GREECE QUALIFIES FOR THE WORLD CUP!!! ZHTO H HELLAS

Greece beats Ukraine 1-0 to qualify for World Cup

DONETSK, Ukraine (AP): Greece advanced to its first World Cup in 16 years on Wednesday, beating Ukraine 1-0 after Dimitrios Salpigidis' first-half goal in the second leg.

The Panathinaikos striker scored in the 31st minute after receiving a pass from Celtic forward Georgios Samaras to give the Greeks a 1-0 win on aggregate to reach next year's tournament in South Africa.

The countries played out a 0-0 draw on Saturday in the first leg in Athens.

Ukraine applied huge pressure in the second half but, at the end of the match, Salpigidis knelt on the turf in tears and was hugged by teammates. Moments later, the players formed a circle in the middle of the ground and danced in celebration before briefly lifting up coach Otto Rehhagel.

"This is a huge win and we're celebrating it," Salpigidis said. "We've heard a lot of criticism during the qualifiers and this is an answer to our critics. We never stopped believing in ourselves and we've made it."

Greece, the surprise winner of the 2004 European Championship, last reached the World Cup in 1994, at the United States. It was eliminated after three straight defeats, like it was at Euro 2008 at Austria and Switzerland.

"I'm pleased for the guys," Rehhagel said. "I told them no hill was too high, and they played with passion and commitment. "Ukraine played a very good game. We weren't able to break up Ukraine's game as well as we hoped, but we hit them once on the break."

The hosts started the better and carved out the first chance in the eighth minute when Shevchenko shot just wide after Oleksandr Aliev's shot had been parried.

Greece's first chance fell three minutes later to Samaras, who headed a cross from Salpingidis over the crossbar. The game was mostly concentrated in the middle of the pitch with both teams looking well organized at the back.

Greece goalkeeper Alexandros Tsorvas dived to his left to save a free kick from Aliev in the 18th, before Salpingidis scuffed a left-footed shot wide at the other end a minute later after finding space in the penalty box.

The breakthrough came when Samaras played the ball through the last line of defense for Salpingidis to calmly slot home into the corner.

"I'm so happy," Greece midfielder Angelos Charisteas said. "This is a huge moment. We've made it to South Africa on a beautiful goal."

Ukraine was finding clear-cut chances hard to come by as the Greeks packed their defense. Ukraine captain Andriy Shevchenko controlled the ball well inside the area in the 40th minute, but pulled his right-footed shot across the face of the goal.

Ukraine could have equalized just before the break when Aliev's free kick fell to Shevchenko five meters (yards) out, but his shot ricocheted wide off a teammate.

With the away goal advantage meaning Ukraine now had to score twice, Greece came out in the second half to defend, putting men behind the ball and quickly closing down any Ukrainian in possession.

Ukraine started to apply pressure but were restricted to long-range efforts. Tsorvas made a diving save to block a 25-meter (yard) free kick from Yaroslav Rakitskiy in the 55th minute, and again five minutes later from Shevchenko's drive.

Ukraine substitute Yevhen Seleznyov turned well on the edge of the area in the 60th, but his shot flew just wide of the post. The best chance fell to Andriy Yarmolenko in the 68th minute. The ball fell to him in the area but his shot was too close to the goalkeeper.

Greece's only chances came on the counterattack, with substitute Theofanis Gekas losing control of the ball under pressure from a defender when through on goal.

Ukraine's Anatoliy Tymoshchuk sent a shot from 20 meters (yards) well over the bar in the 85th, and Greece was through when Ukraine substitute Oleh Husev then prodded a shot wide from five meters (yards) out in stoppage time.

"It is very painful for me that it has ended this way as I felt we deserved to qualify for the World Cup," Ukraine coach Oleksiy Mykhailychenko said. "It's a shame we didn't have quite enough skill and creativity. I don't have any complaints about our players, they gave everything they had but it wasn't enough."

Lineups:

Ukraine: Andriy Piatov, Yaroslav Rakytskiy, Oleksandr Kucher, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Evhen Khacheridi, Andriy Shevchenko, Oleksandr Aliyev (Yevgen Seleznov, 57), Artem Milevskiy, Andriy Yarmolenko (Oleg Husev, 69), Vasyl Kobin, Taras Mykhalyk (Oleksiy Gay, 66).

Greece: Alexandros Tsorvas, Nikos Spiropoulos, Loukas Vintra, Sotirios Kyriakos, Evangelos Moras, Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Vassilis Pliatsikas, 29), Georgios Samaras (Theofanis Gekas, 63), Georgios Karagounis, Konstantinos Katsouranis, Angelos Charisteas (Alexandros Tsiolis, 71), Dimitrios Salpigidis.

Let's bring back memories from 2004!!!