A dejected Luís Figo walks past the Henri Delaunay Trophy in Lisbon on Sunday. (AFP)

A tear flowed down the face of the beautiful game Sunday. An evening that was heaven for Hellas will be remembered as a triumph of tactics over instinct, of set-piece preparation that saw Angelos Haristeas head the Greeks, the 100-1 outsiders as Euro 2004 opened, to the most improbable of victories. If Greece’s moment in the international sun was a success for organisation, good coaching and supreme fitness, last night’s showpiece of European football will trigger many laments. Too many dreams were shattered as Portugal’s technicians struggled to deal with Greek defending and covering and hounding. One almost expected Otto Rehhagel to stalk Luis Felipe Scolari up and down the dug-out.

Greece have many good players and a clever coach in Rehhagel but they do not quicken the senses like Portugal have done in their run to the final. Watching pictures beamed back from these summer spectacles are where children fall in love with the game, where adults are reminded of the sport’s ability to take the breath away.

Sadly, too many of Europe’s stars have failed to sparkle at Euro 2004 so the sight of Figo and Ronaldo lost in a Greek maze was dispiriting.

The Greek fans had been the first to arrive, swiftly making an immense din which increased as their team dominated a scoreless, slightly soulless game which came to life only when Haristeas struck so memorably in the 57th minute.

The Greeks work hard on their set-pieces, and their preparation paid off as Angelis Basinas’ right-wing corner was met with a powerful header from Haristeas. The Greek choirs sang the praises of “Hellas” to the heavens. Until then it had been their defenders impressing. Dellas was outstanding at the back, dispossessing Ronaldo at one point with the aplomb of a seasoned pickpocket. Portugal’s flair players were second-best, unable to impose their undoubted talents. Purists’ spirits fell. Deco, Figo and Ronaldo kept being ushered down blind alleys where ambushes awaited.

Possession stolen, the Greeks would launch their quick counters, the ball flowing from the terrific Stelios Giannakopoulos towards the alert target figures of Haristeas and Zisis Vryzas.

Haristeas, the big Werder Bremen front man, almost scored following a fast break involving Basinas and Konstantinos Katsouranis, but Ricardo sprinted from his line to dive at the feet of Haristeas. Rehhagel had a game-plan and his players were sticking to it with almost military precision. The Greek coach’s tactics, a sort of Trojan horses for courses, involved relentless running, hounding and the launch of surprise attacks.

With Katsouranis patrolling the area Deco craves, creativity was marginalised. With Basinas and Theo Zagorakis working dynamically in the middle, Maniche’s roving runs were tempered and Portugal were forced to seek out wide.

But even out on the flanks, usually fertile pastures for the hosts, the first half proved utterly barren. Ronaldo and Figo tried switching flanks but both Greek full-backs, Seitaridis and Panagiotis Fyssas, refused to yield. Miguel sadly then limped away, having damaged his rib in a collision, although at least the watching Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s benefactor, could then assess whether he has invested wisely in Paulo Ferreira.

Abramovich is keen on another Porto defender, the centre-half Ricardo Carvalho, but does not want to pay excessively. Yet Carvalho was found wanting when the muscular Haristeas came visiting just before the hour-mark.

So was Costinha, so sluggish of reaction that he was hooked by Scolari shortly afterwards. So was Ricardo caught out, badly so, as his lack of inches and hesitation was ruthlessly exposed. Scolari had to act. He sent on Rui Costa, who began dribbling at the massed ranks of Greece’s defence. Ronaldo strived to open his box of tricks. Figo was anonymous.

Now Deco tried his luck, guiding the ball forward, desperately trying to lift the white blanket. Then came Maniche in the 72nd minute, galloping forward, urgently trying to silence the Greek fans. It was breathless stuff, heartrending for the hosts.

Scolari rang the changes again, removing the hopeless Pauleta and introducing Nuno Gomes. Then came a moment of hope for Portugal, like the sun briefly breaking through the clouds, as Ronaldo raced through on goal but lifted the ball horribly over. Leading the Greek resistance to these waves of Portuguese attacks was Zagorakis, who put in one tackle on Rui Costa that came like azephyr, leaving the AC Milan player utterly nonplussed as to where the ball had gone.

Portugal’s fans did everything to lift their players, including a rendition of their national anthem. Figo came to life, at last putting in a decent cross from the right, although the ever-alert Nikopolidis clutched it from the air and strangled the supporters’ celebrations. The Greeks were defending so deep they were almost in the Atlantic and one had to admire their guts. The night was scarred when a supporter ran on, looked to threaten the referee Markus Merk and threw his scarf at Figo. He ended in the Greek net — which was more than the Portuguese could manage.

TEAMS

Portugal: Ricardo; Miguel (Paulo Ferreira 43), Ricardo Carvalho, Jorge Andrade, Nuno Valente; Costinha (Rui Costa 60), Maniche, Deco, Luis Figo (captain), Cristiano Ronaldo; Pauleta (Nuno Gomes 74).

Greece: Antonis Nikopolidis; Yourkas Seitaridis, Michalis Kapsis, Traianos Dellas, Takis Fyssas; Stelios Giannakopoulos (Stelios Venetidis 76), Theodoros Zagorakis (captain), Angelos Basinas, Costas Katsouranis; Zisis Vryzas (Dimitrios Papadopoulos 81), Angelos Haristeas.

Referee: Markus Merk (Germany).