Captain, Leader, Spartan - Giorgos Karagounis - Part 2
Captain, Leader, Spartan - Giorgos Karagounis - Part 2
By Nick Tsambouniaris
Karagounis' leadership qualities came to the fore right from the very beginning, where he captained the Greece U21 side at the Euro 1998 U21 tournament. The team played good football en-route to qualifying for the final, where they fell to Spain 1-0. Karagounis also scored a goal in the team's first game of the tournament against Germany. That side featured players such as Traianos Dellas, Angelos Basinas, Nikos Lymberopoulos, Vassilis Lakis, Giannis Goumas and Paraskevas Antzas, who went on to have careers in their own right.
He made his international debut against El Salvador in 1999 and began to feature more prominently in qualifying matches for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. His first Ethniki goal came in Otto Rehhagel's first match at the helm - a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Finland in a World Cup qualifier.
Karagounis' fondest moment on the international scene came in the summer of 2004 where he was an integral member of the all-conquering Euro 2004 squad that lifted the trophy against all the odds in Portugal. With the team rank outsiders (only Latvia was given less of a chance by the experts), Karagounis delivered with a trademark goal from outside the box to give the Ethniki a shock lead against the host nation Portugal. That iconic goal proved to be the catalyst for a hard-fought win on the opening day and with that, the "Piratiko" was underway.
He continued to feature heavily throughout the rest of the tournament, into the knockout stages. He picked up a yellow card in the shock quarter final win over reigning World Champions France and again against an in-form Czech outfit in the semi final. Subsequently, he would go on to miss the final due to suspension. However, as mentioned he was a key player for the Ethniki during the tournament and his name will forever be etched into folklore for this fact alone.
Following a great tournament, Karagounis remained a mainstay in the team. At 27 he was at his peak, as opposed to many players of the Euro 2004 squad that were past their best. He featured in the 2005 Confederations Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying, where he scored another international goal in a 2-0 win over Albania.
Prior to a disappointing Euro 2008 tournament, Greece played familiar foes Portugal in a friendly in Germany. Karagounis showcased his skill by scoring two beautifully executed free kicks from similar angles (see below).
After Euro 2008, there was a changing of the guard and it resulted in Karagounis receiving the captain's arm band from Basinas. This only fueled the fire for the spirited and energetic midfielder. He was a key player in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and admirably led the team in a tense playoff tie against the Ukraine. Karagounis also has the honour of being Greece's captain for its first ever win at a World Cup finals match (a come from behind 2-1 win over Nigeria), where he was intrumental in that match and in the rest of the group stage matches in general.
In the aftermath of this tournament, Rehhagel left after a hugely successful stay and a familiar face for Karagounis in the form of Fernando Santos entered the fray. Karagounis had previously worked with the experienced Portuguese coach at Panathinaikos and Benfica, so it meant the transition would be smooth. The Ethniki embarked on a lengthy winning streak and Karagounis was enjoying his football. In a Euro 2012 qualifying match against Latvia in October 2010, he reached 100 international caps (equaling former teammate Basinas). In October 2011, he was awarded by Basinas and Theodoros Zagorakis in a special ceremony prior to the crunch match against Croatia.
He led the team to Euro 2012 from the front and played some of his best football along the way. It was a mixed tournament for the inspirational captain as he missed a vital penalty with the scores tied at 1-1 in the opening match against Poland and he was also booked for simulation in the final group stage match against Russia which meant he would be suspended for the quarter final clash against the Germans (replays showed he was clearly fouled in the penalty box and Greece should have had a penalty).
However, if not for Karagounis and his endless fighting spirit, the team would not have qualified for the quarter finals. With the team on 1 point after two matches and in need of a win against the highly-fancied Russians to progress, Karagounis stepped up and delivered. He pounced on a defensive error from the Russians late in the first half to score what might go down as his most significant international goal, firing into the bottom left corner. Greece had to defend well and remain organised in the second half to withstand several waves of Russian attacks, but they did just that, with Karagounis' leadership shining. Ironically, it was in this match where he equaled Zagorakis' record appearances for the Ethniki at 120 caps.
Karagounis became Greece's most capped player of all-time in October 2012 when he came on as a second half substitute against Bosnia in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier (121st appearance). By this stage, he was past his best playing wise, but he still possessed leadership qualities in an abundance and Santos was a huge fan. As a result, Karagounis still regularly featured for the Ethniki, and his quality dribbling and creative passing skills on display in the earlier stages of his career made way for grittiness and toughness, where he acted as a 'coach' on the pitch and looked to win the ball back in the middle.
He scored his last goal for the Ethniki in the final group stage match against Liechtenstein and no shocks - it came off a free kick (one of his best qualities). He commanded a high level of performance from his teammates and as a result, Greece booked its ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, after dispatching of Romania in the playoffs.
At 37, Karagounis was on his last legs but nonetheless, he remained the team's most important player due to his ability to dictate play, pick a clever pass and lead on the front foot. He captained the team at Brazil 2014 in trademark fashion. Just like 4 years earlier, the Ethniki was on 1 point from the opening two group stage matches and needed a win against the talented Ivorians to progress to the Round of 16 for the first time. While Karagounis did not score in this match, he put in a virtuoso performance where he came close twice (through a free kick in the first half and a long-range shot that went just over the crossbar in the second half). Georgios Samaras scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot deep in stoppage time in a dramatic manner and consequently, the Ethniki made it to knockout stages for the first time.
He captained the team in the Round of 16 clash against Costa Rica, in what would be his 139th and final appearance for the National Team. He played the full 120 minutes (including extra time) in a tense 1-1 draw. Unfortunately it was not meant to be in the penalty shootout and with that, another chapter in the Ethniki's history had ended. Not only was Santos departing, Karagounis had also retired. The heartbreak was evident on his face but he leaves behind an extraordinary legacy.
He possessed the whole package as a talented midfielder that was a great exponent of set pieces, long-range shooting, but perhaps equally as important - leadership (something the Ethniki has sorely lacked since his retirement). The veteran of 5 major tournaments was a one in a million player, a coach's dream, and in the eyes of many - the best player Ethniki player.
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