Holland 1-3 Russia

Jun 22 2008 Mark Guidi At St Jakob Park

GOLDEN Guus Hiddink dumped his native Holland out of Euro 2008 as the rampant Russians booked their place in the semi-final with a dramatic extra-time win. Andrei Arshavin was the hero in a thrilling finale as he set up the second for Dmitri Torbinsky then cracked home the third late on.

Hiddink's men looked set to finish the job in normal time after Roman Pavlyuchenko fired them into the lead but Ruud van Nistelrooy grabbed a late leveller to take it into extra-time.

However, Hiddink who led the Dutch to the World Cup semi-finals a decade ago had the last laugh and Russia fully deserved their win in an exciting game.

Arshavin also turned in the performance of the tournament so far and made the difference when it really mattered.

Holland right-back Khalid Boulahrouz declared himself available for selection after the death of his baby daughter who was born premature last week.

And he was under pressure early on as Russia went on the attack and took the game to the Dutch - just as gaffer Hiddink said they would.

As early as the sixth minute Yuri Zhirkov's free-kick from 35 yards had Edwin van der Sar scrambling across his line to parry the ball away for a corner.

Then Pavlyuchenko should have scored from Igor Semshov's driven cross only to head the ball over from seven yards.

Pavlyuchenko's pace and movement causes defenders problems but his finishing sometimes disappoints and he should have done better with the chance.

Holland would have loved just to get into the opposition box. They could not get any supply to Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart or Dirk Kuyt as Russia cut off all routes with first-class organisation.

Sneijder did show lovely skill to make room at the edge of the area but his shot was blocked by Sergei Ignashevich.

And on the half hour Ruud van Nistelrooy missed a glorious chance when he was inches away from connecting with van der Vaart's superb free-kick into the heart of Russia's box.

Hiddink's troops were hesitant at defending balls deep into the area but they were good going forward and Arshavin was at the heart of it all.

Van der Sar had to be on top form to tip a low curler from the Zenit St Petersburg star past the post.

Then, as the game really opened up, the Manchester United keeper had to push a thumping Denis Kolodin 35-yarder over the bar.

The Russian stopper likes to shoot from distance and unleashed another effort moments later that flew just off target.

Igor Akinfeev had his first save of note in 36 minutes when van Nistelrooy's superb turn at the edge of the area allowed him a sight of goal. The Real Madrid star had a pop and his low shot was well beaten away by the Russian keeper.

Akinfeev denied van der Vaart moments later when he kept out a powerful shot after Kolodin gifted the Hamburg man possession 20 yards out. Van Basten's men finished the first half the stronger side but the Dutch boss made a change during the interval when he took off Kuyt for Robin van Persie.

The substitute had to come deep to get involved as Russia started on top again.

And they just about deserved to take the lead in 56 minutes with a classic striker's goal from Pavlyuchenko.

Sergei Semak delivered a ball with pace across the six-yard box from the left and Pavlyuchenko got ahead of Joris Mathijsen to prod past van der Sar for an outstanding finish.

Van Basten sacrificed one of his holding midfielders, Orlando Engelaar, and brought on attacking midfielder Ibrahim Afellay as he searched for a priceless equaliser.

Aleksander Anyukov almost put the Russians out of sight but van der Sar made a great save from his strike.

Zhirkov then should have shot on goal in 82 minutes but opted to square it instead from just six yards and Holland cleared.

The desperate Dutchwere now shooting from long range and Sneijder twice came close.

Russia were under intense pressure and finally cracked in 86 minutes from the kind of delivery that had troubled them all evening.

Sneijder swung a ball into the six-yard box and van Nistelrooy headed home from four yards with his marker Ignashevich a total liability. Russia then had an escape in the final minute of normal time when Kolodin was given a second yellow for a foul on Sneijder but avoided a red.

The linesman had flagged for a goal-kick before Kolodin made the challenge and ref Lubos Michel controversially rescinded the stopper's booking.

Pavlyuchenko rattled the bar in 97 minutes with a 22-yarder as Russia pushed hard.

Arshavin then went on a mazy and put it on a plate for Torbinski who shot weakly at van der Sar.

But the Russian sub made up for it when he scored after great play from Arshavin.

The Zenit star skipped past Andre Ooijer and his looping cross was touched home.

But Torbinsky will miss the semi as he picked up a booking for a foul on van der Vaart.

Arshavin then put the result beyond doubt when he fired through van der Sar's legs with a deflected strike after the Dutch switched off at a throw-in.

MATCH STATS

SHOTS ON 8

SHOTS OFF 15

OFFSIDE 6

FOULS 23

CORNERS 4

BOOKINGS 3

SHOTS ON 11

SHOTS OFF 13

OFFSIDE 4

FOULS 27

CORNERS 11

BOOKINGS 3

teamsheet

HOLLAND: van der Sar, Boulahrouz (Heitinga 54), Ooijer, Mathijsen, van Bronckhorst, de Jong, Engelaar (Afellay 61), Kuyt (van Persie 46), van der Vaart, Sneijder, van Nistelrooy. Subs: Timmer, Stekelenburg, de Zeeuw, Robben, Melchiot, Bouma, de Cler, Huntelaar, Vennegoor of Hesselink.

RUSSIA: Akinfeev, Anyukov, Kolodin, Ignashevich, Zhirkov, Semak, Zyryanov, Semshov (Bilyaletdinov 68), Saenko (Torbinsky 81), Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko (Sychev 116). Subs: Gabulov, Malafeev, Yanbaev, Adamov, ABerezutsky, Ivanov, Shirokov, V Berezutsky, Bystrov.