NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Football

5 things to know about the Greece-Romania playoff

AP
14 Nov, 2013 10:19 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greece wants to build on a decade of football achievement, and Romania hopes to restore past glory after years of frustration.

Both are teams with few individual stars that rely on a strong group ethic, but only one of them will make it to the World Cup in Brazil.

Here are five things to know about the World Cup qualification playoff between Greece and Romania:

___

TOP RUNNER-UP

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

With eight victories in qualification, Greece was Europe's top performing runner-up, losing out on goal difference to Bosnia.

Greece coach Fernando Santos says his team now has an "obligation" to prevail in the playoffs to ensure their hard work is rewarded and to lift the spirits of their crisis-hit country.

Greece has been a regular at major tournaments since its shock victory at the 2004 European Championship, and Santos says he is certain his players will overcome a recent run of uninspiring appearances.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We will play with heart," the 59-year-old Portuguese coach said. "There is feeling of confidence and belief in our squad. The Romanians have an excellent team, but I believe that in the end we will qualify."

___

REGAINING GLORY

Romania had a tougher time in a qualification group dominated by the Netherlands, though ultimately managed to sideline Turkey and Hungary to finish second.

Now coach Victor Piturca has a chance to regain some of the glory of the 1990s after his country emerged from a bloody revolution and inspired the football world, led by Gheorghe Hagi.

Romania reached the quarterfinals at the 1994 World Cup but has been absent from the global competition since 1998, when members of the squad famously dyed their hair blonde before one match.

Piturca, who spent his coaching career jumping between Steaua Bucharest and the national side, is back in charge of his country for a third time and is promising to break a generation-long streak of near-misses.

___

CAPTAIN, NO CAPTAIN

Piturca hasn't had the best of luck recently.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Romania captain Vlad Chiriches fractured his nose while playing for Tottenham against Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday.

"He's a valuable player and he'll be missed," Piturca said, adding that Florin Gardos is likely to fill in as center back.

First-choice goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu is also fighting a back injury, forcing the late inclusion of Manchester City's Costel Pantilimon to the squad.

Greece has fewer injury worries, except for the long-term absence of Germany-based defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos, who has been out for nearly a year after a knee operation.

Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis, with 129 appearances, has sustained his career since moving to Fulham last year and could be key to Santos' plans for a tightly controlled match on Friday.

___

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

ALL ZEROS

The Greeks are well known for their low-scoring victories and impenetrable defense, conceding only four goals during qualification. The record has left both coaches to openly contemplate the merits of a scoreless encounter in Piraeus.

"We do hope to score, but 0-0 would not be a bad result for us," said Piturca, to which Santos replied: "We have many experienced players who know how to win a game without conceding at home. That is what we are hoping to achieve."

Greece's best scoring hope lays with towering forward Kostas Mitroglou, who has netted 14 of unbeaten Olympiakos' 34 goals in the league this season.

Romania will have a historical advantage Friday, having won 17 of its 30 matches against Greece and holding them to a draw on eight occasions.

The Romanians also ended Santos' 17-game unbeaten run with a 3-1 friendly win in 2011.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

___

VETERAN VALUE

Adrian Mutu is arguably Romania's best known player, having played at Chelsea and Juventus.

But the 34-year-old striker who currently plays on the island of Corsica for French club Ajaccio was passed over for the playoffs.

Santos, however, is seeking out his veterans. He recalled 33-year-old striker Fanis Gekas, while his playoff lineup includes two veterans from the winning 2004 team: 36-year-old Karagounis and 34-year-old Costas Katsouranis, a defensive midfielder who has played for his country 107 times.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Football

live
All Whites

All Whites v Ukraine: NZ hit back with equaliser

10 Jun 10:25 PM
All Whites

All Whites' Chris Wood has reached an unlikely Premier League peak – at age 33

10 Jun 07:08 PM
All Whites

All Whites stun Ivory Coast for notable win as Fifa World Cup countdown begins

08 Jun 02:09 AM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Football

All Whites v Ukraine: NZ hit back with equaliser
live

All Whites v Ukraine: NZ hit back with equaliser

10 Jun 10:25 PM

Live updates of the Canadian Shield match between the All Whites and Ukraine.

All Whites' Chris Wood has reached an unlikely Premier League peak – at age 33

All Whites' Chris Wood has reached an unlikely Premier League peak – at age 33

10 Jun 07:08 PM
All Whites stun Ivory Coast for notable win as Fifa World Cup countdown begins

All Whites stun Ivory Coast for notable win as Fifa World Cup countdown begins

08 Jun 02:09 AM
David Beckham to be awarded knighthood – reports

David Beckham to be awarded knighthood – reports

07 Jun 12:57 AM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP