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Saturday, 6 October 2001
World Cup 2002 UEFA Group Nine qualification match

England 2 Greece 2 [0-1]
 

Old Trafford, Sir Matt Busby Way, Stretford, Manchester
Attendance: 66,090;
Kick-off: 3.00pm BST
Live on
BBC One (UK) - Commentator: John Motson. Also live on Sky Sports (UK) - Commentator: Martin Tyler.

Greece - Angelos Charisteas (36), Demis Nikolaidis (69).
England - Teddy Sheringham (68), David Beckham (curling free-kick 90+3).
Match Summary
England Squad
Greece Squad
England - Paul Scholes (8).
Greece - Theo Zagarakis (14).
Results 2000-2005

Greece kicked-off. 95 minutes (46 & 49).

 

Match Summary

Officials from Netherlands

England      

    

Type

Greece
Referee (yellow) - Dirk Zier Gerardus Jol
45 (29 March 1956), Scheveningen, FIFA-listed 1993.

Assistant Referees - Jaap Pool and Jan Willam van Veluwen.

Fourth Official - Jan Willam Wegereef
, 39 (17 January 1962), Rijssen, FIFA-listed 1992.
  Goal Attempts  
  Attempts on Target  
  Hit Bar/Post  
  Corner Kicks Won  
  Offside Calls Against  
  Fouls Conceded  
- Possession -

England Team

 

Rank:

FIFA (19 September 2001) 9th
EFO ranking

ELO rating 7th
Colours: The 2001 Umbro home shirt - White shadow striped v-neck jersey with navy collar/cuffs/piping and single red vertical stripe down left side, white shorts with red vertical stripe down right side, white socks with navy/white tops.
Capt: David Beckham, tenth captaincy. Head Coach: Sven-Göran Eriksson, 53 (5 February 1948), appointed 30 October 2000, took post 12 January 2001.
9th match, W 7 - D 1 - L 1 - F 23 - A 7.
England Lineup
1 Martyn, A. Nigel 35 11 August 1966 G

Leeds United AFC

18 14 GA
2 Neville, Gary A. 26 18 February 1975 RB Manchester United FC 48 0
3 Cole, Ashley, off 79th min. 20 20 December 1980 LB Arsenal FC 7 0
4 Gerrard, Steven G. 21 30 May 1980 CM

Liverpool FC

8 1
5 Ferdinand, Rio G. 22 7 November 1978 CD Leeds United AFC 18 0
6 Keown, Martin R. 35 24 July 1966 CD Arsenal FC 40 2
7 Beckham, David R.J. 26 2 May 1975 RM

Manchester United FC

46 5
8 Scholes, Paul 26 16 November 1974 CM Manchester United FC 39 13
Scholes cautioned in the 8th min. for Unsporting Behaviour, for a reckless late tackle on Charisteas.
9 Fowler, Robert B., off 67th min. 26 9 April 1975 F

Liverpool FC

21 5
10 Heskey, Emile W.I. 23 11 January 1978 F

Liverpool FC

19 3
11 Barmby, Nicholas J., off 46th min. 27 11 February 1974 LM

Liverpool FC

23 4
England Substitutes
18 Cole, Andrew A. on 46th min. for Barmby 29 15 October 1971 F

Manchester United FC

15 1
17 Sheringham, Edward P., on 67th min. for Fowler 35 2 April 1966 F Tottenham Hotspur FC 42 11
16 McManaman, Steven, on 79th min. for Cole 29 11 February 1972 M

Real Madrid CF, Spain

37 3

unused substitutes:

12-Gareth Southgate, 13-Richard Wright, 14-Jamie Carragher, 15-Danny Murphy.

team notes:

David Beckham's last minute free-kick was his fourth, of five goals he has scored for his country. Probably the most famous free-kick in England's history, certainly their most vital, was their twentieth goal scored from a direct free-kick.
 
4-4-2
4-3-3 second half
Martyn -
G Neville, Keown, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole
(McManaman) -
Beckham, Gerrard, Scholes, Barmby
(Andrew Cole) -
Heskey, Fowler
(Sheringham).

Averages:

Age 26.1 Appearances/Goals - -

 

Greece Team

 

Rank:

FIFA (19 Sept 2001) =61st
EFO ranking

ELO rating 51st to 49th
Colours: Made by Adidas - Blue shadow-striped collared jerseys with white upper body panel/collar, blue Adidas trim down sleeves/broad cuffs, blue shadow-striped shorts, blue socks with white Adidas trim.
Capt: Theo Zagarakis. Manager: Otto Rehhagel, 63 (9 August 1938 in Germany), appointed 9 August 2001, first match in charge 5 September 2001,
2nd match, W 0 - D 1 - L 1 - F 3 - A 7.
Greece Lineup
1 Nikopolidis, Antonis 29 14 October 1971 G Panathinaikos AO 15 GA
2 Patsatzoglou, Christos 22 19 March 1979 RB Olympiacos CFP 10 0
3 Fyssas, Panayiotis 28 12 June 1973 LB Panathinaikos AO 6 0
4 Dabizas, Nikolaos 28 3 August 1973 CD Newcastle United FC, England 47 0
5 Vokolos, Leonidas 31 31 August 1970 CD Panathinaikos AO 5 1
6 Konstantinidis, Konstantinos 29 31 August 1972
born in West Germany
DM Hertha, Berliner SC von 1892 eV, Germany 32 1
7 Zagarakis, Theodoros, off 57th min. 29 27 October 1971 CM Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos FC 62 0
Zagarakis cautioned in the 14th min. for Dissent.
8 Kasapis, Michalis 30 6 August 1971 F Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos FC 34 0
9 Charisteas, Angelas, off 73rd min. 21 9 February 1980 RM AS Aris Thessaloniki 7 4
10 Karagounis, Georgios 24 6 March 1977 LM Panathinaikos AO 13 1
11 Nikolaidis, Themistoklis, off 86th min. 28 17 September 1973
born in West Germany
F Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos FC 31 12
Greece Substitutes
13 Basinas, Angelos, on 57th min. for Zagarakis 25 3 January 1976 M Panathinaikos AO 22 2
16 Lakis, Vassilis, on 73rd min. for Charisteas 25 10 September 1976 M Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos FC 11 2
17 Machlas, Nikolaos, on 86th min. for Nikolaidis 28

16 June 1973

F Amsterdamche FC Ajax, Netherlands 56 17

unused substitutes:

12-Stelios Venetidis, 14-Georgios Georgiadis, 15-Kostas Chalkias, 18-Vizis Vryzas.
 
5-3-2 Nikopolodis -
Patsatzoglou, Dabizas, Konstantinidis, Vokolos, Fyssas -
Charisteas
(Lakis), Zagarakis (Basinas), Karagounis -
Kassapis, Nikolaidis
(Machlas).

Averages:

Age - Appearances/Goals - -

 

    Match Report by Mike Payne

 

Source Notes

David Beckham sent England to the 2002 World Cup finals in the most dramatic fashion imaginable at Old Trafford.  Sven Goran Eriksson's team were trailing Greece 2-1 deep into injury time and looked destined for a difficult play-off against Ukraine.  But Beckham, having failed with five previous long-range free kicks, finally secured qualification for Japan and Korea with a virtuoso goal in the 93rd minute. The Manchester United midfielder unleashed an unstoppable right-foot strike - just as news filtered through of Group 9 rivals Germany's failure to beat Finland.

It was an amazing climax to a nail-biting final qualifying game in which England's character had been tested to the limit.  Substitute Teddy Sheringham looked to have rescued England once when he headed Eriksson's side level with his first touch just 10 seconds after coming on for Robbie Fowler.  It was a dream return to Old Trafford for the 35-year-old former Manchester United striker, whose deft touch cancelled out Angelos Charisteas' first-half opener.

But the joy was short lived.  Within a minute, England's nervous defence had succumbed to the lively Greeks again, Demis Nikolaidis shrugging off Rio Ferdinand to fire them in front again.  After the euphoria of the 5-1 victory in Germany and the disciplined win over Albania, defeat at the hands of a side which had lost all three of their Group 9 away games would have been a bitter pill.  The Greeks got men behind the ball in numbers and, with England playing curiously deep, were able to keep possession and dictate the pace of the game for long periods.  England, in the first half at least, struggled to hold onto the ball once they did get it.

Nikolaidis went close with a stinging volley and Charisteas shot just over before deservedly breaking the deadlock nine minutes before half time.  Right back Christos Patsatzoglou punished Ashley Cole's rash challenge with a nutmeg and then whipped in a cross which Rio Ferdinand could only steer into the path of the grateful Charisteas.  The youngster made no mistake with a clinical finish to become the first Greek player to score against England from open play.  Eriksson responded to England's woeful showing by throwing on Andy Cole for the inneffective Nick Barmby at half-time and England responded with spirit.  Sheringham's subsequent introduction added more lift and his superbly-taken header saw him register the fastest-ever goal by an England substitute.  But a minute later England dropped the baton once more.

Ashley Cole conceded an unnecessary free kick - from which Nikos Dabizas spun away from Gary Neville and Nikolaidis turned Rio Ferdinand to fire home and silence the Old Trafford party.
From then it was constant England pressure as Eriksson's side searched for a way back.  Scholes saw a flick saved by the impressive Nikopolidis and Beckham sent a free kick crash into the side netting.  Eriksson's most testing week as England manager looked like finishing on the worst possible note until Beckham's dramatic late contribution.  And few would begrudge the England players a drink now.

TheFA.com
BBC Football
Original newspaper reports
Rothman's Yearbooks
F.A. Yearbooks
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CG/PY