++ [ originally posted by cereza ] ++
I don't think either one of the teams wanted to win for the money.
If Albania was thirsty for anything,I guess it was for beating their 'big' neighbor.
After all it's the WC qualifiers,who wouldn't want to win?
well said cereza and welcome btw.
Humiliation for Euro 2004 winners
TIRANA, Albania -- European champions Greece made a humiliating start to their World Cup qualifying campaign by losing 2-1 to Albania in a Group Two match in Tirana.
Greece found themselves trailing two nil after only ten minutes as Edvin Murati and Adriaj Aliaj struck.
Stelios Giannakapoulos pulled a goal back on 38 minutes but Albania held on for a famous victory.
Greece, who were without first-choice central defender Traianos Dellas, looked a shadow of the team that upset the odds to win the European championship.
The Greeks struggled for most of the first half before coach Otto Rehhagel replaced Nikos Dabizas and Panagiotis Fyssas with Stelios Giannakopoulos and Vassilis Tsiartas.
The changes soon paid dividends as Tsiartas crossed for Giannakopoulos to pull a goal back after 38 minutes.
But strikers Angelos Haristeas and Zisis Vryzas caused few problems for Albania and while the Greeks attacked more often in the second half they failed to create any clear chances.
Albania squandered a few chances and also protested to Spanish referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez for a penalty before Greece striker Georgos Karagounis struck a powerful shot that goalkeeper Foto Strakosha kept out in the 89th minute.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/football/09/04/cup.greece/index.html