The Netherlands through to semi final against Guus Hiddink’s Russia

by Tom Cremins,
Euro 2008 TV.com writer

The Dutch once again confounded the pundits by convincingly winning a game many thought they might actually prefer to lose. The theory was that if the Dutch eased up in their third group match after already winning the group, then Romania could sneak through at the expense of either France or Italy. Even though neither of those superpowers were convincing in their group matches, they are massively experienced in tournaments. Few teams would relish meeting them again later in the semi-finals.

Indeed, the Dutch team that took to the pitch in Bern was totally unrecognizable from the one that has been so irresistible so far in this tournament. Coach Marco van Basten made no fewer than 9 changes as he sought to rest players ahead of their quarter final on Saturday in Basle. The Dutch have used every single player in their 23 man squad, except for third choice goalkeeper Henk Timmer.

But they showed the immense depth in the squad by convincingly dispatching a spirited side who need a win to finish second in the group. The Romanians had no reply to the two excellent finishes from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin Van Persie.

It was another excellent team performance from the Dutch. Clearly nobody is guaranteed their place in the starting line-up of this team. The Netherlands have scored a total of 9 goals in their 3 group matches. This matches the record set by France in 1984. France went on to win the tournament that year.

Their opponents in the quarter final are Russia, and on paper the Dutch would seem to be the clear favourites. This is the first time the Russians have safely navigated the group stages.They are managed by one of the most respected coaches in the game, Dutchman Guus Hiddink. Tellingly, his teams have never failed to get passed the initial round. He led the Netherlands to a fourth place finish in the 1998 World Cup, but he will be doing all he can to stop the Oranje army in its tracks this time.

He favours a 3-5-2 formation, with forward Andrei Arshavin actually playing from deep behind the other two strikers making for a very packed midfield. This could very well stifle the Dutch game plan. The Dutch have relied on their speed to launch quick counter attacks, which worked supremely well against the aging French defence.

But Russia’s young squad – the oldest player is 30 –may be more able to repel this style of attack. And they are a rarity in this competition, insofar as all but one of their players plays in their own domestic league. This is not a collection of overpaid superstars, which probably makes them a more cohesive unit

The game is certain to be a battle of tactical wits between the relatively inexperienced van Basten, and the wily Hiddink. The midfield battle will be crucial. But the game may be decided by a flash of genius, perhaps from Russia’s Andrei Arshavin. He came back from suspension to make his tourney debut against Sweden in the third group game, and put in a performance that earned him the Man of the Match award. The pundits could very well be proved wrong once more.

Tags: euro 2008, Netherlands, quarter finals, Russia