HUNGARY 3-2 GREECE Budapest, 24/05/2008
Amanatidis 45, Dzsudzsak 47, Juhasz 59, Vadocz 63, Liberopoulos 90

Greece threw away a half-time lead and conceded three goals within 16 second-half minutes to hand the UFWC championship title to Hungary. It was Hungary’s first victory against Greece since 1987, and sees the Magyars take back the title they last held in September 2007.

Greece, so strong in recent matches, looked poor against a revitalised Hungary, paying for the first time under Dutch coach Erwin Koeman, older brother of Ronald. But an opening goal came against the run of play, when a defensive mix-up allowed Ioannis Amanatidis to give Greece the lead right on the stroke of half time.

Whatever Koeman said during his half-time team talk certainly worked. Hungary hit Greece with a triple-whammy, with goals from Balazs Dzsudzak, Roland Juhasz and Krisztian Vadocz between the 47th and 63rd minutes.

Nikos Liberopoulos pulled back a consolation goal for Greece in the final minute.

So Hungary are the new UFWC champions. This was the Magyars’ 17th UFWC title victory. Hungary did not qualify for Euro 2008, but there is still a chance that the UFWC title will be there. Hungary’s next match is against Slavin Bilic’s highly-rated Croatia on 31 May.

Match Reports Greece, Hungary

GREECE 2-0 CYPRUS Patras, Greece, 19/05/2008
Ninis 5, Katsouranis 58

A makeshift Greece squad – missing 11 key players – managed to brush aside Cyprus 2-0 in this Euro 2008 build-up match.

18-year-old Panathinaikos starlet Sotiris Ninis scored within five minutes of making his international debut, beating Cyprus goalkeeper Antonis Georgallidis with a low shot from inside the area. Ninis becomes the youngest player to score for Greece. ‘It’s a wonderful feeling,’ said Ninis.

Benfica’s Costas Katsouranis scored a penalty in the 58th minute, to give the dominant Greeks a 2-0 win.

The game was interupted shortly before the end when part of the 23,500-strong sell-out crowd ran onto the pitch in the mistaken belief that they had heard the final whistle.

The match had been preceded by the unusual sight of a float in the shape of Greece’s German coach Otto Rehhagel being driven around the pitch to cheers and shouts of ‘good luck’.

Rehhagel has named his squad for Saturday’s match with Hungary, and the big news is that teenage scorer Sotiris Ninis is dropped – and with so many key players returning to the fold he is unlikely to return to the squad for Euro 2008. Rehhagel will announce his Euro 2008 squad immidatlety after the Hungary match, with the team leaving for a pre-tournament training camp in Germany on Sunday.

Hungary were UFWC champions until September of last year. However, an attempt to take the title from Greece in November ended in a 2-1 defeat.

Match Reports Cyprus, Greece

Greece coach Otto Rehhagel is without an entire 11-man team of key players for Monday’s UFWC clash with Cyprus. Olympiakos stars Antonis Nikopolidis, Vassilios Torosidis, Paraskevas Antzas and Christos Patsatzoglou – who will all play in this weekend’s Greek cup final – plus Georgios Samaras, Angelos Basinas, Georgios Seitaridis, Fanis Gekas, Ioannis Amanatidis, Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Angelos Charisteas are all missing.

Instead, Rehhagel will turn to 18-year-old Panathinaikos prodigy Sotiris Ninis, plus Panionios midfielder Grigorios Makos, PAOK striker Lazaros Christodoulopoulos and OFI goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas. Also included is Stelios, this week released by Bolton Wanderers.

THe match will take place at the Panpeloponisiako Stadium in Patras.

Greece squad: Chalkias (Aris Salonika), Tzorvas; Spyropoulos, Vintra, Goumas (all Panathinaikos) Dellas, Papastathopoulos (both AEK Athens), Melissis (PAOK); Karagounis, Alexandros Tziolis, Sotiris Ninis (all Panathinaikos), Stelios (unattached), Katsouranis (Benfica), Makos (Panionios GSS); Salpigidis (Panathinaikos), Liberopoulos, Christodoulopoulos (PAOK)

Match Previews Cyprus, Greece

PORTUGAL 1-2 GREECE Dusseldorf, Germany, 26/03/2008
Karagounis 32, 59, Gomes 75

Two carbon-copy free kicks from ‘Gorgeous’ Girogos Karagounis gave Euro and UFWC champions Greece victory over Portugal in this friendly match on neutral turf.

Greece, who beat Portugal twice at Euro 2004, dominated the game and scored in the 32nd and 59th minutes.

Nuno Gomes pulled a goal back for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side, who were without Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Deco.

But Portugal, who were without Traianos Dellas, held out for a deserved victory.

Portugal’s Gomes commented, ‘We couldn’t handle Greece in the first half. They’re a very experienced team, with a number of veteran players who know how to control a game.’

Greece coach Otto Rehhagel is set to extend his contract with national team until 2012.
Portugal: Ricardo, Paulo Ferreira, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho, Caneira, Fernando Meira, Carlos Martins, Miguel Veloso, Ricardo Quaresma, Simao, Nuno Gomes
Used substitutes: Joao Moutinho, Bruno Alves, Miguel, Hugo Almeida, Jorge Ribeiro, Raul Meireles

Greece: Nikopolidis, Patzatzoglou, Antzas, Kyrgiakos, Torosidis, Basinas, Karagounis, Katsouranis, Amanatidis, Charisteas, Gekas
Used substitutes: Giannakopoulos, Seitaridis, Samaras, Goumas, Salpingidis

Match Reports Greece, Portugal