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June 28 Visiting Tribhuvan School, NepalBelow is a picture of Lila Sara Gahar’s class at Tribhuvan School, Nepal, sporting their crisp blue uniforms, paid for through the charity Himalayan Learning. Having recently visited Tribhuvan School, Himalayan Learning have created a short film, which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vziskniuao4. I can’t see Lila Sara in the film, but one nonetheless notes the poor condition of the school, which lacks benches, paper, and pencils. It is, however, wonderful to see the children enjoying their learning, in spite of the many obstacles that they face. I hope they are on the way to a much brighter future.
Himalayan Learning is a small charity, working to improve the conditions of schools throughout rural Nepal, in order to give some of the world’s poorest children the chance of a better life. Their work is invaluable, and recent projects include the renovation of the rural Shanti Srijana school, and the ‘computer college’ campaign, which ships used computers, otherwise destined for landfill, to the region, where they can be used to teach children. The charity relies on public awareness, and their website is well worth a look: http://www.himalayanlearning.org/.
June 12 Counting Down: My Lifetime of European Championships VUEFA Euro 2004
Coming off the back of FC Porto’s UEFA Champions League victory, Portugal was on a high, and in confident mood to host the twelfth European Championships, a competition that was expected to showcase the best that European football had to offer, following the continent’s slightly disappointing showing in the 2002 world cup. The home nation had much to offer, as the ‘golden generation’ of Portugal hit their peak, with players such as Luis Figo, Rui Costa, and Vitor Baia expected to shine, along with the other superstars of the European game – Spain’s Raul, England’s Wayne Rooney, France’s Thierry Henry, and Italy’s Francesco Totti amongst others – all of whom were looking to make their mark, and prove that European football was still the best in the world. Set within a plethora of modern, stylish, high-tech stadia, the stage was set for the most glamorous competition so far. What followed, as usual, was magic.
Group A pitted Portugal against arch rivals, Spain, both of who were expected to qualify at the expense of Greece and Russia. The tournament kicked off in Porto, with the Greeks providing an upset, beating the hosts 2-1. Spain won their first match 1-0 against Russia, before drawing 1-1 with Greece, whilst in their second match, Portugal beat Russia 2-0, with goals from Maniche and Rui Costa. The final round of group match saw Portugal defeat perennial underachievers Spain 1-0 to finish top, whilst Greece, despite losing 2-1 to Russia, crept through in second place. In Group B meanwhile, England were seconds away from beating France, having taken the lead through Frank Lampard in the first half, and even squandered a penalty, when David Beckham missed in the 73rd minute. They held out until the 91st minute, when Zinedine Zidane scored a brilliant free kick, and in a turbulent period that followed, England lost their heads, David James brought down Thierry Henry in the penalty area, and Zidane was left to score the 93rd minute winner from the spot. The England squad, which contained the likes of John Terry, Michael Owen, Joe Cole, and Owen Hargreaves, were left broken. They recovered, however, with wins against Switzerland and Croatia, to finish second to France in Group B, the French having drawn against Croatia, and beaten the Swiss.
Group C opened with a 0-0 draw between Denmark and Italy, before Sweden hammered Bulgaria 5-0, with two goals from Henrik Larsson, and one from Freddy Ljungberg. Denmark beat Bulgaria, and Sweden drew with Italy in the second round of matches, and in the final round, Italy beat Bulgaria, whilst Sweden drew 2-2 with Denmark. The results left the top three teams all tied on five points, and because they all drew against each other, no head-to-head results could be used to determine their group placings. The positions were therefore decided on goals scored, and thus it was the Swedes who finished top, followed by Denmark, with Italy missing out. Group D meanwhile saw the Netherlands, Germany, and the Czech Republic line up against the surprise of the tournament, Latvia. The Czechs managed to beat Latvia 2-1 in the opener, whilst Germany and Holland played out a 1-1 draw, Ruud Van Nistlerooy cancelling out Torsten Fring’s opener. In the second round of matches, Latvia secured probably their finest result ever, with a 0-0 draw against world cup finalists Germany, whilst the Netherlands lost 3-2 to the Czech Republic. Germany’s 2-1 loss to the Czechs in the third match, coupled with Holland’s 3-0 dismissal of Latvia, saw the Dutch finish second to the Czechs, whilst Germany limped out on two points, just above Latvia. The failure of Germany, Italy, and Spain saw three of the big guns fall in the group stages, blowing the tournament well and truly open for the taking.
The quarter-finals began in Lisbon, with Portugal taking on England in a thrilling encounter, which saw Michael Owen give England an immediate lead, before Helder Postiga equalised. Going into extra time, Rui Costa scored for Portugal on the 110th minute but, due to the dropping of the golden goal rule in favour of the silver goal, England had enough time to recover through Frank Lampard in the 115th minute. Penalties followed, with Beckham and Rui Costa missing for their respective teams, as sudden death ensued. Postiga scored for Portugal, then Ashley Cole hit the net for England. Ricardo put the Portuguese back in front, and up stepped Darius Vassell to become the latest in the long line of England players to fail in the shoot-out. Portugal six, England five.
The second quarter-final seemed a forgone conclusion, with the juggernaut France taking on minnows Greece. Perhaps nobody read the script, however, as the Greeks ran out 1-0 winners, Angelos Charisteas giving them their most famous win ever. In the third match, Sweden played out a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands, the Dutch sneaking through on penalties ,whilst in the fourth quarter-final, the Czech Republic provided the most competent performance of the round, demolishing Denmark 3-0, with two goals from Milan Baros.
The semi-finals saw the hosts take on Holland, in the match that most people assumed would eventually produce the tournament winner. Christiano Ronaldo put the Portuguese ahead, and the lead was doubled after half time, with a goal from Maniche. Holland hit back, through an own goal by Jorge Andrade but, try as they might, Overmars, Van Nistlerooy, Reiziger, and all, could not find a way through. The hosts were on their way to the final and, for the second Championships in a row, the Dutch had fallen at the penultimate hurdle. In the second semi-final, the Czech Republic, so confident in their quarter-final match, were expected to easily beat a Greek side that had surly gone as far as it could. The conquerors of the French clearly thought differently, however, holding the Czechs to extra time, before Traianos Dellas headed in the silver goal winner in the 105th minute. Nobody expected it, and few could believe it, but Greece had deservedly earned their place in the final.
The tournament had truly come full-circle, as the two teams who kicked off the championship in Porto, met for the final in Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, in front of a sell out crowd of 62,865. The match was tightly fought, and unexciting as far as finals go. The Portuguese, aware of their loss to Greece in the first match, were desperate to have their revenge and give the home crowd a memorable night. But Greece had defied the form-book throughout the tournament, and their hard-battling, tough-tackling, workmanlike performance paid off as, just like in the first group match, they drew first blood, an Angelos Charisteas header putting them 1-0 up in the 57th minute. The goal stunned the home crowd, so expectant of victory in their own capital, but Greece had torn up the script from the very beginning, and defended so resolutely, that Portugal could not find a way through. The final whistle brought a mixture of disappointment, shock, and then admiration, for a team who had shaken off odds of 150-1 to become European champions. And whilst the underachievement of Italy, Germany, France, England, and Spain was all too clear, nobody could deny the victory to a side who embodied teamwork, grit, and determination. The Greeks had provided an example to the rest of the continent; believe in yourself, and you can achieve anything.
Hosts: Portugal
Winners: Greece (1-0 v Portugal)
Pictures courtesy off UEFA.com: http://en.euro2008.uefa.com/history/index.html
May 31 Counting Down: My Lifetime of European Championships IVUEFA Euro 2000
Hosted for the first time by two countries, Euro 2000 was the eagerly awaited follow up to an outstanding world cup in France, two years before. Held in Belgium and the Netherlands, the tournament boasted some of Europe's most interesting venues - Feyenoord's De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam, PSV's Philips Stadium in Eindhoven, and the amazing Amsterdam Arena, home of AFC Ajax, provided a showcase of Dutch stadia, whilst the quirky Stade Communal, in Charleroi, Belgium, made the headlines for its interestingly shaped and slightly wobbly stands. All eyes were firmly on the joint hosts Holland, whose brilliant effort in the previous world cup, coupled with home advantage, had seen them rise to tournament favourites. Stiff competition came in the usual form - France, Italy, and Spain all looked strong, as well as those teams rising out of the new order of international football - Romania, Turkey, and the Czech Republic, all of whom were eager to prove a point, and maybe even steal the title for themselves. The biggest surprise at the beginning of the tournament was the absence of the World Cup 98 third place team, Croatia, who could only manage third in qualification.
It was the joint hosts Belgium who kicked off toe tournament, in their Group B match against Sweden, which ended in a 2-1 win for the home side. In the second group match, Italy beat Turkey 2-1, with a penalty from Filippo Inzaghi. The Italians went on to beat Belgium 2-0, then Sweden 2-1, whilst Belgium lost 2-0 to Turkey in their final group match. The results signified the early exit of the joint hosts, who finished a disappointing third, behind Turkey and Italy. Group A, meanwhile, saw England and Germany brought together, in a tough draw which also included Portugal and Romania. Germany's opener saw a 1-1 draw with Romania whilst England, 2-0 up on Portugal, with goals courtesy of Paul Scholes and Steve McManaman, contrived to lose the match 3-2. The England squad included a young Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, and Tony Adams and, although disappointed by the nature of their opening defeat, the team went out to beat Germany 1-0 in their second group match. The goal was classically Alan Shearer, diving in to thump a powerful header past goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. Portugal's 1-0 win over Romania effectively meant that England and Romania would playoff for group qualification in the third match. The game ebbed and flowed, Chivu giving Romania a 22nd minute lead, which was cancelled out by Shearer's penalty. Michael Owen then put England in front, but all was square again just after half time, when Dorinel Munteanu equalised for the Romanians. A draw would have been enough for England, and they so nearly got it. But in the 89th minute, Philip Neville slid in poorly on Viorel Moldovan. The resulting penalty was scored, sending Romania through, and England crashing out, having once again been denied by a penalty.
In Group C, Spain were expected to breeze through the group stages, but slipped up in their opening game, losing 1-0 to Norway, the goal coming from Tottenham Hotspur striker Steffan Iversen. Yugoslavia then drew a thrilling match 3-3 with Slovenia, coming from 3-0 down to score three goals in six minutes. Spain next beat Slovenia 2-1, with a goal from Raul, before winning 4-3 against Yugoslavia, a 90th minute penalty providing the winner. As expected, Spain finished atop Group C, with Yugoslavia second. Group D, the proclaimed 'group of death', saw France defeat 1992 champions Denmark 3-0, with goals from Laurent Blanc, Thierry Henry, and Sylvain Wiltord. The French beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their second game, to set up a showdown with Holland, who had previously beaten the Czech Republic and Denmark, 1-0 and 3-0 respectively. The final Group D match, perhaps the showpiece of the group stage, saw the hosts beat the world champions 3-2 to clinch the top spot, whilst France had to settle for second place.
The quarter-finals began with Portugal beating Turkey 2-0 at the Amsterdam Arena, both goals being scored by Nuno Gomes either side of half time. Italy won 2-0 against Romania in the second match, the first goal scored by the legendary Francesco Totti. The next day, the Netherlands destroyed Yugoslavia 6-1, with a hatrick from the brilliant Patrick Kluivert, and two goals from speedy Marc Overmars, who had recently completed his club move from Arsenal to Barcelona. This match was followed by a thrilling encounter in Bruges where, refereed by the outstanding Pierluigi Collina, France edged out Spain 2-1. The first goal was scored by the very special Zinedine Zidane, before Spain equalised from the spot. Youri Djorkaeff regained the French advantage, and the drama went all the way to the end, when Spain, awarded a last minute penalty, saw Raul miss the spot kick. Once again, Spain had failed to live up to expectation, whilst the French went marching on.
The first semi-final saw France take on Portugal in Brussels. Portugal took the lead in the 19th minute, and held it until the 51st, when Henry equalised for the French. The match remained very equal, with little to choose between the sides as it headed into extra time. It would have gone to penalties too, had it not been settled in the 117th minute, when Zidane coolly slotted home a penalty, following a hand ball by Portuguese defender Abel Xavier.
In the second semi-final, hosts Holland looked to be on course for victory against Italy when Italian defender Gianluca Zambrotta was sent off for two bookable offences. But for all the expectation, for all the talent, and for all the noise of the Amsterdam crowd, the Dutch couldn't find a way through. Even when they had an opportunity, Frank de Boer's 38th minute penalty was saved by Italy goalkeeper Francesco Toldo. More misery was to follow, when the Dutch were awarded a second penalty, only for Patrick Kluivert to strike his effort against the post. The Italians, renowned for their defensive ability, shut the Dutch out all match, and in the resulting penalty shootout, Holland looked like a broken team. Luigi di Baggio scored for Italy, before Frank de Boer missed his second penalty of the game for the Netherlands. The Italians went 2-0 up after Jaap Stam missed for Holland, and they were 3-1 up when Totti and Kluivert both scored for their respective sides. it was then up to Paolo Maldini to win it for Italy and, although he missed, Paul Bosvelt saw his effort saved, ensuring that it would be Italy in the final. For the fourth tournament in a row, the hosts had failed at the semi-final stage.
The final took place at De Kuip Stadium, Rotterdam, in front of a crowd of 50,000. it was Italy's first major final since the World Cup in 1994, and France's second in two years. Nonetheless, it was the Italians who settled quicker, and when Marco Delvecchio gave them the lead in the 55th minute, the title looked to be heading to Rome. The Italians defended resolutely and, as time edged away from the French, it looked as if it would be a 1-0 victory. However, four minutes into stoppage time, Les Bleus were saved, when Sylvain Wiltord squeezed the ball past Francesco Toldo, to spark massive celebration in the French crowd, and put the match into extra time. Italy were shell-shocked - seconds away from winning the title, they now needed an even more determined effort to see them through. Momentum, however, was with the world champions, and thirteen minutes into extra time, David Trezeguet volleyed the golden goal past Toldo, to give France their first European Championship since Platini shone for them in 1984. France were the worthy winners of a tournament that produced some of the highest quality football ever played on the world stage. And whilst the Italians and the Dutch will look back and believe they should have won it, nobody could deny that the world champions, with Zinedine Zidane in the form of his career, were deserved winners.
Hosts: Belgium and the Netherlands
Winners: France (2-1 v Italy a.e.t.)
Pictures courtesy off UEFA.com: http://en.euro2008.uefa.com/history/index.html
May 25 Counting Down: My Lifetime of European Championships IIIUEFA Euro 1996
Euro 96 saw a revamped championships, with the tournament expanded to sixteen teams for the first time. As well as Russia making their first appearance (since the break up of the USSR), newcomers included Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Turkey. With holders Denmark looking to defend their title, and with perennial title contenders France, Spain, Italy, and Germany in the mix, not to mention hosts England, Euro 96 was set to be the greatest European Championships ever staged. And set within some of the world's most stunning stadia, this one didn't disappoint...
Group A kicked off with Terry Venables' England playing out a drab 1-1 draw with Switzerland, Alan Shearer's early goal being cancelled out by Kubilay Turkyilmaz's penalty. In the other Group A match that day, the Netherlands and Scotland drew 0-0. Holland's victory over Switzerland, followed by England's 2-0 defeat of Scotland, left the two group favourites to fight it out in the final group match. That result, due to the brilliant partnership of Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham, saw England demolish the Dutch 4-1 to qualify as group winners, whilst the Netherlands crept through on goal difference, after Scotland could only manage a 1-0 win over Switzerland.
In Group B, meanwhile, France and Spain secured their qualifications at the expense of Bulgaria and Romania. The French squad included names such as Fabien Barthez, Frank Leboeuf, Laurent Blanc, Didier Deschamps, and Zinedine Zidane, all players who would mark their places in history at the next world cup. In Group C, the Czech Republic notched up a 2-1 win against Italy to finish second to Germany, who cruised through qualification with the fantastic Jurgen Klinsmann in superb form, netting twice against Russia. Group D saw Portugal and Croatia progress, with holders Denmark crashing out (despite three group goals from Brian Laudrup), and Turkey finishing with no points, having failed to score a goal.
The quarter-finals began with England taking on Spain at Wembley, although the match finished goalless after extra time, and needed penalties. With goalkeeper David Seaman in some of the best form of his career, England progressed 4-2, with penalty conversions from Alan Shearer, David Platt, Stuart Pearce, and Paul Gascoigne. For Pearce particularly this was an emotional day, as he laid to rest the ghost of his penalty miss in the 1990 World Cup. In the other match that day, France progressed against the Netherlands, again requiring penalties after a 0-0 draw. The next day, Germany beat Croatia 2-1 at Old Trafford, the famous Davor Suker scoring Croatia’s consolation, and the Czech Republic beat Portugal at Villa park, with a wonderful chip from Karel Poborsky.
The first semi-final, played at Old Trafford, saw France and the Czech Republic fail to produce a goal in 120 minutes. The match went to a penalty shootout, and was only settled in sudden death when Reynald Pedros missed for France, and Miroslav Kadlec scored for the Czechs. Twenty years on from the historic Czechoslovakian win at Euro 76, the Czech Republic were back in the final, awaiting the winners of the evening kickoff at Wembley.
The scene was set for a fantastic semi-final showdown, as the hosts prepared to take on their old footballing rival, Germany. At a packed Wembley Stadium, Alan Shearer gave England the lead after three minutes, to send the home crowd wild. They were silenced, however, just twelve minutes later, when Stefan Kuntz hit back to bring Germany level. And that’s the way the match went, end-to-end, then into extra time; Gascoigne came within an inch of winning it, and Darren Anderton hit the post for England, while at the other end, Stefan Kuntz had a goal disallowed for pushing. Finally, when nobody could break the deadlock, there came the penalties. The five England penalties were good and all hit their marks, but the five German penalties were equally as efficient. When it came down to sudden death, up stepped Gareth Southgate, the whole of the nation behind him. The result was predictably English; Germany goalkeeper Andreas Kopke saved, leaving Andreas Moller to convert the winner for Germany, and break English hearts.
Euro 96 had gripped the English public, and a 73,000 crowd turned out at Wembley to see the final. Germany were looking to lay to rest the memories of their final defeat four years earlier, however they were left stunned when Patrick Berger scored from the spot for the Czechs in the 59th minute. German manager Bertie Vogts had to act fast and, in the 69th minute, he sent on substitute Oliver Bierhoff. Four minutes later it was 1-1, as Bierhoff headed home the equaliser. The Czechs held out for the remaining twenty minutes and, just like both semi-finals, the match went into extra time. This didn’t last very long however, as five minutes into the extended period, Bierhoff fired home the golden goal – the first of its kind in the European Championships – to win the match, and the tournament, for Germany.
Captained by the brilliant Klinsmann, Germany had triumphed in Europe. But the real winner was English football, unmarred by hooliganism, and rehabilitated in the eyes of the world. And whilst the trophy went back to Berlin with the winning German side, no English football fan will ever forget the beautiful summer of 1996 – the summer when football really did come home.
Hosts: England Winners: Germany (2-1 v Czech Republic a.e.t.)
Pictures courtesy off UEFA.com: http://en.euro2008.uefa.com/history/index.html
May 16 Counting Down: My lifetime of European Championships IIUEFA Euro 1992
Sweden were chosen to host the 1992 European Championships, in the first major football tournament to hit Scandinavia since the 1958 World Cup. Politics surrounded the beginning of the tournament; the USSR, having already qualified, took part under the banner of the CIS - the Commonwealth of Independent States - following the break up of the Soviet Union. The CIS was comprised of Russia, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmeistan, Kyrgystan, Armenia, Moldova, and Tajikistan. Five other ex-republics did not participate, including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Yugoslavia, who had qualified for the finals, wee disqualified due to the Yugoslav Wars, and their place was awarded, at the last minute, to Denmark. Euro 92 also marks the first football tournament since the end of World War Two that saw a united German side enter, following West Germany's triumph at World Cup Italia 90.
The first match in Group A saw Sweden draw 1-1 with France, whilst England played out a 0-0 tie with newcomers Denmark. The England squad that day included a youthful Alan Shearer, Nigel Clough, David Platt, and Stuart Pearce. The Swedes then beat Denmark 1-0, with Per Tomas Brolin scoring, before coming from behind to beat England 2-1. The result confirmed the hosts as group winners, whilst the Danes, with Peter Schmeichel in goal, and legend Brian Laudrup up front, won against Michel Platini's France to book their place in the semi finals.
In Group B meanwhile, the holders Holland started well with a 1-0 win against Scotland, Ajax and future Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp scoring the game's only goal. The Netherlands went on to win Group B, drawing their second match with the CIS, before beating Germany 3-1, with Frank Rijkaard amongst the scorers. Scotland managed a 3-0 win against the CIS in their final match, but this was too little, too late, as Germany secured second place.
The semi finals pitted hosts against world champions, with Germany coming out on top, beating Sweden 3-2. The real action, however, came from the second match, where the Netherlands and Denmark played out a 2-2 draw, resulting in a penalty shootout. Fantastic shot stopper Peter Schmeichel made the only save - against 1988 hero Marco Van Basten - to give the Danes a 5-4 shootout victory, setting up a final showdown against the Germans.
The final, played at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, was watched by a crowd of 37,800, the vast majority of whom expected a solid German victory. They were stunned, as 18 minutes into the match, John Jensen - a player by no means reputed for his goal scoring - hammered the ball into the net to give Denmark the advantage. With the Danes inspired by the brilliant Schmeichel, Germany could not find a way back into the match and, in the 78th minute, Kim Vilfort added a second, with a lovely strike from the edge of the area. The goal secured the European title for Denmark, and the team who were only called up to replace Yugoslavia at the very last minute, walked away with the crown. It was a fairytale script that surely not even Hans Christian Andersen could have written.
Hosts: Sweden
Winners: Denmark (2-0 v Germany)
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