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Perfect Portuguese 'Brazilians of Europe' finish 3-0 in Group A
Posted: Tuesday June 20, 2000 05:39 PM
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- Germany was jeered out of Euro 2000 by their own fans Tuesday after the tournament's first hat trick from Sergio Conceicao kept Portugal's record perfect and sent the defending champion crashing out in round one. It was a sad end for Lothar Matthaeus in his 150th international as the German supporters booed and whistled their team's lumbering display. Adding insult to injury, the Portugueseplayers who ran rings round Germany's defense were effectively a reserve team, as coach Humberto Coelho left nine of is usual starting lineup on the bench, including Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Joao Pinto. Conceicao has been burning with frustration at being kept on the bench and the Lazio winger's performance was a delight. He scored to splendid individual goals after sprints down the wing after heading home his first after a perfect pass from centerforward Pauleta. In his first full match, Conceicao has become the tournament's joint-top scorer. Even the German fans were cheering him. "It is not every day you score three goals in national colors," said Coelho, congratulating the standout performance. After three straight wins, over England, Romania and Germany, Portugal go into Saturday's quarterfinal against Turkey brimming with confidence. Germany's fate is a pitiful contrast. Their first-round exit is the Mannshaft's worst European championship performance since 1984. In three games they got just one point from a draw with Romania. Coach Erich Ribbeck was stunned. "There was no fighting spirit, so it was there for all to see what happened," said Ribbeck. "It didn't work and I accept full responsibility," said Ribbeck, who is expected to step down on as coach on Wednesday. With Portugal already qualified as Group A leaders, Coelho could afford to experiment and rest key players. Any German hopes of meeting a soft-touch quickly evaporated when Conceicao, Ricardo Sa Pinto and Pauleta began to probe and punish the 39-year-old Matthaeus and his graying teammates. Conceicao tormented the German thirty-somethings. His jinking runs down he right flank hypnotized Thomas Linke, Dietmar Hamann and the rest of a flatfooted defense and created a near-constant danger. In the 11th minute, Pauleta had a close-range shot narrowly deflected wide and three minutes later the centerforwad from Spanish champion Deportivo La Coruna was inches away from connecting with a Conceicao cross. Pauleta was quick to repay. In the 35th-minute he ducked and weaved past two defenders floated a ball over Oliver Kahn that Conceicao rushed in to nod. It looked as if that goal could have ended Conceicao's game. He was stretchered of the field for treatment after the lunging German goalie fell on top of him, but returned within minutes. In the second half he was electric. Nine minutes after the interval, the winger sprinted along the flank, swerved inside past two German defenders and drilled home a low shot under the hapless Kahn. In the 69th minute later, it was an action replay, same Conceicao, same leaden defending, same low shot. Germany were 3-0 down. What chances Germany created came in a fast and furious opening period, as the Portuguese defense adjusted to playing in front of inexperienced keeper Pedro Espinha. Bayern Munich striker Carsten Jancker was given wide open spaces, but his scatter-gun finishing did nothing but pepper the advertising boards behind Espinha's goal. Germany's best chance came in the 29th minute when a Mehmet Scholl pass let loose Marco Bode to snake free in front of goal, but his shot rebounded off the post and Fernando Couto booted clear. Such efforts were rare. Germany lacked imagination, speed, commitment, and in the end support. As the second-half became a shooting gallery for the Portuguese, some dejected German fans joined their Portuguese opposite numbers in greeting each of the red-and-green's flowing one-touch passes with a rousing "Ole!" The display will give Coelho a headache when it comes to picking his next team. But as the Portuguese fans danced round the stadium to a Brazilian samba after the game, his team's opponents much be wondering what they can do to contain Portugal's exuberant Latin soccer. Some 44,000 watched the game in Rotterdam's 51,000 capacity Feyenoord Stadium. Portugal: Pedro Espinha (Quim, 90); Costinha, Jorge Costa, Fernando Couto, Rui Jorge; Beto, Paulo Sousa (Jose Luis Vidigal 72), Ricardo Sa Pinto, Sergio Conceicao, Capucho; Pauleta (Nuno Gomes, 67). Germany: Oliver Kahn; Marko Rehmer, Jens Nowotny, Lothar Matthaus, Tomas Linke; Marco Bode, Mehmet Scholl (Thomas Haessler, 60), Michael Ballack (Paolo Rink, 46), Dietmar Hamann, Sebastian Deisler; Carsten Jancker (Ulf Kirsten, 69).
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