Well, nobody ever said tipping winners was easy. Yet again the underdogs triumphed in a quarter-final, once more underlining how wide open the battle for the Euro2008 title has been. But let there be no talk of it being the same old story of the Dutch imploding under pressure. If they had shot themselves in the foot, they would never have been able to fight their way back into this game, drawing level at a time when Russia looked like they'd already booked their place in the semis. Holland were simply beaten by a better team on the night, a team which looks perfectly capable of beating any opposition they might face. Right, thats put the mockers on them now!
With the winners of Group A and Group B, Portugal and Croatia, both well fancied by some numpty from this site, having already departed, I was always a wee bit worried for the Dutch. Suddenly the benefits of resting players was being questioned. Losing momentum clearly affected the Portuguese and the Croats and when Van der Sar had to look lively to save an early Zhirkov free-kick, then a Pavlyuchenko header drifted over the top, it was clear there would be no repeat of the Oranjemen's ruthless destruction of Italy and France.
Big Edwin saved Holland again when he touched an Arshavin shot round the post and two arsehole-winders from Kolodin came close but it wasn't all one-way traffic. Twice the ball swept across the face of the Russian goal, just crying out for a touch, and Akinfeev made a good block from a Van Nistelrooy shot so, while Jim Beglin was telling ITV viewers that the game wasn't living up to expectations, there was no lack of goalmouth action. A bit of slackness from Kolodin gave Van der Vaart a shooting chance but Akinfeev saved so a first half which could have produced two or three goals ended with the scoresheet blank. But no goals didn't mean there had been no good football played. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 45 minutes and looked forward to more of the same after the break.
It will have worried Guus Hiddink that, despite having the better of the first half, Russia had been unable to make it count. Everyone expected Holland to move up a gear, especially with Van Persie on for the ineffective Kuyt, but the Russians continued to call the shots and deservedly made the breakthrough ten minutes into the second half. Pavlyuchenko was first to a cross from Semak to shoot home from eight yards. As I suggested at the end of the group games, questions might be asked of the Dutch if they had to come from behind so I sat back and awaited Van Basten's response.
Well, if not for Van der Sar and the Russkis' irritating desire to walk the ball into the net, it would have been all over long before Ruud Van Nistelrooy's diving header levelled the scores with five minutes left. Only Wesley Sneijder's long-range efforts had threatened Akinfeev's goal and, if Van Basten hadn't already used his full quota of subs, I'd have been calling for him to give Van Nistelrooy a rest. But my pal Marco tends not to listen to too much of what I say. Why oh why oh why?
There was a crucial moment right at the end of the 90 minutes when ref Lubos Michel showed Kolodin his second yellow card and the game looked to be taking a significant turn in Holland's favour, until the linesman pointed out (wrongly as it happens) that Sneijder had failed to keep the ball in play, meaning the defender's challenge was unnecessary. But if the foul merited a yellow card when the ball was in play, was it any less clumsy after the ball was dead? The TV guys praised the ref for having the bottle to change his decision but I thought that was a cop-out. It would have been braver to stand by his original decision, Kolodon crudely clattered Sneijder and deserved a card, regardless of whether or not the ball was in play at the time.
What if? Thas the question all the Dutchmen will now be asking. Reduced to ten men, I don't think Hiddink's team would have been quite so clever in extra-time but, with a full team facing increasingly frustrated opponents, they continued to boss the game. Into the second period, penalties were looming, then Andrei Arshavin, surely one of the world's top players at this moment in time, wrapped things up with some magic stuff. Getting his cross in from the left looked well nigh impossible, yet he managed to get it up and over the towering Van der Sar then down to sub Torbinsky who had a simple tap-in from two yards. And right at the death Arshavin broke away again to shoot through the keeper's legs to complete a famous victory for Guus Hiddink and Russia.
Holland were beaten by the better team but look out for Timothy hitting the hot-lines, the phone-ins and the websites to slag off Marco Van Basten for refusing to play his 'secret weapon', Jan Nobody of Wherever - its a pyoor Oranje conspiracy, so it is, man! Well, I've just checked out his substitute appearance for the last eight minutes of the game against Romania. His contribution amounted to a couple of insignificant touches in midfield and giving away a needless foul, at a time when the team was in complete control and looking to bag a few more goals. It is hardly the sort of stuff to make the coach think he can offer more than Van Nistelrooy, Kuyt, Huntelaar or Sneijder, one of whom would have to be sacrificed to make room for the big basketball player. Hard though it may be for them to take, Holland just don't play the Septic way (phew!) so, if Van Basten has any question to answer, it should be: Why was the big clown in the squad in the first place? The answer being, of course, just to make up the numbers. LOL!
So it is down to Italy to save my reputation and get at least one of my tips into the semi-finals. Like I said last week, Italy v Spain is the hardest of all the quarter-finals to call. I've gone for a 1-1 draw, with the Azzuri to nick it on penalties...but I think I'll gives Ladbrokes a miss this time around.
LITTLE BOY BLUE