RUSSIA-SPAIN:
SEMI-FINAL MATCH
Today is a historical day for Russian Football Team. That’s the first time since 1988 when Russia plays in semi-final of Euro Football cup. The enemy is very powerful – it’s Spain.
The results of previous games on Euro 2008:
Spain 4 – 1 Russia (the first game)
Spain 2 – 1 Sweden
Spain 2 – 1 Greece
Spain 0 – 0 Italy (Penalty: 4-2)
Russian team is the winner of 1960, it won the second prize in 1964, 1972, 1988.
The last time Spain was the winner of Europe was in 1964, many years ago, when this country won USSR.
The match: the 26th of June 2008
RUSSIA – SPAIN, 26.06.2008.
Coaches:
Russia – Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink (born 8 November 1946 in Varsseveld) is a Dutch football manager, currently a manager of the Russian national team. He managed PSV Eindhoven between 2002-2006. He is recognised for winning the treble with PSV Eindhoven, leading South Korea to a 4th place finish in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, managing the Netherlands into the same position in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, leading Australia to the second round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup—their first appearance in the tournament for 32 years. Hiddink took the managerial role of the Russian national team after the 2006 World Cup. He has successfully led the the team to the semi-finals of the Euro 2008 tournament after beating the highly favored Netherlands 3-1, who had the most successful qualifying round of all teams participating in the tournament. He has several nicknames like “Hiddingu”, “Aussie Guus”, “Tsar Hiddink”, “Guus Geluk” (literally ‘Lucky Guus’, Dutch for Disney’s Gladstone Gander) or “The Goose”.
Spain – Luis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez (born July 28th, 1938, Hortaleza, Madrid), sometimes referred to as simply Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and currently the coach of Spain. Aragonés has spent the majority of his career as a player and coach at Atlético Madrid. He was a prominent player and then coach of the successful Atlético team of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The team won La Liga four times, reached the final of the European Cup and won the Intercontinental Cup. Between 1964 and 1974 he played 265 La Liga games for Atlético and scored 123 goals. Aragonés has coached the club on four separate occasions. He has also played with several other clubs, most notably Real Betis, and played 11 times for Spain, scoring three goals. Apart from Atlético he has also coached seven other La Liga clubs. He has accepted the offer from Turkish giant Fenerbahce which will be effective after Euro 2008. This will be the first time Aragonés coaching outside of his native Spain. (Wikipedia)
Goalkeepers:
Russia: Igor Akinfeev
(born on April 8, 1986 in Vidnoye) is a Russian football (soccer) goalkeeper currently playing for CSKA Moscow.
Spain: Iker Casillas
(born May 20, 1981 in Móstoles, Madrid) is a Spanish football goalkeeper. He is currently the first choice goalkeeper for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. He is the captain of the Spanish national team, as well as one of the vice-captains of Real Madrid.
The referee:
Frank de Bleeckere (born July 1, 1966 in Oudenaarde). He has been a referee since 1984, and an international (FIFA) official since 1998. De Bleeckere was refereeing in his first World Cup Finals in Germany, having had to pass a late fitness test following injury. He has been appointed by UEFA as one of twelve referees to officiate UEFA Euro 2008 matches, and is currently in charge of the Semi Final between Spain and Russia. (Wikipedia)
THE RESULT of this game:
RUSSIA 0 – 3 SPAIN
GOALS:
51′ – Xavi Hernandez
73′ – Daniel Güiza
82′ – David Silva
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Spain is now in the final! Congratulations to all the spanish football fans! 
That’s a pity, that Russia didn’t show a game like a previous one (with Netherlands, when Russia won 3-1) and get into final, its dream, but I think, that it’s not a shame to lose to such a strong team like Spain!
Let’s wait for the FINAL game :
SPAIN – GERMANY
Let the great battle begin!
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