Russia vs. Sweden (2-0, Pavlyuchenko, 20′, Arshavin, 54′)
Teamwork wins matches, and it could not have been more evidanced than in this match. The Swedes played like a combination of every man for himself and not knowing they even had teammates, while the Russians played some silky smooth football. The Swedes were already in trouble as the match started, as star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been diagnosed with ‘Jumper’s Knee’, and were already without creative right-sided midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson. It was further evidenced as the Russians took the match to the Swedes, probably a direct order for Guus Hiddink, who’s never failed to reach the second round of any major tournament, after taking the reigns of Holland, South Korea and Australia previously. The pressure paid off, as not only were they keeping the pressure on the Swedes, they were further limiting chances by hitman Ibrahimovic. Their play finally played off, as they started a beautiful move from the right, and a string of 1 touch passes led to the right foot of Roman Pavlyuchenko, who stroked it easily for a 1-0 lead. The lead was well deserved, and it looked like the Russians were on the way. At the end of the first half, the Swedes started to come forward a bit more, needing at least a tie to move onto the next ground, but no chances were really created, per say. Lots and lots of crosses by Johan Elmander and Frederik Ljungberg were put in, to the hands goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, or over the touchline. The pressure was kept on as the second half started, and that left the Swedes susceptible to the counter. Finally, they were caught out of position, and a nice ball through to previously suspended Andrei Arshavin led to a 2-0 lead. The Swedes, needing two goals now, added another striker onto the pitch (Marcus Allback) and a more creative midfielder (Kim Kallstrom), but it was a bit too late, as the Russian midfield hustled to each and every ball, and controlled the match. It was just a sweet team performance, especially since I really believe the Swedes had the better individual players. But it just goes to show – you’ve gotta win as a team.
Goalkeepers – Isakson was let down by his defense on several occasions. The Pavlyuchenko goal was just a ridiculous move, and the Arshavin goal was just a beautiful counter. I have major concerns about Akinfeev heading into the next match, especially because of his inexperience and his ability to judge whether to catch or punch. With the Dutch upcoming, I forsee some problems.
Defenders – The Swedes weren’t very good. Hansson and Mellberg just didn’t look themselves after the first match, and the Russians sliced through their defense. Storr and Nilsson were just…eh. They never made themselves a part of the match. The Russians were alright, and that’s all they had to be because their midfield worked so hard.
Midfielders – Absolutely brilliant display by the Russians on this night. Bilyaletdinov and Zhirkov were attacking, Semak was holding, and it just worked for the Russians. They controlled most of the match from the midfield, making tackles and starting the counter, and there was a sort of chemistry between the players lacking with the other teams, especially the Swedes. Ljungberg and the out-of-position Elmander swung in way too many crosses, and there lacked the sort of creativeness the Swiss needed, especially with Ibrahimovic not at 100%.
Attackers – Pavlyuchenko and Arshavin worked extremely well together. Until the end of the match when they were just trying to drill the Swedes into oblivion, they knew where each other was at at all times, and they passed it to each other as if they were playing together for the past 10 years. Arshavin played well behind Pavlyuchenko – you could see why the Russians missed him. Pavs, though has gotta shoot a LOT less. He’s good, but he’s not Ibrahimovic good yet, and he needs his teammates to score – that’s the Russian way. Zlatan just didn’t have a great match, partly due to his injury, partly due to the fact the Swedes were getting dominated at most facets of the match.
Man of the Match – Andrei Arshavin. Played well behind Pavlyuchenko. He’ll be a key to how the Russians do against the Dutch.
Dud of the Match – Olof Mellberg and Petter Hansson. Very shaky at the back. It’s surprising Juventus grabbed him also. He’s not a bad player, but he’s no World Class player, either.
Spain vs. Greece (2-1, Charisteas, 42′, de la Red, 61′, Guiza, 88′)
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=232279&league=UEFA.EURO&cc=5901
Group D Final Table -
1. Spain (Advances as the winner of Group D)
2. Russia (Advances as the runners-up in Group D)
3. Sweden (Eliminated)
4. Greece (Eliminated)
