1
- 5 weeks ago
England begin their Euro 2000 campaign.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00The friendly atmosphere in the town of Eindhoven has certainly spilled into the Philips Stadium.
00:07But Portuguese concerns that they would be without two of their stalwarts has proved to be the case.
00:12Paulo Sosa and Sarpinto are out of their line-up, replaced by the Angolan-born Vidigal and by Nuno Gomes,
00:20who played only 27 minutes in the qualifying competition.
00:23Six of that line-up play their football outside Portugal, including Abel Xavier of Everton.
00:31Kevin Keegan presents the team he selected in his head a couple of weeks ago.
00:36And for a change, injuries have not impaired the best-laid plans of an England manager.
00:40For the record, the side differs only by two from that which lost against Argentina in the World Cup at
00:46Saint-Étienne.
00:47Philippe Neville for Graham Lasseau and Steve McManaman for Darren Anderton.
00:524-4 to him in formation on paper, but flexibility required in possession.
01:08And as Frisk of Sweden, the referee gets the game underway and England trying to find the sort of start
01:16they haven't had
01:16since the European Championship became a tournament in 1980.
01:21They drew then with Belgium.
01:23They lost to the Republic of Ireland in 1988.
01:25Drew in a scoreless match with Denmark in 92.
01:28And, as you remember, were held by the Swiss in 96.
01:32But the first header in requires a fairly comfortable save from Bahia.
01:39That came from you-know-who, Mr. Shearer.
01:43Well, I think the first thing as well, Brian, much talk about the system.
01:46It looks like McManaman might just get his free roll if Philippe Neville can push up alongside him, go tight
01:50on Figo.
01:56It's a pleasantly warm evening.
01:59If he played a couple of hours ago, would have been quite testing.
02:05Here's Gary Neville.
02:09Happy, no doubt, to find his brother in the line-up with him.
02:11His brother having been dropped from the squad in 98.
02:15He was one of the unlucky players to lose out on the cut.
02:20This is Dimash.
02:21And here's the man they have to watch, Figo.
02:24Simple early ball to Rui Costa.
02:28And here's Xiebia.
02:31Rui Costa.
02:33Gomez just in the box.
02:35Rui Costa thinking he might give an early test to Seaman, but not successful in that aim.
02:41Steve McManaman.
02:45Pass intended for the oncoming David Beckham.
02:51Philippe Neville.
02:56Shearer and Cotto, a little lunge from Cotto.
03:00Philippe Neville.
03:01Are in far post.
03:05David Beckham to retrieve.
03:09Three waiting in the box.
03:11And that's goals!
03:18Wonderful start.
03:21Paul Scholes, whose goals brought Kevin Keegan's side to these championships.
03:28Then against Scotland.
03:30Nobody picked him up.
03:31He got a place between the two front men and the Portuguese were just watching.
03:36Well, it's just a great example of attacking the ball in the opposition's penalty area if you're a midfield player.
03:42Marvellous cross from Beckham, but the way Scholes gets in between defenders and it's just such a marvellous headed goal
03:48and a tremendous fillet for England so early on in the game.
03:54Two minutes and 41 seconds on the clock when the ball went into the net.
04:04Scholes' challenge.
04:06We've seen two sides of his character in quick order.
04:11There you go.
04:13There you go.
04:21We crossed to seeing most of the ball when Portugal have possession.
04:28Bento.
04:33for Gian Pinto
04:36hasn't been able to get in the game
04:37that, yet
04:38Pashira
04:39put the brakes on well there
04:43Scholes
04:45Beckham
04:48Owen behind
04:49Xavier
04:50I wonder if he was fully aware of that
04:53England scored 10 without reply
04:54and the last in 1998
04:57when England scored 3 without reply
05:03that's a good cross
05:04and Seaman lost it
05:06and the bounce was in his favour
05:12Gian Pinto
05:14headed the ball down
05:15Seaman was beaten by the cross
05:18and the header down took the ball
05:20too far up for the Portuguese
05:22and Seaman escaped
05:26chance of a counter again
05:29Pity
05:41Rikostra
05:42good shot
05:44and well saved
05:47cleanly enough from
05:49some distance
05:55the cry from the crowd
05:56it's well timed
06:00Portugal have had a lot of possession
06:02without frightening anybody
06:03but
06:03wanting to build on how well they started
06:06and they might
06:07Beckham Scholes
06:08McManaman
06:09oh yes
06:12how delightful
06:23well while it was Beckham's cross
06:24great hold up play by Owen
06:25Beckham just enabled him to get his head up
06:27and the best of finishes from McManaman
06:31just didn't think about it Steve McManaman
06:33sometimes he's been guilty of doing that
06:36and he finished with a plomb
06:432-0 England
06:46and we're only in the 18th minute
06:49just now moving into the 19th
07:00two goals for England
07:01two crosses from Beckham
07:03now there's a surprise
07:06offside surely
07:07it will not count
07:08Gomes
07:09puts it in the net
07:12never scored for his country
07:13for a moment
07:14maybe
07:15Humberto
07:16Cullio
07:17thought that he had done so
07:19but offside is the right call
07:21numbling around
07:23Xavier
07:25just a pity really
07:26Owen couldn't have held it up a bit more
07:32Rikostra
07:32for Gomes
07:33that's a good stop
07:34by Seaman
07:35danger still there
07:36Figo
07:39ah really
07:40why did he hesitate
07:44they've had a couple of chances
07:46immediately following England
07:47scoring their second goal
07:52Beckham to Shearer
07:53what a ball
07:55picked up pace a little bit
07:57off the turf
07:58Gary Neville available
08:00queuing up in the middle
08:02straight to the head of
08:05Dimash
08:07plays his football
08:08for standard
08:09Liège
08:10this man still plays
08:11for Tottenham
08:14this one for
08:15Manchester United
08:19here's the new star
08:20Real Madrid
08:20scored in the
08:22Champions League final
08:24and scoring for his country
08:27third of his
08:28England career
08:29Steve McManaman
08:30this is Figo
08:34oh
08:35oh goodness me
08:37just ran at the centre
08:39of the defence
08:39and from a very long way out
08:42hit
08:43a screamer
08:44that it appeared
08:45that David Seaman
08:46did not see
08:48well England just guilty
08:49really of sitting off
08:50Figo
08:50sure it got a deflection
08:52off Adams
08:52but the problem lay
08:53in midfield before him
08:54where there's such a big hole
08:56for Figo to run into
08:58Adams
08:58it came a little bit
08:59off the inside
09:00of his right ankle
09:01in the end
09:04well England can't complain
09:05Barry that the hands
09:06had a warning
09:06in fact on two occasions
09:07it had the warning
09:15Philip Neville
09:21again a good response
09:23to the travelling faithful
09:24Beckham from a
09:25more inward position
09:28Neville wide
09:30McManaman unmarked
09:31if the cross is long
09:32he's behind Owen now
09:33this is Scholes
09:35trying to match
09:36Rigo
09:37got power
09:38but not accuracy
09:43couldn't quite hear
09:44a pin drop
09:45but it's close
09:49Lee Koster
09:51back numbers
09:52Scholes doing his job
09:53here
09:56quite happy to keep
09:58possession
09:58they're very patient
10:00just a moment
10:01when Chabria
10:02thought he got away
10:03and in comes the cross
10:04and that's brilliant
10:05that's absolutely brilliant
10:10Gio Pinto
10:12squares the match
10:13at 2-all
10:17and David Seymour's expression
10:19saying everything
10:21about how England
10:22have fallen from grace
10:25well the quality of the cross
10:26and the way that
10:28Gio Pinto attacked the ball
10:29reminiscent of Scholes
10:30first go for England
10:31but it was coming
10:32the warning had been coming
10:33for the last 10 or 15 minutes
10:35it was a high quality goal
10:36but England cannot say
10:38it wasn't to be expected
10:42and you've got to
10:44hand it to the Portuguese
10:47but there are one or two
10:48who will be feeling
10:49that England need a bit
10:50of a kick up the backside
10:51for allowing that to happen
10:52and he may be among them
10:58sheera
11:04bento
11:10flat across the back
11:14Gomes in the central position
11:17Rui Costa has worked hard, Gian Pinto gives the ball back to him, Figo, three in the box
11:30for Portugal, out by Campbell but not into a waiting man, Rui Costa, in the last second
11:46of the half, in fact we're now into stoppage time, there can't be too much of that, change
11:54of angle for Beckham, away by Cotto, and the last action of an entertaining half which
12:02began with sunshine for England, but all too quickly the clouds arrived, from two up they
12:10go in at half time at two all.
12:14Substitution for England at the start of the second half, Emil Heskey has come on to
12:20replace Michael Owen.
12:27It's not only a change of personnel that Kevin Keegan has made that England will be looking
12:34for changes, but surely tactically too.
12:38This is Xavier with the first attack for Portugal which produces the corner.
12:44Well I just feel with England that the two centre-backs are left marking just Nuno Gomez and it's up
12:50to the two full-backs,
12:51the two levels, they've got to push into midfield when England haven't got the ball.
12:55They've got to make the numbers in there just to stop the Portuguese playing and running at them,
12:59and really seal the game off.
13:06Nice threat at the second half at England's end.
13:10Shearer's head.
13:17Shearer's head.
13:18In the second quick corner.
13:29Cotto forward.
13:34Gaze plays for Lazio, has down for a while.
13:39And...
13:40Close.
13:43Seaman again making a few inquiries.
13:49Well, two worries really, eh?
13:51You missed the first one, and who's supposed to be picking up Xao Pinto?
13:55He decided to come, Seaman, nowhere near it, distracted by the other player.
14:06He's always been concerned about his disciplinary record.
14:11He took once, though, in all the European matches this season.
14:14Oh, this is a problem.
14:15Gomes!
14:16Yes!
14:22Well, he's barely had a kick, really.
14:24He's not always understood the intentions
14:29of more vaunted colleagues.
14:32But Gomes gets his first goal for his country
14:35on the occasion of his 14th cap.
14:38And England, from two up and now 3-2 down,
14:41they got themselves completely caught out.
14:45And Adams could not recover, and Seaman couldn't save the day.
14:49Well, it's super movement by Gomes, but you have to question Tony Adams.
14:53The only danger there is Gomes.
14:55He can afford to have a look at him far early.
14:57As soon as you've got a central defender running backwards,
14:58meeting an attacker running forwards, it nearly always spells danger.
15:05That's a fine comeback by Portugal,
15:08but very depressing for supporters of England.
15:11Also, the worrying thing is one ball beat five players.
15:16Neville, Philip Neville, everything to his right.
15:21Wise, that's a foul by Costa.
15:33Nice to see the smiles.
15:40Beckham, that would be an outrageous goal from this distance, but you never know.
15:48Ince, the back player.
15:50Georgie Costa bringing it forward, Jean Pinto.
15:57Gomes, he's unlucky.
16:03The ball through the middle that caused so many problems.
16:07Well, the movement, the anticipation, the weight of the pass, everything is absolutely perfect.
16:12Fortunately for Gomes, couldn't get the ball on target.
16:19Bento, Philippe Neville for company.
16:21Figo, available.
16:23When is he not?
16:28England being mesmerised by him, and Gomes is offside.
16:32He's offside.
16:33But it was close.
16:42Great play as well, isn't it, by Figo.
16:45No doubt about the decision, great play by Figo.
16:48Almost mesmerised goals with the ball.
16:59Robbie Fowler among the England substitutes, warming up.
17:03On by Evans, by Adams.
17:06And this is Skulls, or was Skulls.
17:10It was nearly good Evans by Adams.
17:28They've certainly known how to support.
17:33Skulls, just wide.
17:35Adams didn't get the touch.
17:42Panic as well, wasn't there, when the ball was played across.
17:44I'm not quite sure whether Shearer didn't get the last touch here.
17:48You're right.
17:49If it had gone in, he for sure would have claimed it.
17:52At the top of his head.
17:54And Adams did actually make a very passing contact.
17:58Space right side.
18:00Figo in possession.
18:03Gomes down the middle.
18:07Concession into Figo.
18:13It would have been one for his scrapbook if it could have found its way into the scrapbook.
18:19Unfortunately, it was wide.
18:20He just sees things so early on the football pictures and he's aware of where everybody is, whether he's facing
18:26the play or with his back to the play.
18:27And he's been an outstanding figure for Portugal tonight.
18:40It's the Portuguese bench that's ready to leap up in the air and celebrate the victory.
18:46Scored after 2 minutes and 41 seconds, Skulls.
18:49It seems light years ago.
18:55Concession.
19:06Referee looks at his watch.
19:15And it is a quality victory for Portugal.
19:20That should be said first.
19:22The comeback from two goals down to win with such fine football by three goals to two.
19:29Orchestrated in the main by the man on the left.
19:32Says so much for them.
19:33But England, having made such a good start, go away in something pretty close to despair.
19:42No points from the opening game for Kevin Keegan's men.