Portugal beaten by Smolarek double

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CHORZOW, Poland -- A first half double by striker Ebi Smolarek gave Poland a shock 2-1 win over Group A favorites Portugal in their Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday.

The victory was Poland's first against Portugal since Smolarek's father Wlodzimierz scored the only goal in a group stage clash at the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico and was also revenge for a 4-0 drubbing in the 2002 finals in Korea.

The win gives the Poles seven points from four games and fourth place in Group A behind Serbia, Finland and Belgium on goal difference. Portugal have four points from three games.

"We have made a step forward. Compared to the games against Finland and Serbia we played much better," said Poland coach Leo Beenhakker.

"The tactics were to stop the Portuguese from playing in the middle. The team carried out the strategy 100 percent."

A revitalised Poland, under fire after taking just one point from games against Serbia and Finland, defended well from the start, breaking up Portugal's passing game and breaking forward at speed with every opportunity.

Smolarek opened the scoring in the 10th minute, firing the ball high into the net from a tight angle after goalkeeper Ricardo failed to hold a Mariusz Lewandowski drive.

He added a second seven minutes later, driving the ball past Ricardo from 15 metres after striker Grzegorz Rasiak had taken advantage of a defensive mix-up deep in the Portuguese half.

Nuno Gomes gave the Portuguese a consolation strike a minute into injury time at the end of the second half.

"The Poles were very well prepared physically," said Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. "They showed amazing hunger. And we made mistakes in marking."

Beenhakker said before the game that he would take inspiration from Scotland's defensive performance in their 1-0 win over France at the weekend. But, roared on by a capacity crowd, it was the Poles who had most of the chances.

Before the interval Maciej Zurawski drove against the post from 18 meters with Ricardo stranded and more free-flowing attacking in the second half saw winger Jakub Blaszczykowski, Lewandowski and Smolarek all go close.

Portugal had more possession but the Polish defence dealt easily with crosses delivered by wingers Simao and Cristiano Ronaldo and the visitors looked bereft of ideas for most of the second half.

Their only clear chances came in the last 10 minutes of the game, with Ronaldo pushing the ball wide of the post from inside the box before Nuno Gomes got them on the scoresheet.

"The only problem I have is that now the players go away to their clubs and I have no guarantee how they will look in five weeks when we play Belgium," Beenhakker said.

Serbia took command of the group when three goals in the second half earned a comfortable 3-0 victory over Armenia.

They missed a flurry of early chances, but Serbia's offensive game finally paid off in the 54th minute when a charging Zigic was fouled in the box, Dejan Stankovic converting.

Substitute Danko Lazovic made it 2-0 after 62 minutes, heading in an inviting cross from Ivica Dragutinovic.

Armenia had midfielder Rafik Nazaryan sent off for a second booking after 76 minutes and man-of-the-match Zigic crowned a superb display with a diving header in stoppage time.

Serbia have 10 points from their opening four games, two more than second-placed Finland, for whom Jari Litmanen and Sami Hyypia scored in a 2-0 win over Kazakhstan at Almaty's Central stadium.

Mikael Forssell, playing in place of injured striker Jonatan Johansson, set up Litmanen to open the scoring in the 27th minute.

The 35-year-old Litmanen, in his 106th international, took a corner in the 65th and Hyypia scored the second goal with a header.

Kazakhstan, who started with a five-man midfield, resorted to a long-ball game that rarely troubled Finland's central defenders Hyypia and Hannu Tihinen.

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