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Regular-article-logo Sunday, 27 April 2025

Houdini Hiddink does the trick - Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko rip Dutch defence apart in 3-1 quarter final victory

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Roy Collins In Basel THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH Published 23.06.08, 12:00 AM

What price a Turkey-Russia final, we had mused beforehand, probably the least appealing prospect for the organisers and most supporters. But this Russian team, built by a Dutchman with Dutch values about how the beautiful game should be played, would grace the final in Vienna next Sunday after a stunning performance to knock out the team many considered favourites to lift the trophy.

Only an extraordinary miss by striker Roman Pavlyuchenko denied them a straightforward victory but after Holland’s late equaliser, they simply would not be denied in extra time, scoring twice in the final eight minutes.

For almost the whole game, the Dutch were outplayed and outwitted by Russia and their wily old coach Guus Hiddink, a former Holland manager who has built his current team on Dutch lines. They simply out-did the Dutch at what they thought was their own game, moving the ball around swiftly and interchanging positions. And fittingly, the brilliant Andrei Arshavin, who tormented the Dutch all night, scored the goal that finally finished them off, albeit with a deflection.

Russia’s powerful Spartak Moscow striker Pavlyuchenko scored his third goal of this tournament to give his country the lead, which for so long looked like being the winner. But shortly before Ruud van Nistelrooy’s headed equaliser four minutes from the end of normal time, he missed an open goal after a stunning piece of football by the Russians, almost making amends in extra time with a shot that struck the angle of post and bar.

Denis Kolodin, the defender from Dynamo Moscow with dynamite in his feet, has yet to score for Russia but threatened to break Edwin van der Sar’s hands with two thumping long-range efforts in the first half. And Arshavin, the little prince from St Petersburg, produced a cunning little curler that almost deceived the goalkeeper.

Arshavin and Sergei Sermak pulled all the strings in midfield and when Diniyar Bilyaletdinov came off the bench, he joined in the fun of pulling apart the Dutch, who must have regretted manager Marco Van Basten’s decision to use all three substitutes early in the second half. Ever since their ‘Total Football’ era in the 1970s, Holland have been the choice of romantic neutrals at these championships.

Russia, however, who looked set for a Siberian homecoming after a 4-1 thumping by Spain in their opening game, recovered their rhythm and poise when Arshavin returned from suspension in the final group game against Sweden, giving a slick passing performance that the Dutch would have admired. On Saturday night they bettered it with a display as good as any we have seen at these championships.

Van Basten must have known long before the end that his dream of becoming the first man to win the European championships as a player and a manager was over, having turned to his bench to make three swift changes at the start of the second half. Robin van Persie was sent on at the start of the second half and then the disappointing Khalid Boulahrouz gave way to John Heitinga.

The Russians, however, took the lead with a beautifully worked goal in the 56th minute. Sergei Semak found the space to deliver a killing ball in and Pavlyuchenko forced himself in front of Joris Mathijsen to finish.

It was the first time Holland had gone behind in the tournament and despite their late equaliser, Russia continued to make most of the chances in extra time. Finally, Dmitri Torbinski rose at the far post to head what we thought was the winner until Arshavin had the final word, giving the scoreline a deserved and more realistic look.

TEAMS

Netherlands: Edwin van der Sar; Khalid Boulahrouz (John Heitinga 54), Andre Ooijer, Joris Mathijsen, Giovanni van Bronckhorst; Nigel de Jong, Orlando Engelaar (Ibrahim Afellay 62); Dirk Kuyt (Robin van Persie 46), Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder; Ruud van Nistelrooy

Russia: Igor Akinfeyev; Alexander Anyukov, Denis Kolodin, Sergei Ignashevich, Yuri Zhirkov; Konstantin Zyryanov, Sergei Semak, Igor Semshov (Diniyar Bilyaletdinov 69), Ivan Saenko (Dmitry Torbinsky 81); Andrei Arshavin, Roman Pavlyuchenko (Dmitry Sychev 115).

Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia)

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