Third time lucky in final for Portugal and England?
Thursday, July 13, 2017
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Portugal and England have both lost two Under-19 finals as they prepare to meet in the 2017 decider with one team guaranteed to lift the trophy for the first time.
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Both Portugal and England are hoping it will be third time lucky when they meet in the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final at the Gori Stadium with each having lost both their previous finals. UEFA.com turns the clock back to those matches.
2003: Italy 2-0 Portugal
A squad featuring future senior internationals João Pereira and Hugo Almeida had been in fine form in Liechtenstein, reaching the final unbeaten with Paulo Sérgio scoring five times and Almeida and Pedro Pereira twice apiece. Portugal had rattled in 14 goals in their four games en route to the final, but Italy – with whom they had played out a 1-1 draw in the group stage – held them at bay at Vaduz's Rheinpark Stadion, Giampaolo Pazzini scoring the second goal as an Azzurrini team also including Giorgio Chiellini and Alberto Aquilani triumphed.
2005: England 1-3 France
England had needed an 83rd-minute goal from David Wheater against Norway to reach the knockout stages, before a Matty Fryatt hat-trick took them past Serbia and Montenegro in the semi-finals and into a reunion against a France side with whom they had shared a 1-1 draw to open the tournament. Lee Holmes' deflected first-half strike looked to have put England on course at a rainswept Windsor Park, but a France team boasting Hugo Lloris, Yohan Cabaye, Yoann Gourcuff and Abou Diaby roared back after half-time to take the trophy.
2009: England 0-2 Ukraine
Having reached the last four with a record 7-1 win against Slovenia, England got the better of France after extra time in the semis, with a side boasting Kyle Walker, Danny Drinkwater and Danny Welbeck impressing. No hosts had ever won the Under-19s but Ukraine's progress to the final drew a crowd of more than 25,000 to the RSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Donetsk, the majority going home happy after watching the home side ease to victory.
2014: Portugal 0-1 Germany
Portugal were in fine form in the group stage, running in 11 goals in winning all three matches, and, though they needed penalties to get past Serbia in the semi-finals after a goalless draw, Hélio Sousa's team looked strong enough to claim the trophy for the first time. André Silva took most of the headlines with five goals, with Marcos Lopes chipping in with two and Gelson Martins – like Silva, now a senior international – also in the squad, but once again the final proved a hurdle too far as Germany took the trophy.
