Between 5.10 and 5.30 p.m. yesterday, there could not have been a more miserable place to be for a Portuguese man than the Vasco Da Gama Club.

A flickering, stuttering picture on the big screen, innocent children putting their heads in front of the projector screen, a ?fan? running onto the pitch to slow the game down and throwing his flag at the nation?s captain ? and their pride and joy defeated by the Greeks for the second time in a month at Euro 2004.

All the pre-match talk from the Azoreans was of 3-0 victories against a gift of a final opponent, a team ? only winning matches in a major tournament for the first time ? who were just grateful to be there.

The air horns, flag waving and cheering that greeted the Portuguese national anthem were from fans confident of an easy victory.

?We have been getting better each game,? said one. ?This is going to be an easy,? said another.

But their idols were beaten by a Herculean effort from a group of heroes who found the Achilles? heel of the host nation and won a victory as epic ? and, no doubt, as likely to inspire as many films ? as that at Troy.

The indifferent first half solicited some level of moaning from each of the cavernous rooms of the Portuguese community?s headquarters but the atmosphere remained positive and the impromptu half-time drum performance was indicative of the attitude of the fans who were sure the host nation would be victorious.

But the many supporters who crammed in to the Reid Street club ? ranging from babes in arms to grandparents and covering what looked like the whole spectrum of incomes and social classes ? were to have their afternoon ruined.

Just as they were tucking into their half-time local specialities, Angelos Charisteas popped up to score and the whole room was left crying into their red bean soup.

The introduction of Rui Costa and Nuno Gomes won cheers. Ronaldo, losing the ball again after trying one too many step-over, only solicited boos.

It was a humiliating afternoon for the Portuguese whose defeat in what they thought was an assured victory in their first major soccer final was as frustrating ? although not quite as ill-tempered ? as their extra-time semi-final exit to France last time around.