Nobody expected Greece to go all the way at the 2004 European Championships. Drawn in a group along with hosts Portugal and international heavyweights Spain, they were deemed whipping boys before the start of the tournament. Of course, 14 years later, we all know the tale of how Otto Rehhagel’s side pulled off arguably the greatest upset in international football history, winning the whole thing against the odds.
At the time, it was speculated whether Greece’s shock triumph would shake up international football. Whether it would set a new precedent for underdogs looking to come out on top at major tournaments. That never really materialised, with superpowers like Italy, Spain and Germany triumphing in the decade or so that followed.
However, in making a run to the semi-finals of this summer’s World Cup, England have, in some sense, picked up where Greece left off in 2004. Greece won the European Championships on the basis of their strength from set pieces. They were also one of the better defensive units at the tournament, with very few big egos in their squad and a manager who managed to capture the imagination of the nation back home. Sound familiar?
Of course, England are a far more illustrious footballing nation than Greece. They boast players who play for some of the biggest and best football clubs on the planet, who have proven themselves at the top level of the game. Greece had Angelos Charisteas, a striker who enjoyed a largely unremarkable career at clubs like Werder Bremen, Ajax, Feyenoord and Nurnberg.
But whether by design or not, Gareth Southgate has adopted many of the principles that saw Greece go all the way 14 years ago. England are also very strong at set pieces, as they have shown with goals against Tunisia, Panama, Colombia and Sweden. While the Three Lions have only kept one clean sheet in five games, they too have been tough to break down over the past few weeks.
“We’ve got to this point because the collective has been so strong,” Southgate explained after the quarter-final win over Sweden. “To have gone to the depths emotionally and physically in midweek [against Colombia] and controlled this game and withstood the physical test, was a sign of resilience of a young team who are maturing in front of our eyes. But I spoke to the lads today and none of us fancied going home. Now we have to be here another week. It’s up to us now which games we play in.”
England have an identity at this World Cup, something they haven’t had for quite some time. They are a modern side, but they are a very traditional international outfit, leaning on the principles that have dictated this level of the game for generations. Greece did that as well.
