Sat Jun 21 17:30:15 2008

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Orange crushed: Russia stuns Dutch in extra time

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Basel, Switzerland (Sports Network) - Andrey Arshavin and Dmitri Torbinski scored goals in extra time to hand Russia a surprising 3-1 win over the Netherlands on Saturday in a Euro 2008 quarterfinal.

Russia took a 1-0 lead into the final five minutes of regulation on Roman Pavluchenko's 56th-minute strike, but a Ruud van Nistelrooy header in the 86th minute leveled the match for the Dutch and forced extra time.

Despite conceding a late equalizer, Russia dominated the extra 30 minutes and went ahead in the 112th minute when Arshavin's cross was tapped in by Torbinski, while Arshavin added an insurance tally five minutes later to put the game away.

The Dutch entered the match as the most impressive side in the competition after winning all three of its group stage matches by a combined 9-1 score, but they were unable to deal with the talented duo of Arshavin and Pavluchenko, and Russia will now meet either Italy or Spain in the semifinals on Thursday.

The Russians started brightly with two good chances in the opening eight minutes of the match. Yuri Zhirkov forced a diving save from Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar on a free kick from the right flank, and Pavlyuchenko got loose for a free header 10 yards from goal, but he nodded the ball over the crossbar.

The high-flying Dutch attack was held in check early in the contest as Russia did a good job of possessing the ball and keeping it away from them.

A good opportunity presented itself in the 30th minute when Rafael van der Vaart's free kick from the right wing skipped to the front of goal, needing just a slight touch to go in. Van Nistelrooy shook free from his defender but the ball eluded his foot and rolled over the end line.

Russia's vaunted counter attack tested Van der Sar again minutes later when Arshavin found space on the left wing and carried the ball into the area. He took on Dutch defender Andre Ooijer and then curled a shot towards the far post, but Van der Sar dove and got his fingertips to the ball, deflecting it past the post.

Russia's Denis Kolodin then decided to fire a shot from 35 yards that forced Van der Sar to tip the ball over the net, keeping the Dutch pinned back on their heels.

Kolodin nearly gave away a goal before halftime when his errant pass landed at the feet of Van der Vaart, but goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev was able to parry the Dutch midfielder's effort from the top of the box.

The two team's entered halftime without a goal, but Russia had to be the more confident team after outplaying the Dutch for much of the first half.

The opener finally came for the Russian's in the 56th minute, with Arshavin starting the move by finding Sergei Semak on the left wing. Semak then crossed to the front of goal for Pavlyuchenko, and he volleyed it into the bottom corner from eight yards to give Russia a deserved 1-0 lead.

That advantage nearly swelled to two goals when Pavlyuchenko got into the box on the right and ripped a shot from a tight angle, but Van der Sar got a hand to it.

A great chance was then squandered by Robin van Persie in the 71st minute when Van Nistelrooy was pulled down just outside the box. The Arsenal striker was given a free kick just 20 yards from goal, but he blasted his shot well over the net.

Russia began to sit back and look for counter-attack chances, which allowed the Netherlands to get men forward in search of an equalizer.

Wesley Sneijder had a good look at goal from 25 yards but whistled his shot past the upper left corner, however the breakthrough arrived in the final minutes to level the match.

Sneijder lofted a free kick from the left wing towards the far post, and Van Nistelrooy beat his man to the ball and nodded it home from close range to force extra time.

Pavlyuchenko drilled the crossbar in the 97th minute after beating a Dutch defender on the left wing, and Arshavin created an opening in the 100th minute for Torbinski, whose lunging effort was stopped by Van der Sar.

Russia continued to ask questions of the Dutch defense, and Arshavin once again carved out a chance that put Russia in front.

He took on a defender on the left flank and got to the end line before lofting a cross over the head of Van der Sar to the back post. Torbinski ran past a Dutch defender and got enough of the ball to touch it over the goal line, putting Russia ahead with eight minutes to play.

The result was then put away with three minutes left when Arshavin beat Van der Sar between the legs from close range.