And win they did.
Giorgos Karagounis' half-time shocker putting the Ethniki on top to start the second and keeping them there for the remainder of the game. The captain, however, would not only be denied an opportunity to double the advantage but also the chance atone for his abominable penalty miss in the opener. And, not to be outdone in refereeing incompetence by his Spanish counterpart, Jonas Eriksson ensured that Karagounis will miss Greece's semifinal match-up, having picked up his second yellow in the group stage.
The captain's moment of class.
As an aside, has any team been as disadvantaged by the referees as the Greeks in these Euros? The powers that be seem intent on screwing them at every turn (draw parallels as you will).
We feel you, Giorgo.
The Russians, considered the class of the group, saw the majority of the ball and launched 31 shot attempts but were surprisingly laissez faire in their initial approach and by the time ish got real after Petr Jiracek's 72nd minute strike put the Czech Republic on their way to the semis, Dick Advocaat's men could not find the finish within them.
For a nation that has endured more than its fair share of trials and tribulations over the past few years, this was a famous Greek win. If for nothing else, there was the sense that no matter what the odds, anything is possible.
Finally, something to celebrate.
Nowhere near pretty, the game nevertheless showed how beautiful football can be.
I leave you with the words of Fernando Santos:
"We are inspired by the history of Greece. The Greek people have great pride in their history and this deserves people's respect. Civilization, democracy and the sciences started in Greece. It is difficult for others to give us lessons."
Germany (and Merkel) should take note.
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