Joy for 'Little Portugal'

On the streets of "Little Portugal", the final penalty kicked off the party to end all parties.

An evening that so many times looked like ending in the melancholy of a traditional "fado" folk song instead turned Stockwell into a red and green carnival that rivalled the celebrations in Lisbon's Rossio Square.

Hundreds of fans poured out of the packed Portuguese café³ and restaurants along Stockwell Road creating scenes of joy mixed with disbelief; waving flags and singing as cars bearing the national colours created a lively parade into the early hours.

"I'm still shaking," said secondary school teacher Ana da Silva, 26. "I can't believe it. It was an amazing match, I didn't think I was going to get through it." More than 250 expats had squeezed into the Cantinho de Portugal, with Portuguese flags doubling as head scarves, capes and even skirts - and trumpets setting up a confident party tone in the run-up to kick-off.

There was not one "bife" - Portuguese for steak, as they call the English. "This is without a doubt one of the biggest games in our history," said labourer Alcindo Machado, 41. "It's like a real final."

But within minutes party-pooper Michael Owen had put the ball past their goalkeeper. A stunned threesecond silence was followed by screams, tears and eventually the first defiant chants of "Por-tu-gal!"

At half-time the fear of a heartbreak was overwhelming. "This is going to be too close," said 37-yearold Francisco Freitas. The second half and a string of dangerous attacks brought the virtually untranslatable rhyming tune: "A plane/ a plane/ a plane went by/ and on it was written that Portugal are the champions!"

Then in the 83rd minute the equaliser came - and the Cantinho exploded into one huge wave of joy. "Just one more goal!" became the chant. A second goal by Rui Costa in extra time turned joy into madness before Frank Lampard's equaliser brought tears and smashed glasses.

For the next minutes most stayed in silence; some hugging in groups, others on their knees in prayer on the floor, most looking away. And then goalkeeper Ricardo smashed in his penalty, and for the third and final time the party began.