Translated from The Guardian's lead football writer Paul Doyle and assistant editor Michael Butler
Francisco Tordo (Netherlands vs Italy, Euro 2000)
In the 1990s, there were too many outstanding goalkeepers in Italian football, which was indeed a sweet anguish, although as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, Tordo had a total of 8 appearances for the national team before the start of Euro 2000.
Gianluca Pagliuca and Angelo Peruzi monopolized the goalkeeper position of the Italian national team in the early 1990s, and later the young talent Buffon came out, meaning that Tordo had never been the number one goalkeeper of the Italian team in an international competition.
Before Euro 2000, Peruzi refused to be Buffon's substitute and withdrew from the national team, Buffon was injured in the last warm-up game before the tournament, and the 28-year-old Tordo was in the starting lineup when he played turkey in the first game of the group stage. However, when Conte gave Italy the lead with a brilliant barb shot, Tordo made a mistake in judgment and broke the cross without touching the ball, giving Okan Brook a chance to break the empty goal.
Inzaghi's last-minute penalty made up for Tordo's mistake by winning the team, but the goalkeeper was heartbroken by his own mistakes and decided that manager (and his idol) Dino Zoff would replace him with Abiati in the second game against Belgium.
However, Zov chose to trust Tordo, which turned out to be a wise decision, as Italy won the last two group matches, advanced to the knockout rounds with the top of the group, defeated Romania in the quarter-finals, and easily reached the semi-finals, meeting the host Netherlands at the Amsterdam Arena. The Netherlands defeated World Cup champions France in the group stage to take the first place in Group D, and eliminated Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals, which was regarded as an absolute favorite, and most people decided that Italy could not stop the Orange Army's victory, and its forward combination Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert were extremely fierce, enough to make all opponents afraid.
The semi-final between the Netherlands and Italy proved to be one of the most classic defensive examples in the history of international competitions. In the 34th minute, Italian full-back Zambrotta was sent off and the Italian's heart sank to the bottom.
After that, Kluivert won a penalty for the Netherlands, and everything went in the expected direction. But when Frank De Boul slammed the ball into the left side of the goal and Tordo stretched his 6'5- body to the limit and stabbed the ball away in an incredible way, it was indeed a stunning save, and after completing the save, Tordo jumped high to celebrate his good performance, and it felt like scoring a goal. Just after the start of the second half, the Dutch team again won a penalty opportunity, they missed it again, and Kluivert's powerful shot was blocked by the goalpost.
As time went on, the Dutch players became more and more agitated, and every time they passed the ball into the box, Tordo was able to confiscate the ball cleanly. When the game went into overtime, his shouts even overshadowed the three kings of the defensive line, Maldini, Nesta and Cannavaro. Italy, which chose to hold on, blocked wave after wave of attacks from the home team, and Tordo magically pounced on Seedorf's shot.
When rated as the best in the game after the game, Tordo said: "Even I don't know how to save those shots. ”
The two sides eventually entered a penalty shootout, the former iron bench finally became a national hero, he saved two more penalties, rejected de Bosviert's shots, the last save was very exciting, he pounced to the right side, blocking the opponent's low shot. In the end, Dutch centre-back Stamm fired high on the penalty and, despite exhaustion, the Italian players were still rejoicing in reaching the final.
In that match, the Dutch team had a total of 5 penalty shootouts against Tordo, but only scored 1 goal in total, regardless of whether the remaining 4 were lost by the Dutch players themselves or saved by Tordo. The Italian goalkeepers played their part, constantly roaring in front of the goal line, provoking the opposing penalty players.
Tordo later explained: "The penalty is all psychological warfare, a duel between the goalkeeper and the penalty shooter, and everything must be found to shake the fighting spirit of the other side, which is why Stam finally lost the ball." The script for the game was written before it started, and they bombarded our goal, but in the end they didn't score a goal. ”
In the final, Italy was only 1 minute away from winning the championship, but Vertoed equalized for France in injury time, and Trezeguet won with a golden ball in extra time, which finally ruined the Italian's dream of winning the championship. However, even if the Italian team returns home as runners-up, their original third goal will become a hero in people's minds. The Corriere della Sera called him the new Yassin, the giant in front of the goal; the Milano sport newspaper called him a super goalkeeper. In Tordo's mind, however, a single most low-key compliment means the most. Head coach Zoff said: "I would like to send my most heartfelt thanks to Tordo, he is really amazing. ”
Theodoros Zagorakis (Greece vs Portugal, Euro 2004 Final)
The outcome of Euro 2004 bore a striking resemblance to the start, with Greece beating host Portugal 2-1 in the opener and again winning the same opponent by one goal in the final. Zagorakis did not contribute any assists or goals in either of these games, but was named the best player in both matches and has since been named MVP of that European Championship by UEFA. Against The French, he passed Lizarazu to deliver a brilliant assist to Angelo Charlistias, a Leicester city veteran who rarely threatens the opposing goal but is a giant in the team's midfield.
Of course, the Greek team finally won the European Championship, not because of Zagorakis, but because of their proper tactics, but as the captain of Zagorakis, he was the most loyal executor of the team's tactics, constantly giving orders on the field to keep his teammates in the defensive formation designed by Ray Hagel.
The success of the Greek team was no fluke, and they took the top spot in the group stage and overwhelmed Spain. Their tactics are simple yet efficient: a strong and hand-to-hand backline, a diligent three-man midfielder, a double-high pair of strikers, able to take set-piece attacks to the extreme.
The final was more dull, with Greece taking the lead at the start of the second half when Charles Steas scored a corner kick from his teammates. Since then, Zagorakis has stepped up his midfield sweep, facing Portugal's three kings Deco, C Ronaldo and Figo. The Portuguese have only had two chances to score in total, but were wasted by Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo respectively, which of course has the reason for the Greek team's excellent defense.
Team consciousness is a difficult concept to clearly define, but it often plays a key role in every story of a dog's counterattack. Zagorakis recalled with tears in his eyes: "We proved once again that strong psychological qualities are our greatest strength, and this is the greatest gift God has given us." ”
Jean-François Domegue (Euro 1984 France vs Portugal)
Although both Boli and Zidane have performed unforgettable "headstick" stunts, Amoros is the perfect interpreter of the "headstick" attack in the history of the French team. In the first match of the 1984 Euro 1984 group stage, France played against Denmark, and when Amoros was brought down by the Danish player Olsen, Amoros got up and tried to smother the ball at the opponent, and then slammed his head into the Danish winger. Amoros received a red card and was placed in additional suspension. His absence gave Domeg his first chance to start for the national team.
Domeg was already well known in France, and in 1983 he excelled at the left gate of Lyon's main player, eventually gaining the admiration of Toulouse and buying him after Lyon was relegated, but before Euro 1984, he had only 45 minutes of appearances for the national team, which was a warm-up match against West Germany before the European Championship. In the group stage against Denmark, when Amoros was sent off, he replaced Le Roux on the bench and has been firmly in the main left position ever since. In the semi-finals against Portugal, he became the key player in the hosts' victory, playing the best game of his career.
Platini was considered the best player to play at Euro 1984, and indeed, France's No. 10 is indeed very great. And Domeg also left his mark on that cup. In the 24th minute of the semi-finals, France won a free kick near the penalty area line, and all the spectators, naturally including Portuguese goalkeeper Pinto, decided that it would be Platini who would take the free kick.
The French captain had already scored seven goals and was a world-class free-kicker. But in the end, it was Domeg who took the lead, and after running, he drew a wonderful arc with the outside of his left foot and sent the ball into the top corner of the goal, which was a sharply angled free-kick to the goal, which made Pinto stunned.
Afterwards, Domeg recalled: "I saw the gap between the walls and asked Michelle if he could let me play, and he said, 'You come.'" After taking the lead, france created many good opportunities, and Domeg, who was speeding on the left, frequently attacked the opposing defense, but Portugal equalized in the 74th minute, which was credited to Jordaan.
Extra time had just begun and Jordaan volleyed the ball into the air to give Portugal the lead. Domeg recalls: "It was as if the whole world was collapsing, but we encouraged each other: 'If we want to do something, we still have enough time'. In my opinion, for the rest of the day, all my teammates tried their best. ”
In the 114th minute, Domeg again broke down the left and crossed the ball near the penalty spot, LeRouux's powerful shot was blocked by the opposing defender, and the ball rolled to the feet of Platini, who was thrown to the ground by the Portuguese defender. Before the French player could apply for a penalty, Domeg strode up to the front and blasted a stone-shattering cannon into Pinto's ten-finger barrier and sent the ball into the top corner of the goal.
In the 119th minute, Platini scored the winning goal for France. Domeg has never scored a goal for France since then, and has only played nine games in his national team career, but the match against Portugal is enough to remember for a lifetime.
Ivo Victor (Czechoslovakia vs West Germany, Euro 1976)
There were only 4 games at Euro 1976, but there were so many people to remember, and in the coming weeks, we will also find such people and things at certain points in time. West Germany's Dieter Müller played well, in the semi-final against Yugoslavia, he came on as a substitute in the 74th minute, made his debut for the national team, scored with the first touch of the ball, and later scored two goals in a row to complete the hat-trick to help the team win 4-2.
The other most eye-catching player in the semi-finals (Czechoslovakia vs. The Netherlands) was Pollack, the former Czechoslovak star who was finally named to the best squad at that European Championship, even though he played only 60 minutes in the tournament.
His performance at the European Cup came to an abrupt end because of a brutal foul on Neskens, and just 16 minutes later, Neskens was sent off for a more ferocious tackle. Although There is Pollack in the midfield and Ondrews in charge of the defense, without the magic of the goalkeeper Victor, Czechoslovakia will definitely not win the European Championship.
After a heroic match against the Netherlands, the 34-year-old Ducra Bragg will put on an even more breathtaking performance when he faces West Germany in the final. Like the semi-final match against Yugoslavia, West Germany equalised the score with two goals behind, but did not reverse the victory, the key reason was Victor's miraculous reaction, saving Bill, Bonkhov and Herzenbein's inevitable shots.
Without his save, Pyanika wouldn't have had the chance to stage his legendary spoon penalty. But later, the only thing Victor remembered was the awkward way he ran towards the goal line when he was hoisted by Pele at the 1970 World Cup at halftime.
Bernd Schuster (West Germany vs Netherlands, Euro 1980)
In the first group stage of the 1980 European Championship, Germany defeated Czechoslovakia 1-0, avenging the defeat in the final four years ago. In the second game of the group stage, West German coach Jopp De Waal boldly changed the formation, adjusting the formation from 442 to 433, allowing Schuster to enter the starting lineup and face the number one sworn enemy Holland. Alofs completed a hat-trick to help the German tanks win 3-2, but most of the praise was given to Schuster, as he instigated every goal the German team scored.
Schuster has repeatedly delivered precise long passes and powerful breakthroughs in midfield. Dutch players rarely touched the ball in the first 20 minutes, so Germany's opening record was expected. After Schuster's burst was blocked by the goalpost, Alofs grabbed the point to make up for it. The Dutchman's skills were clearly inferior to those of the West Germans, and the right to rule the midfield was completely vested in West Germany.
Schuster instigated his team's second goal after a break in midfield, and he handed the ball to Hans Müller, who returned to assist Arlos. As for the third goal, it was he who scored the ball in the penalty area, accelerated past a defender, and then sent a strange knockback at high speed to help Arlos extend the lead to 3 goals. The tenacious Dutch team chased the score to 2-3, but it was still West Germany who laughed at the end.
A yellow card became a stain on Schuster's entire match, and De Waal feared that he would accumulate a yellow card and thus miss the final, so he was suspended in the third game of the group stage. After returning to the starting line-up in the final, Schuster once again became commander of West Germany, helping the team beat Belgium to win the championship. He was only 20 years old at the time and seemed destined to become the ace of the West German team and a true international superstar for the next 10 years or so.
But Schuster is not the kind of person who can meet people's expectations, and he will not bow to authority or social conventions. After the 1980 European Championship became his premier song, he was constantly at odds with the national team manager, especially De Waal, and rarely called up, announcing his retirement from the national team at the age of 24, and contributing all his career to Barca and Real Madrid.
Henrik Larson & Kim Wierfurt (Denmark vs Netherlands, Euro 1992)
Denmark's miraculous performance at Euro 1992 impressed the world: due to the last-minute withdrawal of war-torn Yugoslavia, Denmark, who had not previously qualified for the promotion, had only a week to prepare. But a month later, although Denmark did not have the top star Michael Laudrup pressed the team , leaving the team before the game due to a tactical disagreement with coach Richard Müller Nelson , they still won the European Championship, eliminating the defending champions Netherlands in the semi-finals and defeating World Cup champions Germany in the final.
Midfielder Henrik Larsson initially came on as a substitute, he did not play in the first draw with England in the group stage, and the loss to Sweden was only 20 minutes off the bench. However, as Wellford rushed home to see his daughter Lian, who was suffering from leukemia, Larson was given a starting opportunity in the match against The French Nation, opening the scoring for the team in the opening eight minutes, helping Denmark win 2-1 and eventually reaching the knockout rounds.
Although Lane Wierfort's condition improved before the start of the European Championship, as the competition progressed, the little girl's condition deteriorated, and her father, Kim Wilmford, faced a dilemma as to whether to return to the team, because the team beat France in his absence, his return may also affect the team's chemistry. But Wierford's family insisted that he return to the team, so Müller Nelson sent both Wilmford and Larson to the semi-final against the Netherlands.
It was undoubtedly a great gamble, but both played well. Larson made headlines after the game, scoring two brilliant goals, the first of which was a header from Brian Laudrup's cross from the right and the back post, and the second being a heavy cannon from the edge of the penalty area. But Wilfford's contribution is equally commendable, not inferior to Larson's.
Wierford is the most senior position in the 3-center position, and he is originally a player with strong offensive characteristics. Instead, the Dutch team has more midfielders, including Rijkaard and Orange Army Captain Gullit. The physical confrontation was fierce, with 120 minutes of fighting the strongest players in European football, running, tackling, scrambling for the gavel. But what really made Denmark win the game was willpower and desire to win.
Dennis Bergkamp repeatedly withdrew to catch the ball, but he faced the strict defense of Wilfford, Larson and John Jensen, and the three of them forged another wall of copper in front of the Danish team's five-back line, but Rijkaard still used a set-piece to break the goal four minutes before the final, ruining the Dane's hopes of settling the battle for 90 minutes.
As a result, the two teams ended up playing a 2-2 draw in 120 minutes into a brutal penalty shootout, with Laudrup being replaced and Larsson becoming Denmark's first player to take the penalty. He has been thoroughly promoted from a substitute to a key man in Denmark, and he easily beat Hans van Brooklen to score the ball. The exhausted Wilfford also did not shirk his responsibility, and he scored steadily in his fourth appearance, and the famous commentator Martin Taylor believed that the goal deserved everyone's cheers. Even his family watched him in Denmark, and whatever the end result, Wielfort had the most glorious moment of his life.
Of course, the end result was that Denmark won a penalty shootout, and the penalty from the Dutch striker Van Basten (he was the number one contributor to the Netherlands' championship at Euro 1988, but euro 1992 was not awarded) was rejected by Schmeichel. After that, Wilmford rushed home again to visit his daughter, and returned to the team again with the encouragement of his family, and in the final, he scored a second goal for Denmark to help the Vikings defeat the strong opponent 2-0, and when celebrating, his socks were wrapped around his ankles, and a smile appeared on his bearded face.
However, the Danish team was able to laugh to the end, not by individual play, but by the efforts of all the players. They defeated the Netherlands in the semi-finals, laying a good foundation for the final to repel Germany. "We have 10 players in our team who have played or are playing for Brondby, and the year before the European Championship, Brondby reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup – a remarkable achievement for the Danish club," Wilfford said. We don't have superstars in the squad, but we have the strongest team. ”
At Euro 1992, Larson was tied for the tournament's top scorer. Unfortunately, Lenn died after the competition. However, his father, Kim Wierfurt, continued to play for Denmark until after the end of Euro 1996, when he withdrew from the national team with Larsson.