It was a night Portugal will long remember.
In the most heartstopping game of Euro 2004 so far, the host nation beat England 6-5 in a penalty shootout on Thursday after a 2-2 tie in regulation time, becoming the tournament's first semifinalist and triggering wild celebrations across the country.
For England, the evening turned bitter at Lisbon's Stadium of Light when captain David Beckham sent the first penalty kick of the shootout over the crossbar.
"I have to go and get my heart checked it was so thrilling," Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "This win, after everything that happened during this game, was truly spectacular."
This was only a quarterfinal victory, but it turned the capital into a flag-waving street party, with the central Avenida de Liberdade clogged with parked cars.
"During the penalties God was with us," Portugal's 19-year-old striker Cristiano Ronaldo said. "We have to celebrate this moment. It was wonderful the way the people supported us from inside and outside the stadium.
"Over the 90 [minutes] we were better than the English."
In the other quarterfinals, Greece faced defending champion France yesterday at Lisbon's Jose Alvalade stadium. Today in Faro, Sweden faces the Netherlands. Tomorrow in Porto, it is the Czech Republic vs Denmark.
The first semifinal is on June 30 at Lisbon's Jose Alvalade. Portugal will face either Sweden or the Netherlands. The other semifinal is on July 1 in Porto's Dragao. The final is on July 4 in the Stadium of Light in Lisbon.
Portugal had more possession than England, but it also was lucky.
Tied 1-1, England seemed to have won the match in the 90th minute when Michael Owen knocked a header off the crossbar. As it came down in the area, England defender Sol Campbell leaped near the goal line and headed the ball into the net.
However, Swiss referee Urs Meier disallowed the goal, ruling defender John Terry had pushed Portuguese goalkeeper Carvalho.
"The referee decided, you can't do anything about that," England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said.
Eriksson was asked if Beckham blamed himself for the loss.
"I talked to the squad in the dressing room after the game," Eriksson said. "He [Beckham] might do that, maybe."
England suffered a major blow when 18-year-old striker Wayne Rooney -- he shares the tournament scoring lead with four -- limped off in the 27th minute with what turned out to be a broken right foot. He suffered the injury after defender Jorge Andrade clipped his heel as they chased a loose ball.
Eriksson said the injury was similar to one Beckham picked up two years ago before the World Cup.
"He will be out for, I don't know, maybe weeks, maybe months."
Asked if Rooney would have helped, Eriksson replied: "I can't say that if Rooney was on the pitch we would have won. It is an excuse I don't want to use."
England went ahead 1-0 in the third minute as Portuguese defender Costinha failed to clear a long ball. Michael Owen swooped in and, with his back facing the goal, turned and lifted the ball with his right foot over the head of Portugal 'keeper Carvalho.
Portugal's Helder Postiga equalized at 1-1 in the 83rd minute, scoring on a header that went in over the outstretched hands of James. That forced extra time.
Portugal's Rui Costa appeared to have scored the winner in the 20th minute of extra time, a powerful shot from 18 meters that hit the crossbar on the underside and went behind James to make it 2-1.
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