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Lisbon — Chalk up another penalty shootout nightmare for England. But credit Portugal for a gutsy performance and taking the game to the visitors.

The host Portuguese became the first team to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2004, defeating England 6-5 in a penalty thriller Thursday after the match finished 2-2 after extra time.

A seesaw match ended in a shootout after 120 minutes of end-to-end soccer and drama at Benfica's Stadium of Light.

"This win, after everything that happened during this game, was truly spectacular," said Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. "I have to go and get my heart checked it was so thrilling."

Thousands of people poured into the streets of towns and cities across Portugal to celebrate. Traffic stopped along Lisbon's main Avenida de Liberdade as fans thronged the road.

Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo stopped England's Darius Vassell to tie the penalty shootout at 5-5 and set the stage for his own dramatic spot kick. Ricardo stepped up and smashed the winning penalty past England 'keeper David James.

Ricardo had been a controversial pick in goal by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, replacing veteran Vitor Baia on the squad.

Captain David Beckham was the only other England player to miss a penalty, ballooning the first attempt of the shootout high over the crossbar.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was asked whether Beckham blamed himself for the loss.

"I talked to the squad in the dressing room after the game," Eriksson said. "He might do that, maybe.

Calgary-raised midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who came on as a substitute to win his 22nd cap, coolly connected for England in the shootout.

Deco, Simao, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Maniche and Helder Postiga all scored for the Portuguese from the penalty spot while Rui Costa missed. Michael Owen, Frank Lampard, John Terry and Ashley Cole also connected for England.

"During the penalties God was with us," said Ronaldo, Portugal's 19-year-old winger. "We have to celebrate this moment. It was wonderful the way the people supported us from inside and outside the stadium.

"We believed in ourselves throughout the game. Over the 90 [minutes] we were better than the English."

Portugal dominated possession, 61 per cent to 39 for England.

England has a history of penalty shootout heartbreaks. Gareth Southgate's miss ended England's Euro 96 campaign in the semifinals against Germany. And Stu Pearce missed a World Cup semifinal shootout penalty against Germany in the semifinal of Italia 90, although he redeemed himself at Euro 96.

The English also lost a penalty shootout to Argentina in the 1998 World Cup in France.

"It's a big disappointment and it always seems to happen to us," Owen said. "Tournaments come along every two years so you can't expect to win everything.

"But going out on penalties again is a bitter blow — although they put theirs away really well."

England lost teenage star Wayne Rooney in the 27th minute with an injury to his right ankle and the Everton striker went to hospital for an X-ray.

Rooney, who shares the tournament scoring lead with four goals, picked up the injury after Portugal defender Jorge Andrade stepped on his foot as they both chased a loose ball.

England was ahead 1-0 at the time, after defender Costinha failed to deal with a long clearance from James and headed the ball towards his own goal and into the path of Owen.

The Liverpool striker, who had gone four games without a goal, had his back to goal but, with only Ricardo to beat, managed to flick the ball over his head with his right foot for his first goal in Euro 2004 but 26th in England colours.

The game was forced into extra time when Helder Postiga pulled Portugal even in the 83rd minute, scoring on a header that went in over the outstretched hands of James.

England seemed to have won the match in the 90th minute when Owen knocked a header off the crossbar. As it came down in the area, England defender Sol Campbell leaped near the goal-line and headed the ball into the net.

However, referee Urs Meier of Switzerland disallowed the goal, ruling defender John Terry had pushed a Portuguese defender.

"The referee decided, you can't do anything about that," Eriksson said.

On Friday, Greece faces defending champion France in the second quarter-final at Lisbon's Jose Alvalade stadium (TSN, 2:45 p.m. EDT). On Saturday in Faro, Sweden takes on the Netherlands. On Sunday in Porto, the Czech Republic meets Denmark.

The first semifinal is June 30 at Lisbon's Jose Alvalade. Portugal will face either Sweden or the Netherlands.

Lampard tied the enthralling match 2-2 in the 25th minute of extra time, scoring after a corner kick landed in the area. Lampard swirled and scored on a right-footed shot from six yards.

Portugal's Rui Costa appeared to have scored the winner in the 20th minute of extra time, a powerful shot from 18 yards that hit the crossbar on the underside and went behind James to make it 2-1.

In news off the field on Thursday, Germany's Rudi Voeller became the first coaching casualty of the tournament after Germany was ousted from the first round of the championship for the second time in a row.

Germany was beaten 2-1 by a Czech Republic "B" team on Wednesday, a crushing blow for the three-time European and three-time World Cup champions.

"I am stepping down," Voeller told a news conference at the team's training camp at Almancil on the south coast of Portugal.

"The [federation] president was surprised and wanted me to remain but I told him that it wouldn't work."

Ottmar Hitzfeld, fired by Bayern Munich at the end of last season, appears the leading candidate for the job.

Voeller's resignation is like an action replay of Euro 2000 when the man he replaced, Erich Ribbeck, quit after the Germans finished last in their group.

Under Voeller, the Germans bounced back by reaching the final of the 2002 World Cup, losing 2-0 to Brazil. But the loss to the Czechs and ties with the Netherlands and Latvia means they have not beaten a European team in a major championship since they beat the Czechs in the final of Euro '96.

Euro 2004, quarter-final

Scorers:

Portugal - Helder Postiga 83, Rui Costa 110

England - Michael Owen 3, Frank Lampard 115

Halftime: 0-1; 90 mins: 1-1; 120 mins: 2-2

Teams:

Portugal (4-3-3): 1-Ricardo; 13-Miguel (10-Rui Costa 79), 16-Ricardo Carvalho, 4-Jorge Andrade, 14-Nuno Valente; 6-Costinha (11-Simao Sabrosa 63), 18-Maniche, 20-Deco; 7-Luis Figo (23-Helder Postiga 75), 17-Cristiano Ronaldo, 21-Nuno Gomes.

England (4-4-2): 1-David James; 2-Gary Neville, 5-John Terry, 6-Sol Campbell, 3-Ashley Cole; 7-David Beckham, 11-Frank Lampard, 4-Steven Gerrard (18-Owen Hargeaves 81), 8-Paul Scholes (14-Phil Neville 57); 9-Wayne Rooney (23-Darius Vassell 27), 10-Michael Owen.

Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)

Linesmen: Francesco Buragina (Switzerland), Rudolf Kappeli (Switzerland)

PENALTY KICKS

David Beckham (ENG) missed 0-0

0-1 Deco (POR) scored

Michael Owen (ENG) scored 1-1

1-2 Simao Sabrosa (POR) scored

Frank Lampard (ENG) scored 2-2

2-2 Rui Costa (POR) missed

John Terry (ENG) scored 3-2

3-3 Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) scored

Owen Hargreaves (ENG) scored 4-3

4-4 Maniche (POR) scored

Ashley Cole (ENG) scored 5-4

5-5 Helder Postiga (POR) scored

Darius Vassell (ENG) missed 5-5

5-6 Ricardo (POR) scored