Soccer win gives Greece an Olympic boost

　　Just seconds after Greece won an improbable European Championship， church bells rang and cars clogged the streets of every city and hamlet.

　　Everywhere was a sea of blue and white - the colors of the Greek flag. Drivers blared horns. People yelled from balconies. Fireworks made some places seem like war zones.

　　Greeks filled with pride and patriotism partied， celebrating their national team＇s surprising 1-0 win over host Portugal in the finals Sunday. It was a much-needed triumph for a nation dealing with the grueling and costly preparations for next month＇s Olympics.

　　The powerful national high comes at a time when Greek taxpayers are grumbling about huge Olympic bills and security officials are facing nonstop pressure to satisfy international concerns.

　　Olympic organizers hope the soccer fervor would spill over to the Aug.13-29 Games. Ticket sales have been sluggish and the blitz of work in Athens has made many people see the games more as a long headache rather than a glorious homecoming.

　　Nearly every top official in Greece - including the head of the Olympic organizing committee - traveled to Portugal to watch the final match and proclaim that the success would unleash newfound Olympic spirit.

　　They didn＇t allow a goal in wins over powerhouse France， the Czech Republic and Portugal. Premier Costas Caramanlis jumped up and down in the stands after Angelos Charisteas scored in the 57th minute， heading in a corner kick.

　　Newspapers dubbed the team the ″Greek gods.″ Dozens of special charter flights took fans to Portugal to witness ″the dream″ - as many Greeks have started calling the victory. (www.chinadaily.com.cn)