MATCH 29 REVIEW : CAPTAIN LEADS PORTUGUESE PRAISE

The sight of Luís Figo locked in an emotional embrace with Rui Costa for more than a minute after the final whistle told its own story. Just days earlier, the Portuguese captain had trudged disconsolately from the field, substituted against England with Portugal seemingly heading out of the tournament and Figo’s international career over.

Deserving winner
He had been roundly criticised for refusing to join the celebrations after that match, but tonight Figo rolled back the years and was a deserving winner of the Carlsberg Man of the Match award as Portugal reached the final of a major tournament for the first time.

Golden boys celebrate
That it was Rui Costa, an unused replacement in this match, in whom he sought solace was poignant, for with squad captain Fernando Couto, who came on five minutes from the end, they are the only three survivors of Portugal’s so-called Golden Generation who were world youth champions 13 years ago to the day.

Figo so proud“It’s difficult to explain with one word the emotion we feel right now,” Figo told BBC TV afterwards. “It is really a proud moment for us especially here in Portugal in front of our own fans. We cannot wish anything more than for us to be in the final. We suffered a little in the second half, but we had the best chances to score more goals. We suffered in order to get to the final whistle, but in the end the important thing is the result.

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