SOCCER/Russia 2 Sweden 0:THEY WILL be calling him Hiddinkovic after this. Dutchman Guus Hiddink, arch-craftsman of the international coaching fraternity, last night added to his remarkable CV when guiding Russia to the quarter-finals of Euro 2008, following an impressive defeat of Sweden in Innsbruck.
We all know the Dutchman has already worked miracles, guiding South Korea to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup and taking Australia into the second round at the World Cup two years ago. If those results were achieved with seemingly modest means, the same cannot be said of this Russian side which, for all that it started this tournament with a 4-1 drubbing by Spain, is a young team full of serious talent.
The Russians are set for an intriguing clash on Saturday with the tournament favourites, the Netherlands. Given the sort of form they showed last night and given also they are improving, there is every reason for the Dutch to sleep uneasy.
We have been marvelling at the thought one of the great surprises of these championships could well be the unexpected presence of an Eastern European side, namely Croatia, in the semi-finals. After a performance which saw Russia dominate one of most reliable and experienced European sides of the last decade, could we be looking at two Eastern European surprises?
When the teams took to the field there were no surprises. If Hiddink had suggested he was not "sure" about picking Russian ace Andrei Arshavin, banned for the opening games against Spain and Greece, he may well have been indulging in pre-match bluffing. Arshavin, scorer of Russia's second goal, transformed this side's attacking options.
He represented the only change in the side from that which had beaten Greece whilst Hiddink's opposite number, Lars Lagerback, fielded the same 11 as those who had started in that unlucky 92nd-minute 2-1 defeat by Spain. If Hiddink had been bluffing about Arshavin, so, too, was speculation Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic might not start.
The Russians looked the sharper with Arshavin living up to his billing, adding a new level of craft, guile and pace to the attack. Right from the start, the stolid Swedes looked uncomfortable with dynamic Russian game.
In the 24th minute, Russia were rewarded when they took the lead with as good a goal as we have seen in this tournament so far. Striker Roman Pavlyuchenko slotted home from close range after a nine-pass movement that had started off deep in the Russian half. Such was the pace, precision and accuracy of the Russian movement that the Swedes were reduced to the role of spectators.
Furthermore, by the time half-time came around, the Swedes were lucky not to be at least 2-0 down with Pavlyuchenko having again been on the end of a clever build-up which ended with his 36th-minute shot hitting the bar.
Any suggestion Sweden would cash in on their vast tournament experience and get back into the game lasted six minutes into the second half. Again outdone by the sheer pace of the first-touch passing Russian game which saw Arshavin, Konstantin Zyryanov and Yuri Zhirkov combine for a move which Arshavin rounded off for a 2-0 scoreline. If things had not been looking good for the Swedes at half-time, they were looking considerably worse now.
The Scandinavians never threw in the towel but for all that, Russia might have had another two goals in the final 10 minutes when both goalscorers, Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko, missed glorious chances to make the most of an exposed and exhausted Swedish defence that had simply been run ragged.
RUSSIA: Akinfeev, Aniukov, Ignashevich, Kolodin, Zhirkov, Semak, Zyryanov, Semshov, Bilyaletdinov (Saenko 66), Arshavin, Pavluchenko (Bystrov 90). Subs not used: Gabulov, Malafeev, Vasili Berezutsky, Yanbaev, Alexei Berezutsky, Adamov, Torbinsky, Shirokov, Sychev, Ivanov. Booked: Semak, Arshavin, Kolodin.
SWEDEN: Isaksson, Stoor, Mellberg, Hansson, Nilsson (Allback 79), Elmander, Andersson (Kallstrom 55), Svensson, Ljungberg, Henrik Larsson, Ibrahimovic. Subs not used: Shaaban, Wiland, Linderoth, Alexandersson, Majstorovic, Granqvist, Sebastian Larsson, Wilhelmsson, Rosenberg, Dorsin. Booked: Isaksson, Elmander.
Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).
