Greece 5-0 Kazakhstan: Reaction

By Alec McQuarrie

A decade is a long time.

10 years ago, Ebola was ravaging West Africa, Russia annexed Crimea, and Pharrell Williams was top of the charts with ‘Happy’.

10 years ago, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished into thin air, Justin Bieber was arrested for drunk driving, and everyone was chucking buckets of icy water on their heads.

10 years ago, Robin Williams took his own life, Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison, and Snapchat was most teenagers’ app of choice.

10 years ago, Greece played their last game at a major international tournament.

Note the inclusion of ‘last game’ instead of ‘most recent match’ because, frankly, who knows? 

There are no guarantees in football and there are certainly no guarantees in international football. There were no guarantees that Greece would beat Kazakhstan in Athens. 

On paper, it was a must-win match pitting the former European Champions against would-be debutants ranked lower than Benin and Palestine. On paper, it was a play-off semi-final in front of a ravenous OPAP Arena, ready to be ripped from its freshly-laid foundations. On paper, the head-to-head record read three wins to Greece, zero to Kazakhstan. 

But there are no guarantees in football, and you really don’t have to go very far to find examples of monumental odds being overturned. Just ask Otto Rehhagel.

The starting line-up stings, but at least it’s no longer a shock. I don’t think even Dimitrios Pelkas himself believes he should be starting for his national team. But then again, neither should Harry Maguire nor Jordan Henderson, and look where Gareth Southgate’s favourites have taken England in the last three tournaments. The result is all that matters in international football. Just ask Otto Rehhagel.

For all the valid criticisms aimed squarely at Gus Poyet’s head, at least give the man some credit. Consistency matters, especially when you only play 10 games a year.

Pelkas is the difference for the opener. His two shots are poor, yes. But he’s alive. He’s alive to the possibilities and wins the penalty. The winger has four assists in five Euro 2024 qualifying appearances, more than any other Greek. Consistency matters and Anastasios Bakasetas, Greece’s most consistent performer, smashes home the spot kick.

The smallest player on the pitch is the difference for the second, too. Giorgos Masouras’ cross from the right is a dream, but it’s a dream with a hell of a lot of pace on it. Pelkas stoops and dives and hopes. 2-0.

Enquiries should be made to hang the third in the Louvre. Kostas Tsimikas bites in and wins it, Dimitrios Kourbelis launches a raking ball out to Masouras and Fotis Ioannidis’ movement is sublime. As he has been doing all season for Panathinaikos, the 24-year-old jinks one way, then the other to leave himself the simplest finish he will ever execute.

But Greece don’t stop there. It’s Tsimikas who provides the quality from the right this time, and Kourbelis grabs his first goal in five years. That came against Turkey in 2019. Will it be Turkey in 2024 too?

Maybe the hosts were daydreaming about that potential curtain-raiser in Dortmund at the start of the second half, because Kazakhstan suddenly look threatening for 15 minutes or so. But Greece ride the wave and get the opportunity to rest legs ahead of next week.

The crowning touch eventually comes, thanks to the left boot of Tsimikas once more. The Liverpool defender’s delivery is so dangerous that even Alexandr Marochkin can’t help but do his best Virgil van Dijk impression.

Gus Poyet may know what he’s doing after all. The lack of an introduction for Christos Tzolis was the only blemish on a night when the Ethniki registered their joint-biggest win since 1978.

Next Tuesday will be a completely different story in the midst of the Caucausus, though. Georgia have only lost one match there since their 2-0 defeat to Greece in October 2021, and that was against Spain.

But on the basis of that performance in Nea Filadelfeia, the Ethniki should have nothing to fear. Greece have never lost to Georgia in nine meetings. No less than 27 places separate the two sides in the FIFA rankings and the Jvarosnebi have never qualified for a major tournament.

With that being said, there are no guarantees in football.

10 years is a long time. Don’t make it a dozen, Greece.

@A_McQuarrie

Hellas Football