| Match Pictures | 2002-03 Pictures | Road to Seville | Road to Seville – Pictures | 2002 – 2003 |
Trivia
-
Celtic qualify for the UEFA CUP FINAL!
- First European final since 1970.
- UEFA Cup 2002/03: The Road To Seville
- UEFA Cup 2nd leg; aggregate: Celtic 2-1 Boavista over two legs (1-1 in 1st leg)
- Henrik made amends for his penalty miss in the first leg by scoring the goal that put Celtic into the Uefa Cup final.
- Celtic deserved their victory against a Boavista side that failed to excite.
- Post-note: Incredibly, for over the next 16 years, Boavista did not again play in European competition since this tie. The club ran into financial trouble and spent five years in Portugal’s third tier before returning to the top flight in 2014.
Review
With so much at stake, the opening exchanges were tentative, but Celtic settled first and created the game’s first decent goalscoring opportunity. A hopeful Alan Thompson free-kick was flicked on by the head of John Hartson, allowing Larsson a sight of goal, but the Swede uncharacteristically pulled his shot wide under pressure from Eder Silveira.
Celtic were forced to bring Chris Sutton into the fray rather earlier than planned when Paul Lambert was forced off with an ankle injury with just over half an hour gone.
In the second half Alan Thompson had a fierce drive deflected wide on 70 minutes as they sought that elusive away goal. It finally came eight minutes later, when Larsson played a slightly fortunate one-two with Boavista defender Filipe Anunciacao before finishing clinically from 12 yards.
The performance may not necessarily have been vintage and will be overlooked by the Celtic supporters as we prepare for the trip to Seville, where the team will play Porto in the final on 21 May.
Retrospective Note
(from CQN website, http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/?p=12158&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)
Boavista v Celtic, 24 April 2003, was one of the most frustrating games of football I’ve sat through. Needing to score, for 78 minutes Celtic were moribund; they made not a single attempt on goal. Instead, they did what most teams do away from home, condensed midfield and defended, while Boavista, who would qualify for the Uefa Cup final if the game ended goalless, did much the same.
The goal appeared to take place in slow motion. Henrik Larsson moved forward to the end of the D and tried to pass to John Hartson, but a defender intercepted. Unfortunately for Boavista the ball was returned from the interception to an unmarked Larsson on the edge of the box.
It spun from his preferred right foot onto his left but the shot gently arced inches away from the goalkeeper’s grasp. The goal was a deflection, although we didn’t see it at the time. The keeper was moving his weight from right to left as the ball drifted to his left.
It may have been a turgid game of football decided by a deflection but it was also one of the most intense sporting occasions in our 125 year history. The sheer release of tension when the goal went in was incredible. 15 minutes, and one generous refereeing decision later, Celtic were in a European final.
Since then we have become accustomed to our position as a credible European team but it was very different in season 2002-03. This was the first Christmas Celtic were in Europe since 1979; each milestone along the way, Blackburn Rovers (a far more credible team at the time), Celta Vigo, Stuttgart and Liverpool, was celebrated with something close to astonishment.
The triumphs of this season, qualifying for the Champions League group stage instead of losing to Basel, then progressing to the knock out rounds, are greater than the achievements of April 2003, but they will never feel that way.
That game, that season, trophy-less though it was, changed our entire landscape. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Teams
Celtic:-
Douglas, Valgaeren, Balde, Mjallby (Smith),Agathe, Lambert (Sutton), Lennon, Petrov , Thompson, Larsson, Hartson.
Subs not used:- Marshall, Sylla, McNamara, Laursen, Maloney.
Goal:- Larsson
Booked:- Agathe, Mjallby
Boavista:-Ricardo, Ávalos, Edér, Erivan (Jocivalter), Duda, Silva (Luíz Claúdio), Martelinho, Pedro Santos, Mário Loja, Pedrosa (Yuri), Filipe Anunciação.
Subs not used:- William, Rui Oscar, Bosingwa, Goulart.
Booked:- Duda, Ávalos, Martelinho
Att:- 10,163
Ref:- Valentin Ivanov (Russia)
Pictures
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
- I Was There….Boavista – UEFA Cup Semi-Final (24/04/2003)
KDS Forum
Quotes
“I doubt if I will ever forget the scenes at Oporto airport after the Boavista game. The fans spend a lot of money to come and cheer us on, behave impeccably, and I can assure you it is appreciated in the dressing room.”
Martin O’Neill
Larsson strike books final spot
Boavista 0-1 Celtic (agg: 1-2)
BBC
Henrik Larsson made amends for his penalty miss in the first leg by scoring the goal that put Celtic into the Uefa Cup final.
Celtic just about deserved their victory against a Boavista side that failed to excite, although the Scottish champions played well below their best.
Larsson’s 78th-minute strike was the one bright point in a highly disappointing and dour match.
But the performance will be forgotten as the Celtic supporters prepare for the trip to Seville, where their team will play Porto in the final on 21 May.
With so much at stake, the opening exchanges were tentative, but Celtic settled first and created the game’s first decent goalscoring opportunity.
A hopeful Alan Thompson free-kick was flicked on by the head of John Hartson, allowing Larsson a sight of goal, but the Swede uncharacteristically pulled his shot wide under pressure from Eder Silveira.
Boavista scarcely threatened the Celtic goal in the opening quarter of the game and when they did manage a shot at goal on 21 minutes, Luis Pedrosa’s long-range free-kick was well off target.
Three minutes later, Pedrosa attempted a similar effort, but again the shot flew over Rab Douglas’ bar.
Celtic were forced to bring Chris Sutton into the fray rather earlier than planned when Paul Lambert was forced off with an ankle injury with just over half an hour gone.
The home side’s first significant effort came after 36 minutes when Pedro Santos let fly from outside the box, but the ball was always curling wide of Douglas’ left-hand post.
Douglas came to Celtic’s rescue two minutes before the interval when he reacted quickly to palm Elpidio Silva’s header away after Martelinho had capitalised on Joos Valgaeren’s slip to get behind the Celtic defence.
But Douglas almost handed the Portuguese the lead on 59 minutes when he misjudged Duda’s cross and succeeded only in knocking the ball into Silva’s path.
The Brazilian got his header on target but Johan Mjallby managed to deflect the ball wide of the post with Douglas stranded.
Celtic struggled to get going in the second half until Alan Thompson had a fierce drive deflected wide on 70 minutes as they sought that elusive away goal.
It finally came eight minutes later, when Larsson played a slightly fortunate one-two with Boavista defender Filipe Anunciacao before finishing clinically from 12 yards.
Didier Agathe might have conceded a penalty with four minutes remaining when he appeared to catch Jocivalter in the area, but the referee saw nothing amiss and Celtic held on for a famous win.
Boavista: Ricardo, Mario Loja, Avalos, Eder, Erivan (Jocivalter 80), Anunciacao, Martelinho, Pedrosa (Yuri 84), Pedro Santos, Silva (Luiz Claudio 68), Duda.
Subs Not Used: William, Rui Oscar, Bosingwa, Goulart.
Booked: Avalos.
Celtic: Douglas, Valgaeren (Smith 75), Balde, Mjallby, Agathe, Lennon, Petrov, Lambert (Sutton 34), Thompson, Larsson, Hartson.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Sylla, McNamara, Laursen, Maloney.
Booked: Agathe, Mjallby.
Att: 11,000
Ref: Valentin Ivanov (Russia).
Luck on Larsson’s side
Larsson slots home the crucial goal
BBC
Henrik Larsson admitted the goal that booked Celtic’s place in their first European final in 33 years had an element of luck about it.
The Swede struck his 40th goal of the season to send Celtic into the Uefa Cup final at the expense of Boavista.
But he acknowledged afterwards that both the build-up and the execution of the goal required some good fortune.
“I tried to slip the ball to John Hartson, but thankfully the defender slide-tackled and the ball came back to me,” said Celtic’s talismanic striker.
“I didn’t get much on it and it certainly didn’t go in the right direction, but it doesn’t matter, we got one in the end.”
Manager Martin O’Neill hailed his players’ performance and insisted Celtic were capable of going on to win the cup.
But he was scathing of the tactics used by Boavista over the two legs that almost led to his side’s exit.
HAVE YOUR SAY
With Martin O’Neill in charge and Henrik Larsson this Celtic team can beat anyone – bring on Porto!
Sean
Join the 606 debate
“Over the two games we deserve it – they were so negative with their diving and time-wasting, and it came back to haunt them eventually,” said O’Neill.
“I’m delighted for everyone at the club, the players and the supporters. I’ve always said it’s about those who pay and those who play.
“We know it will be difficult against Porto but there’s no reason why we can’t win it.”
Captain Paul Lambert said the final would be the biggest game of most of the players’ lives.
And he insisted that Sunday’s Old Firm game paled in comparison to the significance of the prospect of playing in a Uefa Cup final.
Lambert has a Champions League winner’s medal from his time with Borussia Dortmund, but is relishing the opportunity to add a Uefa Cup winners’ medal to his collection.
“Whatever happens on Sunday happens, but the final of this is the one you want,” he said.
“I don’t think the guys will realise what they have done until the day of the final.
“Once they are there, it will be fantastic – the game of their lives.
“You never know, against Porto it is a one-off game and we can take anybody.”
Groves (of KDS) Match Report
My match report from the game.
Boavista 0 Celtic 1
Larsson 78
Celtic 3-5-2 Douglas, Valgaeren (Smith 75), Balde, Mjallby, Agathe, Lennon, Petrov, Lambert, (Sutton 34), Thompson, Larsson, Hartson
Verdict: Standing on the verge of European glory.
How do you capture the feelings of pure euphoria and emotion witnessed after this game? What a truly historic night for Glasgow Celtic and the supporters of this grand old team. From bars in Brooklyn to pubs in Port Elizabeth, hundreds of thousands of delirious Tims will have spent the post match hours dancing and singing and laughing and crying. “Oh ya beauty”, they hail in Glasgow, Dublin, Sydney and San Francisco.
And now from the four corners of the globe the travel agents are being urged to book up flights and hotels for a “wee trip” to the sunny streets of Seville. Sombreros and Sangria. What many thought to be a pipe dream is now a “moment of a lifetime” reality for the team and those supporters. Savour these feelings of delirium because at this moment it doesn’t get any better than this. Think on that this will be with you in 15, 20, and 25 years time. You’ll be telling future generations of Celtic supporters about this momentous occasion in the club’s history.
On a night when Celtic had it all to do they came up with a performance which managed to wrestle with, and overcome, the huge weight of expectation on their shoulders. Last night almost encapsulated in 90 minutes the all too often forgotten phenomena that circles around the relationship between the team and the support of Celtic. The support has never been in question and the players know this but in knowing it they want to give their all and last night, being such a big, big game, their play was weighed down at times by those nerves. Added to this we saw an incredibly negative Boavista team who made little attempt to build on the fortune of having scored an away goal in the first leg at Celtic Park. It is a testimony to the professionalism and passion of the Celtic players that they fought through all these factors and more and provided the support with yet another glittering opportunity on the highest European football stage. A wonderful goal by Henrik Larsson with the game entering its final passage ensured that we all have so much to smile about. More on this later.
But before pressing on with the details of the match we must propose the inevitable question, “we can beat Porto, can’t we?” Enough! Let’s pick through the bones of the match.
The match itself was never going to be a classic given what was at stake. Boavista had already given strong pre match hints, via their previous matches, that they lacked imagination and the will to play games in an open manner. On the night they more than lived up to this tag with a performance which oscillated between highly speculative long range shooting and spoiling tactics designed to frustrate the Celtic players and deny them a goal.
The match kicked off in the Estadio Do Besso which currently represents only a half built arena. The restricted attendance, packed on either side of the pitch, gave the players a huge ovation as Boavista got the game underway. The Celtic line up was pretty much as predicted and although Chris Sutton had recovered sufficiently from the broken wrist he suffered in March he was kept on the bench.
The early play gave a strong hint that Boavista were seemingly content to sit on the away goal they had been gifted at Celtic Park. Celtic’s play on the other hand looked assured and confident and the first 15 minutes saw them with the majority of the possession without creating any clear cut chances. We saw in this first period that the Russian referee was not going to clamp down on the gamesmanship being displayed by the Boavista players. He was seemingly content with allowing Boavista players to stay down after the most innocuous challenges, all designed to eat up precious playing time.
As the game progressed Paul Lambert took a nasty knock after a challenge with Silva. The fact that Silva rolled around the floor whilst Lambert tried to regain his feet summed up the feigning injury antics of the Boa players. The challenge inflicted on Lambert was to be his undoing whilst Silva showed no after effects for the remaining time he was on the field.
Celtic pushed and probed their way through the opening half hour and you felt that a goal may come but the final ball in often lacked the quality required. Surprisingly, at some of the set play free kicks which Celtic were awarded they failed to cause too much of a stir in the Boa penalty box. However whilst Celtic’s final third play was failing to click it was evident that the Boa team were uninspiring in every way. This was summed up in the 21st minute when Pedrosa, playing a sweeper *** man marking role on Hartson, fired a free kick from 40 yards high and wide of the Celtic goal. A desperately unimaginative piece of play from the Portuguese.
Just past the half hour mark the earlier challenge on Lambert took its toll and he was replaced by Chris Sutton. Lambert had harried and cajoled the midfield in this opening period and it was hoped that Sutton would start to gain the upper hand in and around the Boa penalty box. Indeed as the game approached half time Sutton appeared to be held in the box as a free kick was played in to him. The referee chose to ignore the incident although it may have been harsh if he had awarded a penalty.
The game petered towards half time and a good save by Douglas from a Pedrosa header was the only notable goalmouth chance prior to the break.
Half time and a chance to assess the first 45 minutes before embarking on the final hurdle. Celtic had looked easily the better team but a combination of stop start refereeing, thanks to the Boa players, had combined with an unusually ineffectual final ball in from Celtic. This kind of 45 minutes is strange in that it boosts your confidence enough to think that Celtic can go and win the game but this is mixed with the thought that it might just not be their night. All adds to the nerves and tension.
Celtic kicked off the second half and the game itself moved into a frustrating period of play. Celtic, as in the first half, were eager and hard working but inevitably the negative tactics of Boavista and the enormity of the occasion produced a nervy and tense display from Celtic. A period of niggly fouls and more play acting from the home side culminated in neither side being able to hold onto the ball and put some passing moves together.
To their credit Celtic kept plugging away and you could feel the thousands of supporters all over the world willing something to happen. And on the hour mark disaster nearly struck for Celtic. From a Boavista cross on the right Rab Douglas was left stretching for a high ball. The palm of his hand managed to steer the ball directly into the heading path of Silva who had a clear header at goal as Douglas crashed to the ground. Silva’s header was goalbound but a superb piece of anticipation by Mjallby saw him goal side of Silva and just managing to get his knee in the way of Silva’s header and deflect it for a corner. Hearts leapt into mouths in bars and homes all throughout Timdom. Phew that was too close.
In a way this close call seemed to lift Celtic and although the play was still scrappy Celtic managed to find some of the urgency which they’d displayed in the opening quarter of the game. Still lacking in cohesion they pushed forward and after Silva had been replaced for Boavista Thompson had a superb drive deflected behind for a corner. Both this move and an earlier one stemmed from Sutton’s increasing involvement in Celtic’s play. Equally Larsson was working harder and harder to try and exert some pressure on the Boavista defence. He was crudely challenged on the wing just after the 70 minute mark and although the free kick was wasted you sensed that Celtic where going to give it their all. This had been evident from Martin O’Neill’s willingness to sacrifice Joos Valgaeren for Jamie Smith.
Sometimes in matches you just see something happen that’s different from the pattern of the rest of the game. Many times during the night a Celtic defender would bring the ball forward and make the short pass to one of the midfielders or to either of the wing backs. However on 78 minutes Mjallby in such a position elected to run forward with the ball into the Boavista half. He played the ball into the feet of Sutton just around the 25 yard mark. Sutton in his customary back to goal stance neatly flicked the ball into the run of Larsson. Larsson’s clever swift shift of the ball onto Hartson gave him time to peel way from the defence into space just inside the box. Hartson was met by 3 converging defenders all anxious to close down the rising danger. In doing so one defenders boot slid into play the ball across the box and straight into the unmarked path of Larsson. As he turned goalwards the ball came to him on his left foot and as a defender moved in to close him down he hit a purposeful shot goalwards. A vain attempt to palm the ball away by the Boavista keeper, Ricardo but there was no stopping the ball as it flew into the back of the net. Cue absolute ecstasy, joy, and all the emotional outpouring that you can imagine. Henrik went ballistic, the players went ballistic, the bench went ballistic, the Celtic bars in Glasgow, Brooklyn and the four corners of the globe went ballistic. And I went ballistic. Jumping round the living like a crazy man. Just how do you describe such an outpouring of joy, relief, sensation, pride all wrapped up in a micro period immediately after Henrik’s goal. Immense and never to be forgotten.
With 10 minutes left the Boavista team attempted to do what they had not done for the previous 80 minutes and for the whole of the first leg, that was to attack. But Celtic were in control now and although there was an endurance of four minutes of stoppage time thanks to a couple of substitutions the game never looked in any doubt following the goal.
And so a mammoth night in Celtic’s history and thousands of supporters living out new experiences as Celtic reached another European final. A new generation of Tims fully able to embrace the passions and feelings of previous generations by seeing Celtic succeed at the highest level.
In certain circles of Timdom there’s been much pre match talk about the noble art of fishing and whether it is better to wade into the wide flowing river and cast the rod for that most elusive but beautiful fish, the salmon. The theory is that this is a far better challenge and more rewarding fare than trawling the depths for the every day catch of simple fish.
Last night we stood collectively with Martin and the players and we saw the rod cast over the river. We have the real chance of catching the salmon and Timdom is “leaping” with jubilation.
Boavista 0 – 1 Celtic (agg: 1-2) (source)
- guardian.co.uk, Thursday 24 April 2003 00.09 BST
Preamble The teams emerge from the tunnel. Boavista are dressed in a sort of black and white check chessboard number, while Celtic have opted for their mustard and green away ensemble. Chris Sutton is on the bench for Celtic, having returned from injury after breaking his wrist in mid-March. Celtic have made it difficult for themselves tonight, what with Joos Valgaeren’s own goal and Henrik Larsson’s missed penalty in the first leg at Celtic Park. However, Boavista are no great shakes (they’ve won seven out of 28 league games so far this season) so the Scottish champions should be well capable of beating them out the gate. A scoreless draw will see Boavista through to the final, while a 1-1 draw would result in extra time and possibly penalties. Any other score will produce a winner.
1 min: Valentin Ivanov from Russia blows his shiny whistle and Boavista kick off playing from right to left. Almost immediately, Alan Thompson gets a knock on the leg. He’s okay.
3 mins: The early exchanges suggest that Manchester United v Real Madrid this is not. Both teams are fannying around in midfield, probing like … eh, something that probes a lot. A probe, perhaps. Very dull so far, but it is early doors.
5 mins: Hartson does his trademark chest-the-ball-down-hold-it-up-and-then-lay-it-off-to-someone on the edge of the box. By the time I’ve inserted all those hyphens, the ball has been cleared and I’ve forgotten who he laid it off to.
7 mins: Celtic are having the better of things so far, but judging by the quality of play that’s like saying they’re the tallest Pygmies in the village.
8 mins: A long ball into the big Boavista box finds its way to Larsson on the edge of the small Boavista box. (Hope that technical terminology isn’t too complex for you. Try to keep up.) He wriggles his hips like a superfly pimp at a 70s disco and snakes his way between Messrs Avalos and Silveira, but doesn’t get decent contact on the ball. Wide.
10 mins: Mjallby wellies a long ball from the edge of his own box to that of the Boavista box. Hartson leaps to attempt a knock-down but it’s too high.
11 mins: Hartson wins a free-kick after a Boavista defender, identity unknown, attempts to rip the shirt off his back. Doesn’t the Boavista player realise that that shirt is the only thing standing between the Welshman’s enormous gut and an unsuspecting public? It’s before the watershed after all, so there could be children watching. The free-kick is taken just inside the Boavista half and floated into the box. Ricardo rushes from his goal and holds it well.
14 mins: “I don’t consider myself lazy but do you think the Guardian could make it so this page refreshes automatically for future matches? Okay, maybe I’m lazy,” says Emmett Williams in New York City. Yes you are Emmett. You’re lazy as sin. You could have refreshed the page 10 times in the time it took you to wrtie that whiney email. Shame on you.
16 mins: There’s a couple of minutes of nothingness after Paul Lambert and Elpidio Silva go down in a heap after clattering into each other. After treatment, they both seem okay. Celtic win a free-kick which Thompson wellies into the box. Balde wins the header and nods it down to Petrov, who attempts a shot from the edge of the area. It’s blocked down.
18 mins: Luis Pedrosa concedes a free-kick about 40 yards out from the Boavista goal for trying to – there’s really no other way of describing this – mount John Hartson. And I don’t mean in the taxidermy sense of the word. Thompson’s delivery into the box is poor and another free-kick in a good position goes to waste. A goal for either side would really give this match the kick up the backside it’s crying out for at the moment.
21 mins: Boavista win a free-kick a similar distance out at the far end. Pedrosa goes for goal and hits the ball ridiculously wide. On BBC, Mark Lawrenson correctly describes his effort as “a bit Hollywood”.
22 mins: An ignorant Yank writes: “As an ignorant Yank, I may sound hopelessly naive, but do Celtic actually have any Scotsmen in their side?” enquires Tracey Mohr. Don’t worry Tracey, you’re not ignorant or naive. Well, at least not compared to the queries of some of our other American correspondents (An example from last night: “Why isn’t soccer better than the NFL Draft?”). Anyway, to answer your question: there are two Scotsman on the Celtic team: Rab Douglas (goalkeeper) and Paul Lambert (midfielder). Also Neil Lennon (Northern Ireland) has red hair, which sort of makes him Scottish. John Hartson (Wales), on the other hand, doesn’t have any hair, but the stuff that used to grow out of his head was red. That lends him a certain air of Scottishness too. Luis Poedrosa shoots from distance for Boavista. Wide as a ditch. This game is very, very dull.
29 mins: Celtic are definitely having the better of this all over the field, but still don’t look like scoring anytime soon. You get the impression that if they could just get one then the floodgates would open. Why don’t they just pretend they’re playing Dunfermline?
31 mins: Paul Lambert goes off injured and is replaced by Chris Sutton. Meanwhile, a man called Daithi has sent me a very long-winded email voicing his irritation over a misplaced apostrophe (now corrected) on my part. A literary abberation, I know, but I am trying to type at 100mph here. That must be why I love it so much when pedantic spods write in to point out my typographical errors. Get a life man. Go out and meet some girls. And not ones that live inside your computer monitor! This game is excruciating. It’s like watching myself play Pro Evolution Soccer II on PlayStation: I win the ball … I give it away … I run like an eejit and eventually win it back … then I give it away again. Incidentally, if there’s anyone at Nintendo reading this, I’d appreciate lots of free stuff for that blatant bit of product placement.
38 mins: Chris Sutton appeals for a penalty after being clambered all over in the Boavista box. The referee is having none of it.
40 mins: Erivan goes down like a sack of potatoes under a challenge from Chris Sutton just outside the Boavista box. Free-kick for the Portuguese. Celtic’s delivery into the final third is really letting them down tonight.
41 mins: In an effort to alleviate the tedium, Danel Reilly has very kindly sent in this. Apparently it’s a picture of a monkey riding a dog at a rodeo. I haven’t had time to check it, so I hope that’s all he’s doing. Otherwise I’ll be sacked for disseminating animal porn. Boavista almost score after Martelinho pelts down the right wing and crosses. Pedrosa gets his head to it and brings a smart save out of Rab Douglas.
45 mins: Well, hats off to Daniel Reilly, whose dog/monkey maybe-porn present contrived to freeze my computer for three minutes. Never mind, you missed nothing. This is a dreadful game. Celtic are by far and away the better team and will only have themselves to blame if they don’t nick a goal in the second half and proceed to the final. They should be tonking this swarthy continental rabble.
Half-timeHalf-time refreshments: “If and only if you need a filler, can any of your readers recommend a decent pizza delivery service in Reading?” enquires Jonathan Hall, the genius responsible for GU Football’s Ormondroyd’s Football Month.
Half-time pedantry: “‘Hartson leaps to attempt a knock-down’ Barry, I am very disappointed that you were not more descriptive of Hartson’s leap. It is not like you to miss an opportunity like that. Did he leap like a salmon? Like a beached whale? I think we should be told,” writes Seamus Darby from Tewksbury Massachusetts. Yerra, I’m tired Seamus. But I’m also intrigued. Are you by any chance the same Seamus Darby who came on as a substitute in the 1982 All Ireland Gaelic Football final and scored the injury-time winning goal that won the Sam Maguire Cup for Offaly, in the process stopping Kerry winning an unprecedented five-in-a-row? If you are, you’re a prince amongst men. Even if you’re not, rest assured that you’ll always be welcome in Offaly with a name like that.
46 mins: Celtic get the second half underway. Or was it Boavista? I could scroll down and check by seeing who got the first half under way, but does anyone really care?
47 mins: Hartson attempts to release Larsson with a header into the box, but it’s too close to the goalkeeper and Ricardo gets down to smother it.
48 mins: Celtic’s players must have something better to do on the night of the Uefa Cup final, because they’re making no huge effort to win this match. “Barry, how come there is no picture today?” enquires Paul McDevitt, in Toronto. Okay Paul, just for you, here’s a nice picture of a Mountie. Never let it be said that there’s no place for lazy national stereotypes on this site.
51 mins: A through-ball from a Boavista midfielder finds it’s way to Valgaeren who beats Santos to the ball just outside the Celtic box. He passes to Thompson who makes a hash of his clearance. Like a wedding where too much drink has been taken and the bride’s just found out that the groom’s been sleeping with her sister, this is getting very messy.
53 mins: Valgaeren gives the ball away in midfield, wins it back and then gives it away again. Throw another couple of sisters, a drunk uncle and a bridesmaid or two into the scenario above and you’ll have some idea of what this match is like. John Hartson is going berserk with his team-mates over the poor quality of delivery he’s getting. it’s fair to say that he’s one beast you don’t want to rile.
56 mins: “Barry, your text commentary always amuses me: perhaps we can be friends and share some really good times together. Just let me know,” writes a man we will call Joe M, for that is his name. Eh, Joe, it’s very kind of you to say that, but I’m afraid I have enough friends. I’ll put you on my waiting list and get back to you if any of them die. Now, will somebody PLEASE score a goal.
58 mins: Elpidio Silvo misses the best chance of the match by far. After Rab Douglas had tipped away a cross from the right, he dived and connected with the ball, but his header went wide of Johan Mjallby’s leg. A dreadful miss and a big, big let-off for Celtic.
61 mins: Joos Valgaeren gets booked. As is customary in such situations, I have no idea why. After 60 minutes, Celtic have had one shot on goal. One! And you can take it from me, Boavista are no Real Madrid.
63 mins: Kerryman Philip Healey writes, while I hang my head in shame at a shocking error (now corrected) in my half-time pedantry section: “The Sam McCarthy Cup? What about the Jules Ryan Cup or the prestigious Charity Badge? I suppose being from Offaly you wouldn’t have much contact with the ole Sam Maguire, so don’t worry about it.” What can I tell ya Philip – it was a typographical error.! It is, of course, the Sam Maguire Cup. Now come on Celtic – let’s see if you can’t win this semi-final and book your berth in the 2003 Worthington Cup final.
67 mins: Petrov pelts down the right flank and attempts a cross. There’s nobody in a Celtic shirt anywhere near him. Hopeless. Luiz Claudio comes on for Boavista, replacing Elpidio Silva. That’s a great idea. Take off the only player on the field that’s given the impression he knows what a goal is.
69 mins: Martelinho crosses from the right, but Rab Douglas claims well. He throws it out and Sutton is fouled by Anunciacao. The delivery into the box is good and Boavista’s defenders panic. After pinging around the box briefly, the ball rolls in the direction of Thompson who shoots well. His effort is deflected over the bar for a corner which Boavista clear.
72 mins: “Why do you give John Hartson such a hard time always?” enquires Tony Gibson. “It’s not his fault that he is a horizontally, facially and folically challenged.” I’ll have to beg to differ with you there Tony. I think Mr Hartson’s pretty good … for a horizontally, facially and folically challenged bloke. He’s certainly some man to trap a ball on his chest. Larsson is fouled on the left wing and Petrov’s free-kick is woeful. Celtic have 15 minutes to redeem themselves, but the way they’re playing at the moment I’d say they could keep going until midnight and still not get a sniff of a goal.
76 mins: Duda ambles up the left wing for Boavista. He gives the ball away. Celtic counter. They give the ball away. Usually when you type things in short sentences like that, it makes them sound exciting. But this. Is. The exception. To the. Rule.
80 mins: GOAL! Boavista 0 – 1 Celtic (Agg:1-2) My anti-Nostradamus qualities come to Celtic’s rescue. Having given up on his team-mates, Henrik Larsson – who else? – makes and scores one himself. A surge into the Boavista box took him between two statuesque defenders and he thumped the ball past Ricardo, who flapped at it as it went past him into the net. A good strike, but a soft goal from a Boavista point of view. One of the defenders should have put a stop to Larsson’s gallop, and the goalkeeper should have kept it out if he didn’t have rubber wrists.
81 mins: As things stand, Celtic will be meeting Porto in the final in Seville in May. They are holding Lazio in Rome after tonking them in the first leg. Yuri replaces Pedrosa on the Boavista team.
85 mins: Johan Mjallby concedes a free on the left hand side of the Celtic box. It’s swung in and Rab Douglas punches clear instead of catching it. Meanwhile, Brian Potter, who may or may not be the same Brian Potter who owns the Phoenix Club in Peter Kay’s excellent Phoenix Nights has written in to tell me that he “often cycles down Glendenning Ave on my way to work these days.” By way of evidence, he includes a map. Once again, I hope it isn’t porn – bestial or otherwise.
89 mins: Agathe hoofs a clearance into the stand. With a minute to go, both teams have finally woken up. There will be four minutes of injury time.
91 mins: Boavista launch an aeriel assault on the Celtic box, but their long balls are meat and drink to the big men that comprise the Scottish side’s defence.
93 mins: Thompson thumps the ball the length of the field to nobody in particular and wastes a few extra seconds. Boavista counter. Luiz Claudio wastes Boavista’s last chance by scuffing the ball over the bar.
Full time: Celtic have made their first European final for 33 years by the skin of their teeth. they will face Porto in Seville in May. Meanwhile, this from a disgruntled reader: “I’ve been fired from work and strongly suspect that my internet/email abuse may have a lot to do with it,” writes Ian Edgar, getting in one last bit of email and Internet abuse before he clears his desk. Boavista fan Evanio Colberto has a question: “I’m confused,” he says, seemingly oblivious to the fact that so is everyone else who reads these match reports. “I can undestand why a Celtic play football in Scotland, but who are these Rangers? I’ve never heard of them. Are they like the Scottish equivalent of the Mounties? Forgive me.” Well Evanio, how long have you got? Rangers are not like the Mounties, although a lot of their fans wear hats. Bowler hats, to be precise. They are in fact a football team from Glasgow, just like Celtic. Except with less trophies. Actually, now that I think of it, the light-sabre wielding business man in the ad at the top of this report looks like a thin Rangers fan. Right, that’s me done. Thanks for your time and your mails – a few more of which may find their way onto this report by close of business tonight. all the best – BG
Post-match row “In case you never noticed,there were only three Englishmen in the Manchester United starting lineup against Real and only one of them was Anglo Saxon,” writes Jim Geddes, who I’m thinking is referring to my answer to Tracey Mohr’s question in the 22nd minute. “With a population almost ten times that of Scotland that is pretty sad. In any case if you knew anything about football you would know that Celtic are an Irish team.”
Oh Jim. Aren’t you the parnoid, wrong, angry man? Whatever you might think about Celtic, I can confirm that I am Irish. I can also confirm that Celtic are a Scottish team that are based in Glasgow, which is in Scotland. Celtic also play in the Scottish Premier League which, as the name suggests, is also based in Scotland. Just because they were founded by an Irish padre does not mean that they are Irish, even if they do have huge Irish support. Manchester United have huge Irish support, but you don’t see David Beckham wearing a green felt hat, gnawing on a potato and waving a long knobbly stick in the air. Finally, I was not criticising Celtic for having only two Scottish players in their side. I was merely answering a query from someone who wanted to know how many Scottish players were playing for them tonight. And remember Jim, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not all out to get you.
More reader ramblings I have been brainwashed into being a Celtic fan but can someone please tell me why Rangers fans are called “huns” and should I hate them as I do the Green Bay Packers?” – Kathleen Higgins,
Chicago. (I’ll answer that privately when I’ve got a spare couple of hours, Kathleen! – BG)”Do us a favour and make a gag up, something about how Ronaldo was alway going to destroy Man United as he is used to running around Rio with a ball anyway” – Ian Edgar
“You should have got a shot of a mountie with a mask. They are all over the streets of Toronto now because of SARS. Their horses are making a frightful mess and are picking fights with the bears and moose. I am afraid to go home tonight.” – Niall O’Keefe
This is Patrick in Montreal. I’m following the match while reading up on Vygosty’s views on Cognitive Development. I’m wondering if Celtic’s earlier inability to score might not have been due to some sort of developmental lapsus Henrik Larsson might have experienced in his early childhood.” – Patrick Culhane
“I think a picture of John Hartson standing on a scale eating a meat pie would be more amusing than the mountie. Surely you have one on file” – Mick Morrall
“Did you manage to get the monkey to ride his dog(41 mins)? The little fecker wouldn’t perform for me. I’ve been waiting for a dog-riding monkey video for years” – Peter Lyons. “Thank you for spreading the gospel of the monkey rodeo. We are going to make t-shirts. Do you want one?” – Dan Reilly
“Hate to be accused of being pedantic, but isn’t PlayStation actually a Sony product? Or is the intent to get Nintendo to send free stuff so you’ll use their wares instead of the PlayStation? On a completely unrelated topic, I’m thinking of returning to Blighty to open an all-you-can-eat establishment called Stuffed and Chuffed. Think it would have any chance of succeeding?” – Dan in DC
“I enjoy these broadcasts. The other day I learned what the term ‘nutmeg’ means, so now could you tell us about ‘wellies’ – Charlie Troxel
“The reason Celtic can’t score as easily against non-Scottish teams can be summed up in one word. Goalkeepers.” – Paul McDevitt
“Rubbish game. Nice to see the monkey though. It reminds me of the photo I have at home of a Indonesian monkeys wearing jockey silks and strapped on to to greyhounds in a real race. The trial was performed in Sydney just after the war to see if the monkeys could steer their mounts from crashing out of races at the first bend. Several monkeys were killed and the trial was discontinued” – Rozzer.
The teams
Boavista: 1-Ricardo Pereira; 16-Joaquim Martelinho, 3-Fernando Avalos, 5-Eder Silveira, 19-Mario Loja; 96-Filipe Anunciacao; 18-Pedro Santos, 27-Luis Pedrosa, 6-Erivan Lima; 8-Duda Ventura, 11-Elpidio Silva
Celtic: 20-Robert Douglas; 5-Joos Valgaeren, 6-Dianbobo Balde, 35-Johan Mjallby, 17-Didier Agathe, 18-Neil Lennon, 14-Paul Lambert, 19-Stilian Petrov, 8-Alan Thompson, 10-John Hartson, 7-Henrik Larsson.
Referee: Valentin Ivanov (Russia) Kick-off: 8pm
Boa star: Henrik wouldn’t cut it here
HENRIK LARSSON: failed to impress Boavista defender Turra at Parkhead
BOAVISTA defender Paulo Turra has stoked the fires ahead of tonight’s
showdown by claiming he would not consider swapping Henrik Larsson for any
of his side’s strikers.
Turra claims he was not overly impressed with Larsson’s performance in the
first leg, and believes Boavista will be able to snuff out his threat again
in Portugal.
“Larsson will not have it as easy as he does in Scotland. The Swede will see
a good marking system from us in Portugal,” declared Turra.
“Larsson is a good striker, but he did not astonish me in the away game.
“I see some failures in his form of game. I would not change him for any of
the forwards of Boavista.”
Turra went on to state that Boavista would not look to sit back in the home
leg despite securing a valuable away goal in Glasgow, and recognised Celtic
still provided a big threat.
“We are not going to look for a 0-0,” he declared. “We will try and make the
tie safe.
“Celtic will be more dangerous in Oporto than at their own stadium because
they have to come to score goals.”
Striker Luiz Claudio backed Turra’s sentiments, but argued that Celtic were
no stronger than Portuguese league rivals Porto or Benfica.
“Celtic is a hard rival but I have seen more from Porto or Benfica this
season,” said the Brazilian.
“The key of the match will be in dominating the midfield.
“Boavista is not a team that kicks, but if we have to play hard tonight we
will do it.”
Evening Times
Martin ready to take a gamble by throwing his £6m man a start
MARTIN O’NEILL will turn to the tried and trusted tonight when he attempts
to take a major step into the unknown.
The comfort the Celtic manager takes from knowing he has his best XI on the
field at 8.0pm when the referee blows his whistle to start the Uefa Cup
semi-final with Boavista can’t be quantified.
Which is why Chris Sutton will be back in the team at the expense of Paul
Lambert or perhaps, on this occasion, Stilian Petrov.
“First of all, I will have to see how Chris is” is the attempted haze being
thrown over the subject by O’Neill, who never reveals his hand ahead of any
game, however large or small.
“He didn’t play in the under-21 game on Monday. He is feeling better by the
day, but it’s a difficult one to gauge at the minute.”
Oh yeah? Rest assured, the big Englishman will be asked to make the quantum
leap from five-a-side and seven-a-side games to the Estadio Do Bessa and the
chance to reach a European final.
O’Neill remains a huge fan of the striker whose career he salvaged from the
misery which was Chelsea’s reserves.
Another huge slice of the £6million forked out will be recouped if Sutton
can shake of the rust from a six-week lay-off due to a broken arm and help
put a stranglehold on a place in next month’s Uefa Cup Final in Seville.
It is a big decision taken at a big point in the career of O’Neill. It could
even be described as a defining moment for the 50-something.
Leading a side to the final of a European competition less than three years
after walking through the front door of Celtic Park would be a remarkable
achievement.
Bear in mind, O’Neill’s track record in Europe before accepting Dermot
Desmond’s offer to succeed John Barnes was anything but meritorious. A
couple of attempts to take Leicester beyond the very first rounds were met
with abject failure.
Now, with what must still be described as limited resources, though much
better than he had at Filbert Street, O’Neill can be the first Celtic
manager since Jock Stein to lead a Hoops side to a European final.
Little wonder this most intense man will tonight reach for the comfort
blanket provided by such as Sutton.
It is an amazing piece of good timing that, for the very first time this
season, O’Neill has every one of his first picks available to him.
Indeed, with John Hartson’s rise to prominence since Celtic’s attempt to
crack the Champions League last season, the side does not quite pick itself.
The need to find the net in Oporto will be the deciding factor, and Sutton
is a man who can deliver on the big occasion.
O’Neill is supremely confident whichever side he puts out will manufacture
goals. This is based on history rather than optimism.
He afforded himself a wry smile when he recalled, with just a little bit of
dig: “The players were written off after the first leg of the tie against
Blackburn away back in October.
“But they are still here because of wonderful away performances and scoring
goals.
“The interesting aspect is that they have turned this around because, in the
Champions League, it was the matches away from home and the inability to
score away to Rosenborg and Porto which saw criticism levelled at us.
“They have put that to rest – they are capable of scoring goals and they
have done that throughout this tournament.”
Greater even than his confidence in their scoring ability is O’Neill’s
belief in his players.
His game plan since the day and hour they dumped Liverpool from this very
tournament has been to get them to match that belief in themselves.
After Anfield, O’Neill became convinced they can now hack it with the big
boys. Unusually, he went out of his way to tell that to anyone who would
listen as the psychology increased.
Any Doubting Thomases still lurking within the dressing room would have to
accept conversion if the Holy Grail of reaching the club’s first European
final for 33 years is confirmed later today.
O’Neill, himself a veteran of two successful European Cup runs – one of
which saw him left out of the final by Nottingham Forest manager Brian
Clough – knows how the stature of players and the prestige of a club can be
lifted by success on the European stage, even if this is not the Champions
League.
He expects every player to reach out and strain every sinew to get their
hands on this opportunity, and any negative thoughts associated with fixture
fatigue are dismissed out of hand and mind.
“I don’t think the last month has taken a toll on the players,” O’Neill
snapped when asked to consider the mental and physical aspect of losing in
both domestic cup competitions and failing to make up ground on Rangers in
the title race.
“This is where you want to be and what you want to be doing. If you are
involved in European football in April you can’t ask for much more… Well,
you can actually – you can ask to be playing it in May.
“If you are in it for the glory, which you should be, it couldn’t be better.
So, I don’t think the number of games you have had to play should be a
concern.”
To further emphasise the point, O’Neill continued: “Many teams set out in
this competition. There are only four left, and we have got a chance
tonight.
“The only thing to do now is don’t talk any more about it – let’s go and try
to do something about it.”
The gauntlet thrown down to his players is lying on the dressing room floor
at the Bessa Stadium.
At the other end of the corridor, O’Neill knows the expectation will be even
higher, blasted there by the fact city rivals Porto look to already have one
foot well inside the door of next month’s final.
Imagine, if you will, Rangers leading their semi-final 4-1 after the first
leg, and how much extra pressure to be the ones to face them in the final
that would place at Celtic’s door.
Paradoxically, the fact Boavista are perceived to now be in the
driving seat after returning from Glasgow with a 1-1 draw will
further strain the nerves.
Just to crank it up a further notch, this is their centenary year and every
egg has been put in this particular basket.
Everyone within the Boavista camp knows it would take their fans another 100
years to forgive them if they crack now.
They have already had to endure a season of ridiculously poor league
results, hard to stomach for people who boasted about their side clinching
their first ever title only two seasons ago.
The focus has been fully on reaching their first ever European final.
Many fans argue they have taken this dismissive attitude towards the
domestic fixtures a little too far and point to the fact they are now just
six points off bottom spot and face a season without European competition.
This ‘weekend’ form has been ignored by the shrewd O’Neill, who knows it is
their Thursday shifts which are the true mark of this Boavista side.
How he must envy this chance to devote all their attention to the one prize,
a luxury not afforded Celtic, who, only a few short weeks ago, were aiming
at four trophies and who still intend taking the SPL championship all the
way.
It is to their credit that Sunday’s much-publicised vital game at Ibrox – or
visit to the last chance saloon, if no-one objects to the obvious being
stated – is not even flitting across their minds so focused are the players
on tonight’s job in hand.
It’s quite enough to be going on with, and O’Neill’s final words as his
players prepare to take the field could conceivably be: Don’t come out
second best to Boavista or the importance of the occasion.
Highly strung himself, and sure to be bouncing about the technical area for
the entire match, O’Neill accepted: “Players are naturally nervous about
games like this.
“But I don’t think the tension will overcome them. We know what we have to
do, and that is the most important thing.
“I don’t think it will be the tension of the situation that will determine
the outcome of the game.”
So, if the nerve holds, and it should, the scalp of Boavista can be added to
the impressive list already assembled, very possibly by a scoreline of 2-1.
The dream of a second European trophy for Celtic would then be that
penultimate step closer.
evening times
Celta and Liverpool couldn’t stop us – nor will Boavista
JOHN HARTSON today predicted Celtic are not about to let the poorest side
they have faced in any of the last four rounds prevent them from reaching
the Uefa Cup Final.
The fired-up Welsh striker acknowledges Boavista are a major hurdle to be
overcome if the Hoops are to book their place in the Final in Seville on May
21. The 1-1 draw from the first leg has given the advantage very much to the
Portuguese.
But, Hartson and his team-mates are confident they will score tonight, as
they have done in each of their previous five away ties.
The Welshman has grabbed two of the nine they have hit in second leg ties,
including the spectuacular one at Liverpool which sealed their passage to
the semi-final.
By contrast, Boavista find hitting the back of the net a major problem and
their lack of firepower has been at the root of their disastrous season in
the league, scoring just 26 goals – two less than they have conceded and
fewer than any other team in the Portuguese league.
In their Uefa Cup run, Boavista have managed to squeeze through on away
goals in two previous rounds against PSG and Hertha Berlin, and needed a
penalty shoot-out to defeat Malaga in the quarter-final.
All of which should help boost the confidence of Celtic which manager Martin
O’Neill insists is already at a healthy level.
Hartson reckons they can go into the tie with hopes high for good reason.
He said: “The manager has watched the video of the first leg and he told us
that we played some really good stuff.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the breaks or the goals at the right times.”
Hartson, who will partner Henrik Larsson in attack tonight, with Chris
Sutton set to support them on his return from injury, continued: “Ideally,
we’d have preferred to have gone into the second leg with a two or three
goal lead.
“But, knowing that it is 1-1, we have to pull a result out of the bag.
“The bottom line is we know we have to score.
“If we don’t, we are out anyway as they have the away goal.”
Which Hartson reckons could lead to something of a dilemma for Jaime
Pacheco’s side in front of a home crowd which will be full of high
expectation.
He said: “I don’t know if they will have a go or sit in and think the 0-0
draw from Parkhead will be enough.
“I’d imagine they would be a bit more positive at home. Their supporters
will want to see the beat us and go on to the final.
“But, I don’t think they possess the quality Vigo and Liverpool had. That
was plain to see in the first leg.
“Having said that, they are still a good side. They have beaten some good
teams to get to the semi-final and we will have to give them respect.
“I don’t really know what their home form is like, but I do know that our
away form has been good.
“We have scored in every Uefa Cup tie this season so there is no reason why
we can’t snatch a couple of goals.”
Manager O’Neill is confident they can do just that and Hartson would be
happy if everyone took a leaf out of the boss’s book.
He said: “The manager really believes in us. He knows what we are capable
of. Sometimes, we the players need to believe in ourselves a little bit
more.
Meanwhile, Boavista have narrowed their pitch ahead of tonight’s game
