ATHENS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Greece's national soccer team started its trip to Brazil this week for the 2014 World Cup amidst hopes to build on past successes.
With little to show in their football history in comparison with other squads, Greeks are often dismissed as outsiders by bookmakers in major tournaments.
But their 2004 surprise triumph in the European Championship and their qualification in two previous World Cups (in the United States in 1994 and in South Africa in 2010) and Brazil this year indicate, according to frenzy Greek football fans, that "miracles are always possible".
The team left Athens on Friday after completing the first phase of preparation ahead of the tournament for a string of friendly matches in Portugal and the United States before their opening crucial game against Colombia in mid-June.
Presenting the players which comprise Greece's 23-member squad in a recent press conference, Fernando Santos, the Portuguese coach, who led Greece to its second consecutive qualification in a World Cup in four years, expressed confidence for their performance in the upcoming tournament.
"Since we have to choose a 23-member team I opted for a balanced team in all aspects. As we see there are three goalkeepers, seven defenders, seven midfielders and six forwards. We have players who can play in different positions than their usual if necessary. This will be very useful during the games," Santos said.
In Group C, Greece face Colombia, Japan and Cote d'Ivoire. It is considered the most evenly matched quartet.
The initial goal is to advance past the group stage. Greeks didn't make it in their past two appearances in a World Cup. It would be the best farewell for Santos who is stepping down after the tournament -- after four years in the post -- to continue his career in club football again.
He took over German Otto Rehhagel who led Greeks to their biggest sporting achievement in the country's history for a men's team sport -- the win of the 2004 Euro title when they beat hosts Portugal.
With a good knowledge of Greek football culture since he has managed several Greek clubs over the past decade, Santos continued to build on the same path.
In Brazil, Santos sees all four squads in Group C having even shares of possibilities to further qualify. He is most impressed by the Japanese.
"We have started our preparation to be ready for the beginning of Mundial games in a group which is quite balanced in my opinion. We are facing Colombia, Japan and the Cote d'Ivoire. My assistants and I had the opportunity to watch several games of all three teams. We have analyzed very well our opponents and we believe we have traced each team's advantages as well as weak points where we can focus our attacks," he said.
"The truth is that watching all these games I was pleasantly surprised by Japan. I believe this is what we call a team," he added.
"All players are in fine condition, ready for the big trip to do the most for Greece," Panagiotis Tachtsidis, Greek player, said during training in Athens recently.
"I believe that the first match is the key. If we win the first game then as we have seen several times even with four points teams qualify in the next phase. Therefore the first game is the key," another Greece player Socrates Papastathopoulos added.
In a country where football first appeared about a century ago to become the national sport, ingraining itself into national culture, a large majority of fans seem obsessed.
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