HAMBURG, 31 May 2004 — Euro 2004 hosts Portugal got an easy 3-0 win over Luxembourg while ex-champions Netherlands crashed 1-0 at home to Belgium on Saturday night, with two weeks left until the kickoff of the continental tournament.
Real Madrid star Luis Figo opened the scoring on a 13th-minute freekick. Rui Costa fed Nuno Gomes for the second in the 28th before scoring the third himself in the 36th for Portugal in Agueda.
Portugal were never troubled even without the six Porto players, who were rested three days after their European Champions League title. They are expected to play in Portugal’s final warm-up match with Lithuania on June 5. Portugal open the Euro-tournament on June 12 against Greece, who had to swallow their second straight defeat after a 15-match streak without a loss, 1-0 in Szczecin against hosts Poland.
Michalis Kapsis was the unlucky man with an own goal in the 16th, off a shot from Polish striker Jacek Krzynowek. Greece improved after the break, but were denied the equalizer by Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
The strong Dutch beat Greece 4-0 last month, but on Saturday the 1988 champions crashed in Eindhoven in the 124th low countries derby in what was a big blow in their Euro preparations.
Bart Goor scored on a 78th-minute penalty for the visitors, as the Dutch got a taste of some sorts of their first Euro opponents Germany because Goor plays at Hertha Berlin.
Vincent Kompany tested Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar early on in an evenly balanced match, while the first Dutch chance came from Wesley Snijder 20 minutes into the game. Snijder fired against the crossbar in the 50th, but it was the non-Euro qualifiers Belgium who got then win from the late spot kick after Wilfried Bouma had felled Mbo Mpenza.
In another friendly, under-strength Ireland lost 3-0 to Nigeria in London, with Bartholomew Ogbeche grabbing two goals and Obafemi Martins the other.
Japan Claim First Win of Triangular Series Over Iceland
In Manchester, England, a controversial penalty from Brazilian wing-back Alessandro Santos and two first half goals from Tatsuhiko Kubo were enough to give Japan the opening match of the triangular tournament against Iceland at the City of Manchester Stadium yesterday.
Santos scored the deciding goal in the 56th minute after Petur Marteinsson was judged to have brought down Takayuki Suzuki, a decision by English referee Mike Riley that looked harsh upon video replay.
Nonetheless, the victory was an important morale boost for a Japanese side, under Brazilian coach Zico, ahead of an important World Cup qualifier against India on June 9.
In an open, entertaining game, the only negative for the Japanese came in the form of an horrendous two-footed lunge by Iceland’s Brynjar Gunnarsson on Yasuhito Endo which earned the Nottingham Forest midfielder an automatic red card in the 82nd minute. Fortunately, Endo was unharmed despite the challenge.
Pauleta Strike Hands PSG First Trophy Since 1998
In Paris, Portugal’s Pauleta struck in the 65th minute to end Paris St. Germain’s six-year title drought with a 1-0 victory over second division Chateauroux in the French Cup final on Saturday.
PSG, who took their French Cup tally to six, had secured a direct Champions League spot by finishing second in Ligue 1 so Chateauroux went into the final knowing they would get a UEFA Cup berth next season.
However, the Parisians were desperate to lift their first trophy since winning both the French Cup and League Cup in 1998.
They struggled throughout the game to make the breakthrough against a bold Chateauroux side, but were rewarded for their persistence 20 minutes into the second half courtesy of a fine header by Pauleta.
