Spain bite the dust

Spain 0 Portugal 1

Nuno Gomes, a second half substitute, succeeded in purging the debt he left when he was one of two Portuguese sent off in the semi-final of the 2000 Championship against France with a goal that will forever be recalled in glowing terms by an adoring nation.

His strike helped Portugal turn a seeming hapless dismissal from the championship into glorious triumph as they topped their group after a contest of ceaseless excitement.

The atmosphere in the crowded stadium was such that it was calculated to provoke a spontaneous combustion. The appearance of the teams provoked a reaction that must be the sound you would hear when two worlds collide.

It was wild with emotion, it was raw. It was a cry from Portuguese hearts for fulfillment, for a victory to shred the effects of years of disappointment.

Not for 23 years had they beaten Spain in competition, not since June 1981 and recent evidence was not encouraging. Had they not lost to these opponents by three goals in Guimaraes in September?

If the weight of history and tradition weighed heavily on their shoulders, it was as nothing compared to the pressure Spain must have felt when a stirring rendition of the Portuguese national anthem assailed their ears as the thunderous waves of sound rolled down from the heights of the stadium.

Spain were un-moved, impressively composed under relentless first half pressure as Portugal invested their opening salvo with a passion that was all consuming. Well-organised, well-balanced and calculated in their work, Spain defended with authority that reeked of confidence and class.

They were stretched, make no mistake for Portugal were persistent in their work and driven on with admirable zeal by the brilliant Porto midfielder, Costinha. His influence was immense as he negated Raul, dominated the centre of the park and combined with Maniche, also from Porto, to process a supply to Ronaldo and Figo especially that was relentless.

Portugal's excellence in the centre of the park was critical. Carvalho, yet another Champions' League winner with Porto, and Andrade were immense at centre-back and the understanding between the Porto players was formidable. Spain never could inflict any damage to this rock of Portuguese resistance, this defensive unit was as hard and as unyielding as a block of granite.

The changes made by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari since the opening day of the championship when Portugal slumped to a dreadful 1-2 loss to Greece were instrumental in helping Portugal turn their tournament around. There was a pleasing balance to their play, an impressive tempo and pattern to their work and it needed only the embellishment of an effective centre-forward to achieve perfection.

Unfortunately for Portugal the lack of a genuine goal-scorer has plagued them for years, the absence of an incisive, calculating finisher compromised them in successive tournaments and it looked to cost them heavily again here. For almost an hour they beat on the ramparts of the Spanish defence without succeeding in troubling goalkeeper Casillas and it was Spain who looked more threatening in breakaways.

Ronaldo, always a positive force on either flank, leapt spectacularly just before the break to beat Casillas to a cross from Figo but he was just too high with his header. Raul and the energetic Fernando Torres had more chances of troubling Ricardo at the other end as Spain strode imperiously out of deep defence to put attractive sequences together.

The introduction of Benfica's experienced centre-forward, Nuno Gomes, provided the key to unlocking the Spanish defence. Fifty-seven tense minutes had flown by when Maniche found Figo in a central position and he steered a pass through to Nuno Gomes.

Spanish defenders flapped at his heels, but Gomes showed his composure as he jockeyed to bring the ball onto his stronger foot and then he spun to shoot between Helguera and Juanito for a goal that was greeted with joyous abandon by the Portuguese thousands.

Credit Spain with a magnificent and reckless fling at retrieving the situation. Their spirited and powerful response spawned a succession of spectacular incidents in a Portuguese penalty area that must have seemed as tiny as a telephone booth to defenders who were squeezed into an ever-shrinking space.

In their reckless pursuit of the goal that would have saved them Spain left themselves increasingly vulnerable. Portugal should, really, have added at least two more as they broke to open up huge avenues to Casillas' net but Maniche headed over when Miguel's cross found him unmarked, Costinha - comfortably the game's outstanding individual - headed over from no more than six yards when Valente picked him out from the left wing and Raul Bravo risked life and limb as he crashed into an upright after turning away a shot from Maniche as Portuguese fans howled in their anxiety.

It was heroic, it was memorable; for Spain, it was exasperating. They were denied when Carvalho took a lob over Ricardo by substitute Luque off the goal-line and they also struck the crossbar as the final whistle came all too soon for those of us who were uncommitted and able to enjoy the contrasting emotions of a cracking encounter.

SPAIN: Casillas, Puyol, Juanito (Morientes 81), Helguera, Bravo, Joaquin (Luque 72), Alonso, Albelda (Baraja 66), Vicente, Raul, Torres.

PORTUGAL: Ricardo, Miguel, Andrade, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Costinha, Figo (Petit 78), Maniche, Deco, Ronaldo (Couto 85), Pauleta (Nuno Gomes 45).

Ref: Anders Frisk (Sweden).