Russia 2 Sweden 0
Posted on June 19, 2008
Filed Under Euro 2008
Russia paved there way in the quarter final & set up a fantastic football match with Holland with this more than easy win over Sweden. This bring Guss Hiddink against his native country & what will be a interesting match. Sweden on the other hand were very poor couldn’t handle Russia at all & they don’t know where they go from here but as a ageing team they don’t look like a team that could improve in the future or have any starts in the waiting.
Russia came out knowing they had to win this football match but the way they played you could see only one winner. Sweden started well & had most of the play for the first 10 minutes but after then they didn’t look like any force at all. Arshavin back after a two game suspension had the first chance when he was set up by Pavlyuchenko but he couldn’t get the final touch on the cross then he had a cross that was curling & dipping towards the goal & had Isaksson back pedaling to make the save. Russia had Sweden on the rack & when Zhirkov could only fire a shot wide they took a deserved lead & all the pressure paid of.
It was Arshavin again who showed his skill & got the ball to Zyryanov who in turn put a neat pass to Ayunkov who crossed into the box to set up Pavlyuchenko who caught it right to place the shot past a diving Isaksson & into the net & probably the best team move of Euro2008 so far. Sweden hadn’t make much attempt to do anything but Larsson nearly got them back in it with a looping header the hit the corner of the cross bar & over. but Russia showed they can turn it on when ever when Pavlyuchenko took a powerful shot only for it to beat Isaksson but hit the post & out.
Sweden tried to up it at the end of the half when they had two good chances to equalise Mikael Nilsson got through after a deflection but shot at Akinfeev. The Ljugnberg was set up into the penalty area but brought out a good save from Akinfeev to keep the score at one nil at the half..
The second half started out with Russia just started as they left the first half pushing Sweden back & looking like another goal was coming & they didn’t take long to add to the score in fact about 5 minutes and that man Arshavin got the goal. He started the move with a neat pass to Zhirkov who stole down the left & then played a return pass to Arshavin to hooked it into the net to put Russia two nil up. The harder Sweden tried to get into the match Russia just played into the gaps & looked like more goals in the way.
Zyryanov should have scored a third but he saw his rising drive go & hit the post then Pavlyuchenko missed an even earlier chance to add to the score. The Russian team were playing some great football which Sweden couldn’t match at all & with the game nearing the end my man of the match Arshavin could & should have scored. He was played through & his creativity got him one on one with the keeper Isaksson but all he did was to shot at his legs when it should have bin the net Russia were worthy winners & looking forward the the Holland match…
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