King and Crown Prince offer condolence to Iranian president over the deadly port explosion    stc reports strong first-quarter 2025 results with 11% rise in net profit    Virgin Atlantic celebrates one month of nonstop service between London and Riyadh    Saudi Awwal Bank records SR2.1 billion net profit after zakat and income tax for 1Q25    Mahmoud Abbas appoints Hussein Al-Sheikh as PLO vice president in key succession move    Saudi Arabia's entertainment sector attracts 76 million visitors in 2024    Third round of US-Iran nuclear talks concludes with cautious optimism    Multiple casualties reported after vehicle drives into crowd at Vancouver street festival    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Iran following deadly Bandar Abbas port explosion    Saudi Arabia deports 12,866 illegal residents in a week    SFDA clears first 44-ton medical shipment for Hajj pilgrims    Ministry of Hajj issued over 150,000 Nusuk cards for the Hajj of 2025    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Greece keen to show 2004 victory was no fluke
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 10 - 06 - 2008

Greece will be eager to prove its surprise 2004 triumph was no fluke when it launches its European Championship title defense against Sweden on Tuesday.
The Greeks, who sailed through qualification, are targeting at least a place in the last eight with tricky Group D games against Russia and Spain to follow. Coach Otto Rehhagel may decide to drop his tried and tested 4-4-2 system in favor of a three-pronged attack featuring Angelos Haristeas, Fanis Gekas and Yannis Amanatidis.
Greece hit 25 goals in 12 qualifiers, more than double the total it scored ahead of the 2004 tournament.
“I want to score but what is important is to win this game, to win our first match,” Haristeas told reporters. “Both teams are similar. They are physical, quick and rely heavily on tactics,” added the player who netted the winner in the final against Portugal four years ago. “Whoever has a clearer game plan and sticks to it will win.”
Every player in the squad is fit to play including midfielder Giorgios Karagounis, who is over the knee injury that has been nagging him for two weeks, defender Paraskevas Antzas and goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis.
Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are expected to start up front for Sweden although the latter has not scored an international goal since October 2005 and is unlikely to last the 90 minutes due to a swollen knee. Sweden coach Lars Lagerback sees a lot of similarities between the teams. “Greece is a very good side,” he said. “They were one of the best teams in qualifying. “They are a lot like us in the way they play. They do the basics very well and are well-disciplined.”
The Swedes have been spending a lot of time practicing set pieces behind closed doors but Lagerback said there may not be many goals in Salzburg. “You have to be very clever,” he said. “Each game is a cup final so you have to be careful and not go all out on the attack.”
Sebastian Larsson, playing in his first major Finals, looks likely to get the nod on the right wing ahead of Christian Wilhelmsson while Tobias Linderoth is poised to get a defensive midfield role despite questions marks about his fitness.
Our boy
A day after welcoming Spain to Neustift, Austria, with some traditional song and dance, locals were ready to adopt striker Fernando Torres.
Several hundred residents from the Stubai valley descended on the Sportplatz Kampl training ground to watch Spain prepare for Tuesday's opening Group D match against Russia.
Children, teenagers and adults mixed in the stands, many wearing the red jerseys of Spain, “I don't think I would be here so much if (Torres) wasn't here,” said Martina Wegsheider, a 19-year-old student and aspiring Olympic cross-country skier.
Kids lined the touchline to retrieve balls, and many pointed to and spoke excitedly about the Liverpool striker, who took some time to pose for photos and sign autographs. – Reuters __


Clic here to read the story from its source.