MOSCOW, June 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia turned on the style on Saturday night to defeat Holland in extra time and make the semifinals of Euro 2008.
After the first half had ended goalless, Roman Pavlyuchenko got on the end of a clever move involving Sergei Semak and the outstanding Andrei Arshavin to give Russia the lead in the 56th minute.
With just four minutes on the clock, Ruud van Nistelrooy headed home from a free-kick to level the score and send the game into extra time.
However, Russia's Dutch trainer Guus Hiddink, the man who in less than two years has transformed the Russian team into a side that plays modern, attractive soccer, sent his side back out fired up, and in the 112th minute Arshavin again broke down the left to set up a goal for Dmitry Torbinsky.
Holland threw men forward, but Russia held firm, and Arshavin broke with minutes remaining to bury the ball in the Dutch net and send his team into the semifinals.
"We believed in victory and the people believed," Russia's goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev said after the game. A tearful Arshavin, choking back emotion, praised Hiddink as "wise trainer".
It was not only the victory that impressed, against a side which had earlier beaten world champions Italy 3-0 and world vice-champions France 4-1, but the manner in which Russia defeated the Dutch.
"I don't want to talk in big words now," said Hiddink, "but I told the players after Holland equalized that we can do it."
His players proved him right. The beautiful game, so long a source of anguish and shame in modern Russia, is now alive and well in the world's largest country.
As Russia marched into the last four, an achievement unthinkable after the team had lost 4-1 to Spain in their first game just over a week ago, their fans swarmed into the streets to celebrate until dawn.
