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CHELSEA FC: EURO 2008: AND THEN THERE WAS ONE

/noticias.info/ Michael Ballack is the last remaining player from the current Chelsea squad in the European Championships. He will lead Germany in the semi-finals following a 3-2 win over Portugal.

Luiz Felipe Scolari has managed his last game before taking over at Chelsea having seen his side valiantly reduce a two-goal deficit twice in the game but ultimately fall short.

It was Ballack's second-half goal, his second of the tournament, that proved the winner and defeated Scolari for the first time in an international quarter-final.

The game was an enthralling one, the relaid pitch in Basel causing no obvious problems and it was José Bosingwa who showed first from the Chelsea players involved; Portugal failing to make the most of two whipped-in crosses from the right by our new signing.

The right-back's runs forward were a feature throughout and those crosses were the most penetrating attacks of a technically proficient opening to the game. However just two minutes after the second one and with 22 minutes on the clock, Germany cut Portugal to pieces on the break for Bastian Schweinsteiger to open the scoring.

Ballack's ball with the outside of his foot was important, Lukas Podolski running past Bosingwa to cross. Schweinsteiger, who had escaped from Paulo Ferreira, finished at the near post for one of goals of the tournament.

Scolari's pre-match fears over the high ball and high opposition proved founded just four minutes later when Miroslav Klose headed in Schweinsteiger's free-kick.

Portugal could have wilted but orchestrated by Deco, they steadily took the upperhand and from an attack initiated by the Barcelona midfielder, they scored with five minutes of the first-half remaining. Jens Lehmann's block on a ball from the otherwise low-profile Cristiano Ronaldo fell fortuitously for Nuno Gomes to finish.

Ballack, who had headed a difficult chance over before any scoring, went close in the closing seconds of the half when an on-target shot was fielded by Ricardo down by the post.

The Chelsea man only needed to wait until the 61st minute to find the net and it was echoes of the German second when another Schweinsteiger free-kick from deep was headed in by the captain after a suspicion of a push on Ferreira with the keeper committed.

Germany had abandoned the 4-4-2 of their group games for more of a 4-2-3-1 shape and it appeared to suit Ballack whose performance behind striker Klose was as good as anyone's.

There was late drama when substitute Helder Postiga closed the gap to a single goal with three minutes remaining but the Germans held on.

They will play the winners of tomorrow's match between Croatia and Turkey on Wednesday. notas_de_prensa_archivo