Euro 2008 - Quarterfinals: The Netherlands Choke Again, Russia Continues The Dream
June 22nd 2008 01:26
Watching the game, it was as if both teams had swapped identities – Russia was the fast team, countering on the break while the Netherlands were unable to do anything, getting their only goal on a set-piece (pretty much like Russia's performance against Spain).
What struck me first in the game's early stages was the lack of overlapping runs by both teams' fullbacks. It seemed like neither defense wanted to be the first to expose themselves to a counterattack. The match finally opened up after the 20-minute mark but the half still ended 0-0 despite some decent chances for Russia. The Netherlands couldn't get anything going as Van Nistelrooy had Denis Kolodin sticking to him like a piece of gum while Van Der Vaart and Sneijder's long-range efforts were easy pickings for Igor Akinfeev.
Marco Van Basten used his first substitution at half-time, replacing Dirk Kuyt by Robin Van Persie in an effort to liven up the midfield. The impact was almost immediate as Van Nistelrooy nicely combined with the substitute but Van Persie's shot went way wide of the mark and he would never be that dangerous for the rest of the game. At the 54th minute, John Heitinga replaced Khalid Boulahrouz on the right side of the Dutch defense. Boulahrouz never seemed to get in the game, perhaps still reeling from the loss of his premature daughter a couple of days ago. He had been a pillar of strength in that side of the field during the group stage and his substitution quickly changed the tempo of the match as Russian left-back Yuri Zhirkov could finally support the attack by moving up the wing. In fact, two of the Russian goals would come from the left. At the 56th minute (two minutes after Heitinga's entrance), Sergei Semak burst down the left wing and delivered a perfect cross to the near post where Roman Pavlyuchenko volleyed the ball past an helpless Van Der Sar. And at the 112th minute, Andrei Arshavin would do the same, this time crossing to the far post where Dimitri Torbinski tapped in Russia's winning-goal. But let's go back to regulation time.
After Russia's first goal, Van Basten proceeded to his last substitution, taking out defensive midfielder Orlando Engelaar for attacking midfielder Ibrahim Afellay. I don't understand why he didn't put Robben on the field instead of inexperienced Afellay. Anyways, the change didn't bring anything new to the table as the Dutch still couldn't penetrate Russia's 18-yard box. But they still managed to get some free-kicks in areas where Van Der Vaart, Sneijder, and Van Persie could all do some damage. Finally, at the 86th minute, their free-kick finally connected when Sneijder's cross found Van Nistelrooy's head at the far post. With four minutes left to play, it was clear that both teams were headed to extra-time.
In extra-time, it was still the Russians who came up with the best scoring opportunities (Pavlyuchenko once again hit the post, I think it was his third post/crossbar of the tournament). Consequently, they were the ones who scored at the 112th and at the 116th minute after great runs by Andrei Arshavin.
So after a rocking start, the Netherlands have crashed and burned once again, cementing their reputation of underachievers. Russia, meanwhile, are getting better and better with every game they win. They have reached the semifinals and now, everything is possible.
My man of the match: Andrei Arshavin. This guy is a star in the making. One goal, one assist, and a real pain in the ass for the Dutch defense.
What struck me first in the game's early stages was the lack of overlapping runs by both teams' fullbacks. It seemed like neither defense wanted to be the first to expose themselves to a counterattack. The match finally opened up after the 20-minute mark but the half still ended 0-0 despite some decent chances for Russia. The Netherlands couldn't get anything going as Van Nistelrooy had Denis Kolodin sticking to him like a piece of gum while Van Der Vaart and Sneijder's long-range efforts were easy pickings for Igor Akinfeev.
Marco Van Basten used his first substitution at half-time, replacing Dirk Kuyt by Robin Van Persie in an effort to liven up the midfield. The impact was almost immediate as Van Nistelrooy nicely combined with the substitute but Van Persie's shot went way wide of the mark and he would never be that dangerous for the rest of the game. At the 54th minute, John Heitinga replaced Khalid Boulahrouz on the right side of the Dutch defense. Boulahrouz never seemed to get in the game, perhaps still reeling from the loss of his premature daughter a couple of days ago. He had been a pillar of strength in that side of the field during the group stage and his substitution quickly changed the tempo of the match as Russian left-back Yuri Zhirkov could finally support the attack by moving up the wing. In fact, two of the Russian goals would come from the left. At the 56th minute (two minutes after Heitinga's entrance), Sergei Semak burst down the left wing and delivered a perfect cross to the near post where Roman Pavlyuchenko volleyed the ball past an helpless Van Der Sar. And at the 112th minute, Andrei Arshavin would do the same, this time crossing to the far post where Dimitri Torbinski tapped in Russia's winning-goal. But let's go back to regulation time.
After Russia's first goal, Van Basten proceeded to his last substitution, taking out defensive midfielder Orlando Engelaar for attacking midfielder Ibrahim Afellay. I don't understand why he didn't put Robben on the field instead of inexperienced Afellay. Anyways, the change didn't bring anything new to the table as the Dutch still couldn't penetrate Russia's 18-yard box. But they still managed to get some free-kicks in areas where Van Der Vaart, Sneijder, and Van Persie could all do some damage. Finally, at the 86th minute, their free-kick finally connected when Sneijder's cross found Van Nistelrooy's head at the far post. With four minutes left to play, it was clear that both teams were headed to extra-time.
In extra-time, it was still the Russians who came up with the best scoring opportunities (Pavlyuchenko once again hit the post, I think it was his third post/crossbar of the tournament). Consequently, they were the ones who scored at the 112th and at the 116th minute after great runs by Andrei Arshavin.
So after a rocking start, the Netherlands have crashed and burned once again, cementing their reputation of underachievers. Russia, meanwhile, are getting better and better with every game they win. They have reached the semifinals and now, everything is possible.
My man of the match: Andrei Arshavin. This guy is a star in the making. One goal, one assist, and a real pain in the ass for the Dutch defense.
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