Hiddink demonstrated his class as a knowledgeable motivator. Van Basten was not ready to manage a critical situation like this, was he?

We were told this was going to be a match between two variations of Dutch Football.  Yet both sides played a very different game.  And as an old fan of Russian hockey, I could immediately see the tactics the coach had mined for his strategies--the strategic counter-attack, the short goal-mouth passes, screening the goaltender, etc.etc.  But my favorite was watching the third goal go 5-hole.  The Russian kid grows up watching these tactics on ice--it should be no surprise an imaginative coach could put these skills to use on a football pitch.

The Russians could dominate the game for a long time playing this way.

"Remember the I35W bridge--who needs terrorists when there are Republicans"

Turkey is lucky to have gotten past Croatia, striking when they had let up thinking the game was in the bag.  I think the Germany-Turkey game will be fantastic and hopefully the start of a well-deserved rivalry between the two.  Germany looked much better against Portugal than they had earlier and I expect they will get to the final game.  It would be great fun to watch that game in Germany with a room full of Turks.

However, a couple of well-placed free kicks volleys for an header, while one or two attacking players move in the direction of the ball, displacing defenders with them, and a team with less beautifal football may win.

(that was not the case in Portugal-Germany, though. Germany played much better. Then again, Scolari never bothered to understand portuguese players, much less help to define the style - which Carlos Queiroz started to re-assmble, and José Mourinho may yet consolidate.)

Until the 1-1, the Dutch team seemed to act as if paralyzed. Was it the resting of the A team? The weight of being considered the favourites? Meeting a real challenge for the first time?

Or maybe it was a big mistake from van Basten: that he let Boulahrouz play. On one hand, the poor man has now been exposed to a double blow -- and maybe his place would have been beside his wife to console her. On the other hand, while Boulahrouz played motivated but with too many faults, maybe concern for the teammate lowered the spirits and took away the focus of the other players.

Van Basten commited another cleare mistake. It was already silly of him to say before the match that "Spain already beat Russia, all we have to is play like them" - for one man didn't play against Spain: Arshavin. I wondered already during the first half why van Basten didn't send anyone to mark him, but by the second half, he should have seen the necessity. (Normally grumpy old man Cruijff must be truly in love with van Basten that he won't criticise these decisions.)

After the exit of three group winners so far, I hope Spain will break the pattern... but I read so many examples of negativity about la bestia negra Italy and bad omens and bad past records and quarterfinals exits that I fear the team will already feel as losers when entering the pitch...

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

I have also noticed the tendency to show female russian supporters in greater numers than male russians upporters. With other countries is a little bit mroe balanced, but given the sexist nature of some of the stuff surrounding football I would say it is standard practice...

I would ask TV to show more males...I would feel less guilty :)

A pleasure

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude