Just
seconds after Greece won an improbable European Championship,
church bells rang and cars clogged the streets of every city and
hamlet.
Everywhere was a sea of blue and white - the colors of the Greek
flag. Drivers blared horns. People yelled from balconies. Fireworks
made some places seem like war zones.
Greeks filled with pride and patriotism partied, celebrating
their national team's surprising 1-0 win over host Portugal in
the finals Sunday. It was a much-needed triumph for a nation dealing
with the grueling and costly preparations
for next month's Olympics.
Shepherds fired guns from mountaintops. Red flares whizzed
skyward from luxury yachts. Police - already on full Olympic patrols
- let down their guard for a moment and hugged and danced.
"It's unbelievable! It's amazing! It's glorious!" yelled
people running through Athens' main Omonia Square. Bands of school
children danced together draped in
the Greek flag.
The powerful national high comes at a time when Greek taxpayers
are grumbling about huge Olympic bills and security officials
are facing nonstop pressure to satisfy international concerns.
Olympic organizers hope the soccer fervor would spill
over to the Aug. 13-29 Games. Ticket sales have been sluggish
and the blitz of work in Athens has made many people see the games
more as a long headache rather than a glorious homecoming.
Nearly every top official in Greece - including the head of the
Olympic organizing committee - traveled to Portugal to watch the
final match and proclaim that the success would unleash newfound
Olympic spirit.
Premier Costas Caramanlis jumped up and down in the stands after
Angelos Charisteas scored in the 57th minute, heading in a
corner kick.
For some, it was an unfamiliar taste of the honor for Greeks
tired of the country's reputation as unruly and disorganized.
"The most important trophy is that we won the respect of
others," said Greek defender
Traianos Dellas, who scored seconds from the end of the first
overtime in the semifinal against the Czech Republic on Thursday.
Greece seemed unlikely to even get out of the first round when
the 16-nation championship began.Then it stunned Portugal 2-1
in the opening game and held Spain to a 1-1 draw in the next match.
The Greeks' only loss came in the final opening round match to
Russia, but they managed to advance on goal differential.
In the next round, Greece was unstoppable. They didn't allow
a goal in wins over powerhouse France,
the Czech Republic and Portugal.
Newspapers dubbed the team the "Greek
gods." Dozens of special charter flights took fans to Portugal
to witness "the dream" - as many Greeks have started
calling the victory.
(agencies)