Greece 1-0 Russia: Karagounis exercised Hellenic hero

35 years back, 120 gimped, one of the 'survivors' of the Greek victory at Euro 2004 and a goal that brings hope to a country plagued by disappointment. Giorgos Karagounis exercised yesterday Hellenic hero by scoring the goal that certified Greece's pass to the quarterfinals as the second team in Group A. A right to pass well railroaded in which few believed , got out before the account to a Russian who was left with nothing after specular face with the score and see how the Czech Republic worked in his farewell.

Neither Dzagoev or Arshavin or Kerzhakov. The Russian stars, after a dazzling debut, went off as they passed the first phase. Forces arrived just before a combined full of strength, of hope, of someone who has nothing to lose. This is the Greece of the Portuguese Fernando Santos. Surely the players do not practice the game of development that he would like, but at times it does not matter. With resounding victories such as the successful and relevant in the Warsaw National Stadium, the least is how.

Yesterday, the combination of Dick Advocaat was a shadow of itself. No sign of that freshness to the Czech Republic. She looked at first, with any approach Kerzhakov and bands. Greece, theoretically achantada, was gaining in confidence against a team that reached the semifinals four years ago and which this year was to confirm this positive trend. It marked the reference offensive, Gekas, nor Samaras, one of those players signing up fetish. Nor shone Ninis, the eternal promise Greek. He did one that is forever.

It was the 44th minute of the first half. Everything seemed to break that tie would lead to procrastination. But there, at that time, Karagounis received the ball, left a Zhirkov run riot and let out a backlash that led to the madness in Greek combined. A pitcher of ice water to the Russians, who despite being accustomed to the cold, they could not find the formula to break the contrary. Not Pavlyuchenko, not Pogrebnyak nor Izmailov, aces up its sleeve that it reserved the desperate Advocaat, could Russian avoid disaster.

If the big news of the Euro for Greece was the qualification for the quarterfinals thanks to a goal of Karagounis, which adds the same caps that Zagorakis, the bad news is that the eternal captain will miss the next match those of Santos for accumulation of yellow . A penalty for the leader of a combined timid in their football but cunning in their tactics, with a style book that reminds us that imposed Rehhagel, left by the wayside a Russia that has left more or less and will need time to recover from the bump in Poland and Ukraine.

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