Galery

1

Emanuela Karastoyanova

With a score of 1:0 ended the match from the pre-qualification rounds for Euro 2012 between the football teams of Greece and Latvia, played on the Karaiskaki Stadium in Athens. The white and blue team won the desired victory, got the 3 valuable points and qualified on the same position with the team of Georgia. However they were not quite so ... U2, as coach Fernando Santos said they would be several days before the game. The team missed the whole bag of chances to score, especially during the first half.

The meeting began with a strong game for both teams, while the hosts had slight superiority. Tone for fighting, however, was given by the guests who as early as the third minute made their first attempt for a goal. The hosts got "involved" in the game during the ninth minute with a dual goal attempt. Ball was sent to the goal post of Latvia by Samaras and Ninis, but the gathered in front of the goalkeeper Vanins defense was solid as a wall... Minute after his attempt to score also made Karagounis, who that night made his 100 game wearing the national team’s jersey. Two minutes later Samaras proceed to attack, but again the ball ended up in the bodies of the Latvian defense. Afterwards two new goal attempts followed on the part of Latvia. Just a few minutes later an attack started again Smaras, but the ball went out. The guests attacked again in the 23^rd minute, however Sifakis was "on duty". Samaras again attacked from the left side the goal post of Latvia, but this time again he failed to break the solid defense. Nevertheless the player showed a really nice game, he was extremely active and gave of course his best.

A real threat on the part of Latvia came in the 43rd minute. Verbakovskis burst into the dangerous territory of Sifakis, but Papadopoulos and Dzavelas countered the attack of the Latvian. The first half ended with a score of 0:0.

The second half began with a tension that was felt strongly on the field. The hosts were aiming to have their way at all costs. An attempt to score made in the 54-minute Karagounis, however the ball came out.

The relief came during the 57^th minute when Torosidis sent the ball into the goal post of Vanins. The victory was the fact the hosts continued their game with apparent mood. They created new goal positions. Good attempts to score made Karagounis, Mitroglou and Katsouranis. Attacks of Greece lasted practically until the end of the halftime. The last good attempt for a goal was made by the player Dziolis, however the ball ended up in the hands of Vanins.