location of the Reichsgericht and the German National Library.
During the Thirty Years' War, two battles took place in Breitenfeld, about 8 kilometres outside Leipzig city walls. The first Battle of Breitenfeld took place in 1631 and the second in 1642. Both battles resulted in victories for the Swedish-led side. On 24 December 1701, an oil-fueled street lighting system was introduced; the city employed light guards who had to follow a specific schedule to ensure the punctual lighting of the 700 lanterns. The Leipzig region was the arena of the 1813 Battle of Leipzig between Napoleonic France and an allied coalition of Prussia, Russia and Sweden, it was the largest battle in Europe before the First World War and the coalition victory ended Napoleon's presence in Germany and would lead to his first exile on Elba. The Monument to the Battle of the Nations celebrating the centenary of this event was completed in 1913. In addition to stimulating German nationalism, the war had a major impact in mobilizing a civic spirit in numerous volunteer activities. Many volunteer militi
Max-Morlock-Stadion
Max-Morlock-Stadion is a stadium in Nuremberg, opened in 1928. It is located next to Zeppelinfeld, it neighbors the Nuremberg Arena. Since 1966, it has been home stadium to the German Bundesliga club 1. FC Nürnberg. During the 1972 Summer Olympics, it hosted. In 1967, it hosted the European Cup Winners' Cup final between Bayern Munich. Bayern won 1–0; the stadium hosted five games of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, including the famous match between Portugal and the Netherlands known as the Battle of Nuremberg. It was known as the Städtisches Stadion until 1945, when it was renamed Victory Stadium. In 1961, it returned to its original name until 1991. On 14 March 2006, the stadium was renamed easyCredit-Stadion for a period of five years, after a sponsorship deal with the German bank DZ Bank. Many fans of the 1. FC Nuremberg, led by the "Ultras Nuremberg" introduced on 1 April 2006, held demonstration against the name and symbolically renamed the stadium with its current name, in honour of one of the best players in the club's history, Max Morlock.
On 14 February 2013, the stadium was renamed Grundig Stadion, after a sponsorship deal with Grundig. In July 2016, the stadium's name changed back to Stadion Nürnberg after the city of Nuremberg could not find a new sponsor. From 1 July 2017, the stadium's name became Max-Morlock-Stadion; the available facilities at the stadium include two changing rooms for players, changing rooms for coaches, referees. Physician and treatment rooms are available. A 300 m² press area, an area for press conferences, three TV studios make the stadium a modern one. 1200 m² makes up the VIP area with room for 800 guests. To compensate for the large number of seats there are 15,000 parking spaces with 205 for VIPs; the stadium has track and field facilities that follow international regulation. A full sprinkler system, that feeds the grass with rain water; the pitch is heated, lit with a floodlight system. There are two 60 m ² video walls. There is a full power back up system, powered by diesel generators. Beginning in 1933, the National Socialists began to use the stadium as a marching area for the Hitler Youth.
The fourth Deutsche Kampfspiele, one of the biggest events organized by the Nazi Sports Body, took place in this stadium from 23–29 July 1934. Following 1963, the stadium was reconditioned multiple times, so that it could meet the requirements for football in the Bundesliga. Max-Morlock-Stadion has been renovated two times, once in 1988 to 1991, again renovation began again in 2002, to be ready in time for the 2006 World Cup; the 2002 renovation cost €56.2 million. The stadium has had its capacity increased to 48,548; this modernisation was realized by HPP Architects. This was achieved by extending the northwest grandstand; the playing field was lowered by 1.30 metres in order to provide all seats an unrestricted view of the field. The Max Morlock place was developed as a place for fans to enjoy something to eat. In the summer of 2012, the capacity was increased to 50,000; the Monsters of Rock Tour 1984 planned on the Zeppelinfield, took place in the Städtisches Stadion. P!nk performed at the stadium on July 2010 during the Funhouse Summer Carnival.
The stadium and the adjacent Nuremberg Arena are well serviced by public transportation to facilitate transport of fans from and to the various sports and musical events taking place there: Bus stop Max-Morlock-Platz, right in front of the stadium. Serviced by Bus line 55 Frankenstadion station, about 400 Meters or a 5-minute walk from the stadium. Serviced by S-Bahn line S2 Dutzendteich station and tramway stop, about 1300 m or a 10-minute walk from the stadium. Services by Bus lines 55 and 65, Tramway line 6 and S-Bahn line S2 Messe subway station, about 1800 m or a 15-minute walk from the Stadium. Serviced by U-Bahn lines U1 and U11During mass sports and entertainment events, such as Bundesliga games or the annual Rock im Park festival, additional S-Bahn trains running between main station and Frankenstadion station are being put into service. Before the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Frankenstadion station had the length of its existing platform doubled and an additional platform built for that purpose.
The stadium was one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The following games were played at the stadium during the World Cup of 2006: 1972 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. Part 1. P. 121. 1972 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 3. P. 359. 1. FC Nuernberg stadium profile. FIFA World Cup 2006 profile Football.co.uk profile
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for football in Japan. The current head coach is former footballer and current coach of the Japan national under-23 football team: Hajime Moriyasu. Japan is one of the most successful teams in Asia, having qualified for the last six consecutive FIFA World Cups with second round advancements in 2002, 2010, 2018, having won the AFC Asian Cup a record four times, in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011; the team has finished second in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Their principal continental rivals are South Korea and most Australia. Japan is the only team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in 1999 and 2011. Although they accepted the invitation for the 2011 tournament, the JFA withdrew following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Japan's earliest international matches were at the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo, where it was represented by a team from the Tokyo Higher Normal School.
Although Japan made strong showings in swimming and track and field, its football team suffered resounding defeats to the Republic of China and the Philippines. The game was promoted in Japanese schools in the 1920s; the Japan Football Association was formed in 1921, Japan joined FIFA in May 1929. Japan's first "true" national team was fielded at the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games, drew with China for the championship title. Shigeyoshi Suzuki coached the national team to its first Olympic appearance at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Japan was an entrant for the 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification, but withdrew before its scheduled qualifying match against the Dutch East Indies. After World War II began in earnest, Japan did not play in international competition, except for a handful of matches against Manchuria and other colonies, its last prewar match for purposes of Elo ratings was a friendly against the Philippines in June 1940. While Korea was under Japanese rule, several Koreans played in international competition for Japan, including Kim Yong-sik, Kim Sung-gan and Lee Yoo-hyung.
Japan's postwar debut was in the 1951 Asian Games in India. Japan re-joined FIFA in 1950 and played in qualifiers for the 1954 FIFA World Cup, but lost the AFC qualifying berth to South Korea after two matches, beginning an intense rivalry. Japan joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954. Dettmar Cramer joined the Japan national team as coach in 1960, helped lead the team to the round of eight at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Japan's first major achievement in international football came in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where the team won the bronze medal. Although this result earned the sport increased recognition in Japan, the absence of a professional domestic league hindered its growth and Japan would not qualify for the FIFA World Cup until 30 years later. Japan made its first appearance in the Asian Cup in 1988, where they were eliminated in the group stage following a draw with Iran and losses to South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar; the late 1980s saw concrete moves to professionalize the sport in Japan.
JFA introduced a Special Licensed Player system in 1986, allowing a limited number of professional players to compete in the domestic semi-professional league. Action committees were held in 1988 and 1989 to discuss the introduction of a full professional league in Japan. In 1991, the owners of the semi-professional Japan Soccer League agreed to disband the league and re-form as the professional J. League to raise the sport's profile and to strengthen the national team program; the following year Japan hosted and won the Asian Cup in their second appearance, defeating Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final. The J. League was launched in 1993, causing interest in football and the national team to grow. However, in its first attempt to qualify with professional players, Japan narrowly missed a ticket to the 1994 World Cup after drawing with Iraq in the final match of the qualification round, remembered by fans as the "Agony of Doha". Japan's next tournament was a defence of their continental title at the 1996 Asian Cup.
The team won all their games in the group stage but were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 2–0 loss to Kuwait. The nation's first World Cup appearance was in 1998, where Japan lost all their games; the first two fixtures went 1–0 in favour of Argentina and Croatia, despite playing well in both matches. Their campaign ended with a 2–1 defeat to Jamaica. In the 2000 Asian Cup, Japan managed to reclaim their title after defeating Saudi Arabia in the final, becoming Asian Champions for the second time. Two years Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea. After a 2–2 draw with Belgium in their opening match, the Japanese team advanced to the second round with a 1–0 win over Russia and a 2–0 victory against Tunisia. However, they subsequently exited the tournament during the round of 16, after losing 1–0 to eventual third-place finishers Turkey. On 8 June 2005, Japan qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, its third consecutive World Cup, by beating North Korea 2–0 on neutral ground.
However, Japan failed to advance to the Round of 16, losing to Australia 1–3, drawing Croatia 0–0 and losing to Brazil 1–4. During the 2010 World Cup qualification, in the fourth round of the Asian Qualifiers, Japan became the first team other than the host South Africa to qualify after defeating Uzbekistan 1–0 away. Japan was put in Group E along with the Netherlands and Cameroon. Japan won its opening match of the 2010
UEFA Euro 2004
The 2004 UEFA European Championship referred to as UEFA Euro 2004 or Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The final tournament was hosted for the first time in Portugal, from 12 June to 4 July 2004, after their bid was selected on 12 October 1999, over those of Spain and Austria/Hungary. A total of thirty-one matches were played in ten venues across eight cities – Aveiro, Coimbra, Guimarães, Faro/Loulé, Leiria and Porto; as in the 1996 and 2000 editions, the final tournament was contested by 16 teams – the hosts plus the 15 teams that overcame the qualification round, which began in September 2002. Latvia secured their first participation in a major tournament after overcoming Turkey in the play-offs, while Greece returned to the European Championship after 24 years; the tournament was rich in surprises and upsets: Germany and Italy were eliminated in the group stage, while France, the defending champions, were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Greece.
The Portuguese team recovered from an opening defeat against Greece to reach the final, eliminating England and the Netherlands along the way. For the first time in a major football tournament, the last match featured the same teams as the opening match. Portugal were defeated by Greece with a goal from Angelos Charisteas. Greece's triumph was unexpected, considering that they had only qualified for two other major tournaments, the UEFA Euro 1980 and the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they failed to win a single match; as winners, Greece earned the right to represent Europe at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. During the opening ceremony, one of the tableaux depicted a ship – symbolising the voyages of the Portuguese explorers – sailing through a sea that transformed into the flags of all competing countries. In the closing ceremony, Portuguese-Canadian singer Nelly Furtado performed her single and official tournament theme song, "Força". Portugal were announced as hosts for UEFA Euro 2004 on 12 October 1999, in Aachen, beating Spain and the joint bid of Austria and Hungary.
Group A opened with a shock as Greece, ranked outsiders from start, defeated the hosts 2–1. Giorgos Karagounis put the Greeks ahead after only seven minutes, Angelos Basinas made it 2–0 from the penalty spot on 51 minutes. A stoppage time goal by Cristiano Ronaldo proved no more than a consolation. Greece drew with Spain, before losing to Russia in their last group stage game. Portugal, recovered from their opening defeat by defeating Russia 2–0, who had their keeper Sergei Ovchinnikov sent off. Nuno Gomes scored the winning goal against Spain, which ensured Portugal finished first place in Group A. Greece advanced to the quarter-finals ahead of Spain on goals scored. France, the holders, England ended their Group B encounter in furious fashion as the French scored twice in stoppage time to go from 1–0 down to 2–1 winners. Zinedine Zidane scored in the first minute of stoppage time and two minutes an error by the English defence gave a France penalty and Zidane fired in the winner. England's other two games were memorable for the performances of their young star Wayne Rooney.
Only 18 at the time, Rooney's goal-scoring ability proved instrumental in victories over Switzerland and Croatia. France and England qualified from the group as runners-up, respectively. Group C featured a three-way tie between Sweden and Italy for first spot. All matches between all three had beaten Bulgaria. Italy were eliminated on the number of goals scored between the three sides, after Sweden and Denmark drew 2–2 and qualified to the quarter-finals as group winners and runners-up; the Italians went so far as to accuse Sweden and Denmark of fixing their match, as both sides knew that a 2–2 result would advance them both over Italy, but UEFA disregarded such an idea. The Czech Republic took the first place in Group D after becoming the only team to win all three of their group matches, they defeated Latvia 2–1, the Netherlands 3–2, Germany 2–1. It was another disappointing European campaign for Germany, which failed to advance from the group stage for the second consecutive time; the Netherlands claimed a quarter-final berth as runners-up.
In the first quarter-final match between England and Portugal, the English opened the score after only two minutes, through Michael Owen. Portugal's constant attacking pressure from on resulted in Hélder Postiga's 83rd-minute equaliser. In the dying minutes, Owen hit the Portuguese crossbar, resulting in a Sol Campbell header that appeared to have given England the lead again, but was ruled out by the referee Urs Meier due to a foul on the Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo; the sides exchanged goals in extra-time. Portugal won 6–5, as goalkeeper Ricardo saved a penalty from Darius Vassell, scored himself the winning goal; the Greeks, continued to stun everybody. Firm defensive play and an Angelos Charisteas goal on 65 minutes helped them defeat France 1–0 and send Greece through to the semi-finals; this victory made Greece the first team to defeat both the holders and the hosts in the same tournament. Sweden and the Netherlands played out an exciting encounter, but neither side could find a breakthrough and the match ended goalless after a dramatic extra-time, in which Sweden, through Freddie Ljungberg, came as close to scoring as hitting the inside of the Dutch goalpost.
The Dutch progressed after winning the penalty shoot-out 5–4, their first victory on penalties in a major tournament. The last quarter-final match saw the Czechs dispatch Denmark, as a two-g
Brazil (2nd title)
Argentina
Germany
Mexico
Greece
Tunisia
Japan
Australia
104'
