Andrei Arshavin - double AAs

The enduring image of the weekend Euro 2008 quarterfinals was Italian and Spanish midfielders looking up desperately to see where their teammates were. The night before Andrei Arshavin had shown them how. For Russia’s second goal he sprinted down the touchline and just banged the ball into the danger area. He did not need to know where to put it. He knew his teammates were running on.

Like other great Holland teams including the Euroean Cup winning Ajax team, this Russian side has the energy of youth - they are the youngest team in the competition - and by extra time it showed. And in Andrei Arshavin they had the linking and sharp feet that cut the Dutch defence in half twice, albeit the third goal was through the legs of Edwin Van Saar. As for Holland, they seemed to have left their box of magic tricks back in the dressing room. How they could have used the injured (again)Arjen Robben to turn defenders. How they could have done with a bit of Viagra to relax and let rip from 30 metres, sorry 43 metres, like Kolodin. You were great guys, but so were Russia

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