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**steaner** · #1 (**permalink**) 06-19-2008, 01:07 AM

Arshavin inspires Russian advance

Russia progressed to the Euro 2008 quarter-finals thanks to an impressive 2-0 victory over Sweden at the Tivoli Neu Stadium in Innsbruck.
Russia played superb passing football throughout, and took a deserved lead through Roman Pavlyuchenko midway through the first half, with the influential Andrei Arshavin doubling their advantage after five minutes of the second half following a slick counter-attack.

The result sends Guus Hiddink's side into the last eight as Group D runners-up behind Spain, and they will face Group C winners the Netherlands in Basel on Saturday.

Sweden only needed a draw to go through ahead of Russia, but the defeat marks the end of the line for an ageing squad, and former Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United man Henrik Larsson is unlikely to pull on the yellow shirt of his country again.
Both sides were boosted by the return of influential players, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic overcoming a knee problem to start for Sweden and Russian playmaker Arshavin making his first appearance of the tournament after missing the first two group games through suspension.
Russia took to the field knowing they had to win to progress to the last eight, and they started brightly with Arshavin spraying passes around and causing problems inside Swedish territory.
After 15 minutes Pavlyuchenko drilled a low cross into the Sweden box from the right that Diniyar Bilyaletdinov could not make meaningful contact with, before Sweden goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson had to tip an Arshavin cross over the crossbar and Yuri Zhirkov lashed a well-controlled volley wide of the right-hand post from the subsequent corner.
Russia went ahead on 24 minutes thanks to a beautifully constructed goal. Igor Semshov tucked the ball infield to marauding right-back Aleksandr Anyukov from wide on the right, and his low centre was swept home from 12 yards by Pavlyuchenko.
Sweden almost hit back immediately when Larsson saw a looping header bounce off the crossbar, but Russia quickly regained their rhythm, and Pavlyuchenko was inches away from doubling their lead when a right-footed curler struck the right-hand upright, with Konstantin Zyrianov's headed follow-up being clawed away by Isaksson.
The Sweden keeper then had to push away a long-range effort from Zhirkov, before Lars Lagerback's men rallied towards the end of the first period, with Freddie Ljungberg and Mikael Nilsson both testing Igor Akinfeev in the Russian goal.

But Arshavin put the game beyond the Swedes five minutes into the second half when he tucked home Zhirkov's low pass from the left after another breathless counter-attack.
As Sweden pushed forward they began to leave huge spaces at the back, and Zyrianov saw a deflected effort from the edge of the box strike the left-hand post, before Pavlyuchenko, twice, and Arshavin spurned good late chances to add further gloss to a memorable Russian performance.

Spain maintain winning habit

Spain maintained their 100 percent record in Euro 2008 Group D with a 2-1 win over reigning champions Greece in Salzburg

Once again, as in the win over Sweden, Spain struck in the closing moments to ensure the victory, Mallorca striker Dani Guiza notching his first international goal after Ruben de la Red (pictured celebrating with substitute Santi Cazorla) had equalised Angelos Charisteas's opener for Greece.
Spain came into the match on the back of two wins out of two in the group - which had already earned them a quarter-final against Italy - while 2004 champions Greece were keen to give their exuberant fans something to cheer after two defeats.
Despite 10 changes from the previous starting 11 - Barcelona star Andres Iniesta was the only Spaniard to be picked in both matches - Luis Aragones's side slipped immediately into their slick passing game.
Unfortunately for the watching coach, they did not also display that attacking urgency seen in the opening demolition of Russia - this was more like the narrow Sweden victory, characterised by overplaying in vital areas.
The contrasting styles were again in evidence, Greece shifting the ball into the opposition box at every opportunity, with Giorgos Karagounis's free-kicks particularly dangerous whenever Spain fouled needlessly in their own half.
As early as the fifth minute that gremlin of the Spanish national side, marking at set-pieces, struck when Traianos Dellas launched into a flying volley from eight yards out after he was left by De la Red. He failed to connect properly, replacement 'keeper Jose Reina easily gathering.
Halfway through the opening period Xabi Alonso, majestic in midfield all evening, almost scored the goal of the century when he sent the ball dipping over Antonis Nikopolidis from his own half - it was inches wide, conjuring images of Pele's effort for Brazil against Czechoslovakia in the 1970 World Cup.
Karagounis was booked for a horrific tackle on Iniesta as he sought to turn a smooth exchange of passes with Fernando Navarro from deep inside his own half into a chance. Before half-time Iniesta went down looking for a penalty and Howard Webb's refusal to award the spot-kick led to demonstrations of temperament in the closing minutes of the half, resulting in yellow cards for Alvaro Arbeloa and Guiza.
In between those cautions Greece took a surprise lead, Charisteas rising in the box to nod home a Karagounis free-kick and give their partisan supporters something to cheer at last.
Alonso - who got away with flagrantly smashing the ball into Karagounis's face as he fell at the death of the opening period - came close to scoring a scorcher again on 53 minutes with a rasping drive that cannoned off the inside of the post and flew to safety.
Greece had certainly improved from the disappointing outfit that lost to Sweden in the opening match while continuing to repel attacks with brute force and discipline. However they were powerless to prevent the levelling goal on the hour-mark.

Cesc Fabregas - enjoying a first start in these finals - dinked a ball over the top for Guiza to nod down; Real Madrid youngster De la Red thundered a volley in off the bar, via the desperately thrust arm of Nikopolidis.
The grey-haired goalie was joined by substitute Paraskevas Antzas in a joint goodbye to international football when the latter appeared for Sotirios Kyrgiakos in the 62nd minute.
Once again, as in the win over Sweden, Spain struck in the closing moments to ensure the victory, Mallorca striker Dani Guiza notching his first international goal after Ruben de la Red (pictured celebrating with substitute Santi Cazorla) had equalised Angelos Charisteas's opener for Greece.
Spain came into the match on the back of two wins out of two in the group - which had already earned them a quarter-final against Italy - while 2004 champions Greece were keen to give their exuberant fans something to cheer after two defeats.
Despite 10 changes from the previous starting 11 - Barcelona star Andres Iniesta was the only Spaniard to be picked in both matches - Luis Aragones's side slipped immediately into their slick passing game.
Unfortunately for the watching coach, they did not also display that attacking urgency seen in the opening demolition of Russia - this was more like the narrow Sweden victory, characterised by overplaying in vital areas.
The contrasting styles were again in evidence, Greece shifting the ball into the opposition box at every opportunity, with Giorgos Karagounis's free-kicks particularly dangerous whenever Spain fouled needlessly in their own half.
As early as the fifth minute that gremlin of the Spanish national side, marking at set-pieces, struck when Traianos Dellas launched into a flying volley from eight yards out after he was left by De la Red. He failed to connect properly, replacement 'keeper Jose Reina easily gathering.
Halfway through the opening period Xabi Alonso, majestic in midfield all evening, almost scored the goal of the century when he sent the ball dipping over Antonis Nikopolidis from his own half - it was inches wide, conjuring images of Pele's effort for Brazil against Czechoslovakia in the 1970 World Cup.
Karagounis was booked for a horrific tackle on Iniesta as he sought to turn a smooth exchange of passes with Fernando Navarro from deep inside his own half into a chance. Before half-time Iniesta went down looking for a penalty and Howard Webb's refusal to award the spot-kick led to demonstrations of temperament in the closing minutes of the half, resulting in yellow cards for Alvaro Arbeloa and Guiza.
In between those cautions Greece took a surprise lead, Charisteas rising in the box to nod home a Karagounis free-kick and give their partisan supporters something to cheer at last.
Alonso - who got away with flagrantly smashing the ball into Karagounis's face as he fell at the death of the opening period - came close to scoring a scorcher again on 53 minutes with a rasping drive that cannoned off the inside of the post and flew to safety.
Greece had certainly improved from the disappointing outfit that lost to Sweden in the opening match while continuing to repel attacks with brute force and discipline. However they were powerless to prevent the levelling goal on the hour-mark.
Cesc Fabregas - enjoying a first start in these finals - dinked a ball over the top for Guiza to nod down; Real Madrid youngster De la Red thundered a volley in off the bar, via the desperately thrust arm of Nikopolidis.
The grey-haired goalie was joined by substitute Paraskevas Antzas in a joint goodbye to international football when the latter appeared for Sotirios Kyrgiakos in the 62nd minute.
That farewell was given a bitter taste when Sergio Garcia's clever left-footed cross from the right split the defence and Guiza headed home - only two minutes remained of the 90.
It left Greece as the only team without a point in the championships, while Spain joined the Netherlands and Croatia in keeping up a perfect showing in Austria and Switzerland.

That farewell was given a bitter taste when Sergio Garcia's clever left-footed cross from the right split the defence and Guiza headed home - only two minutes remained of the 90.
It left Greece as the only team without a point in the championships, while Spain joined the Netherlands and Croatia in keeping up a perfect showing in Austria and Switzerland.

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