Portugal breaks English hearts

EINDHOVEN, JUNE 13. Luis Figo lived up to his superstar status on Monday as he led Portugal to a 3-2 win over England, magnificently turning the tables on an early 0-2 deficit in Euro 2000 Group `A.'

The Barcelona midfielder himself, plus Joao Pinto and a clincher from Nuno Gomes on his first national team outing brought victory which gave the Portuguese a hugely-deserved lead in group `A' - and England an ill-deserved bottom spot after the best match of the tournament so far.

Germany and Romania had earlier parted 1-1 for the middle positions in a humdrum affair which was starkly contrasted by a passionate, skillful and pacey display by both Portugal and England. Paul Scholes and Steve McManaman hit England's early goals, both off crosses from the right from David Beckham as England played its long-ball game against Portugal's ultimately more effective closer passing. While Portugal can go into next Saturday's match against Romania full of confidence, nothing but victory will do for England in its match against arch-rival Germany in Charleroi.

The European championships truly come alive with great football, great passion and great crowd participation - and Luis Figo already left his stamp on the tournament with a magnificent goal as well as dominating midfield play alongside Fiorenza star Rui Costa.

A beaming Portuguese coach Humberto Coelho said: ``it was a great victory against a strong team, a very difficult one. We didn't start well so it was a very demanding game mentally.

``There was no secret in this win - we had to focus on our game. England were strong on the counter-attack, but we kept playing our game. We didn't think about our opponents - just our own style.''

England coach Kevin Keegan said: ``any team anywhere in the world that comes back from a 2-0 deficit after 18 minutes you have to take your hat off to and give them the credit they deserve.

``They left themselves a mountain to climb, and they climbed it. Their first goal was a wonderful strike. There may be better goals in this tournament - but not many.'' He added, ``Figo was man of the match, but I'd like to mention David Beckham in the same breath. His performance was world class tonight.''

It was England which ignited this firecracker of a match already in the third minute when Paul Scholes headed in fully unmarked off a Beckham cross, sending the already highly vocal English fans among the 33,000 Eindhoven crowd into early rapture.

Steve McManaman made it 2-0 in the 18th minute, again off a Beckham cross from the right, hitting the ball high into the net from close range as the Portuguese defence was again caught napping.

By then Portugal had already shown danger of its own with Joao Pinto and Rui Costa testing English goalkeeper David Seaman, whose reputation as being shaky on high crosses had clearly reached them.

In the 22nd minute Luis Figo struck a beautiful crashing 20-metre drive that must have come out of the blue for Seaman, soaring through the legs of defender Tony Adams before it curled sublimely into the top corner.

If this match was to be the much-vaunted duel of Europe's best number sevens - Beckham and Luis Figo - then the Barcelona midfielder had edged ahead on the strength of this, even though the Manchester United man's crosses were a constant menace.

Any thoughts England may have had of controlling the match were then blown to bits in the 37th minute when Joao Pinto struck for the 2-2, a wonderful diving header off a Rui Costa cross from the right.

It left the cauldron of the Eindhoven stadium cooking from both fan blocks by the time Swedish referee Anders Frisk blew half time on a match hard to outdo for pace, passion and also fairness.

It was to continue where it left off, this time with a fairy tale element as 23-year-old Benfica striker Nuno Gomes outwitted Adams and Seaman to hit the 3-2 winner in his first outing for his country.

By then England was without its potent strikers David Owen and Steve McManaman, injured in clashes with Jorge Costa and Rui Costa respectively, and substituted by Emile Heskey and Dennis Wise.

The English pressure increased, with repeated danger from Beckham crosses stretching the Portuguese defence marshalled by Lazio Rome defence pivot Fernando Couto, while Luis Figo and Nuno Gomes posed a repeated threat of their own as Portugal counter- attacked.

Nuno Gomes had English hearts in mouths when he headed in low off a Luis Figo cross from the right in the 73rd minute only to be judged just offside, with Seaman sprawling.

A couple of minutes later Scholes twice within seconds came heartbreakingly close to getting his second as the Portuguese defence scrambled clear two powerful cracks at goal.

At the other end Luis Figo again justified his man-of- the-match claim in the 80th minute by producing the most delicate of lobs under pressure which grazed Seaman's post, a last bit of genius which will make Germany and Romania do some hard thinking.

And England captain Alan Shearer said his side was ``bitterly disappointed,'' but added: ``if there's any good to come out of this, it is that we now know we need to win our remaining two games.''

- DPA

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