Bulgaria @ EURO 2004

[albionroad]

Bulgaria 0 Denmark 2

Scorers: Jon Dahl Tomasson 44, Jesper Gronkjaer 90+2

Red card: Stilian Petrov (Bulgaria) 83
Halftime: 0-1; Attendance: 24,131
Referee: Lucilio Batista (Portugal)

Bulgaria (4-5-1): 1-Zdravko Zdravkov; 2-Vladimir Ivanov (11-Zdravko Lazarov 51), 3-Rosen Kirilov, 22-Ilian Stoyanov, 4-Ivailo Petkov (5-Zlatomir Zagorcic 40); 13-Georgi Peev, 19-Stilian Petrov, 15-Marian Hristov, 17-Martin Petrov, 21-Zoran Jankovic (8-Milen Petkov 81); 9-Dimitar Berbatov.

Denmark (4-3-3): 1-Thomas Sorensen; 6-Thomas Helveg, 4-Martin Laursen, 3-Rene Henriksen, 5-Niclas Jensen; 7-Thomas Gravesen, 9-Jon Dahl Tomasson, 15-Daniel Jensen; 10-Martin Joergensen (14-Claus Jensen 72), 11-Ebbe Sand, 19-Dennis Rommedahl (8-Jesper Gronkjaer 23).

[albionroad]

Bulgaria are eliminated from Euro 2004 with one game to go. A miserable display, what else can you say? Bulgaria started the match with Denmark as if they were still 5-0 down to Sweden. Zero confidence. After 30-35 minutes, they finally started playing and creating chances and around the 40th minute had a great chance but Martin Petrov flubbed it. Three minutes later Denmark scored. The defensive tactics were impossible to understand. With Bulgaria ten minutes from elimination, they were still playing with Berbatov alone up front. In the second game, Sweden gave everything to get a draw with Sweden, finishing with four forwards on the field - Larson, Ibrahimovic, Allback and Jonson. The contrast was striking.

[zmse]

http://www.nemzetisport.hu/db/01/63/i0000A163.gif

[albionroad]

(a little late but I figured this thread needed a conclusion)



Bulgaria 1-2 Italy

Scorers: Martin Petrov 44'; Perrotta 47', Antonio Cassano 93'

Cards:
Yellow - Marco Materazzi (43') (Italy)
Yellow - Martin Petrov (45') (Bulgaria)
Yellow - Valeri Bojinov (48') (Bulgaria)
Yellow - Ilian Stoyanov (65') (Bulgaria)
Yellow - Zdravko Lazarov (79') (Bulgaria)
Referee: Valentin Ivanov.

Bulgaria (4-5-1) 1 Zdravko Zdravkov; 22 Ilian Stoyanov, 5 Zlatomir Zagorcic, 7 Daniel Borimirov, 18 Pedrag Pazin; 11 Zdravko Lazarov, 17 Martin Petrov, 8 Milen Petkov, 21 Zoran Yankovic (Valeri Bojinov 46'), 15 Marian Hristov (Velizar Dimitrov 78'); 9 Dimitar Berbatov.

Italy (4-3-3) 1 Gianluigi Buffon; 19 Gianluca Zambrotta, 13 Alessandro Nesta, 2 Christian Panucci, 23 Marco Materazzi (Marco Di Vaio 82'); 14 Stefano Fiore, 21 Andrea Pirlo, 20 Simone Perrotta (Massimo Oddo 67'); 18 Antonio Cassano, 7 Alessandro Del Piero, 11 Bernardo Corradi (Christian Vieri 52')

[Steigs]

Speaking of a little late...

I was lucky enough to see the Bulgaria-Italy game in person, in the rain in Guimares. A bit of mess but I was impressed by the Bulgarian support, still there even though the team had already been eliminated and still pretty cheerful.

They kept chanting something like "Bul-ga-ri, U-mity!" during the game. I didn't get a chance to ask any of them what it meant. If anyone is still checking here, I'd be curious. Is that basically Bulgarian for "Go, Bulgaria!"

Better luck in '06!

[albionroad]

Speaking of a little late...

I was lucky enough to see the Bulgaria-Italy game in person, in the rain in Guimares. A bit of mess but I was impressed by the Bulgarian support, still there even though the team had already been eliminated and still pretty cheerful.

They kept chanting something like "Bul-ga-ri, U-mity!" during the game. I didn't get a chance to ask any of them what it meant. If anyone is still checking here, I'd be curious. Is that basically Bulgarian for "Go, Bulgaria!"

Better luck in '06!Even later...

They were probably chanting "Bulgari, yunatsi" which means something like "Bulgarian heroes". I never got an exact translation but that's the closest anyone could ever explain to me.

[Steigs]

Thanks, Albion Road!

Liked your stories of Bulgaria too.