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EURO2008

Sweden knocked out of Euro 2008

Russia beat Sweden 2-0 in their Euro 2008 Group D match in Innsbruck on Wednesday and reach the quarter-finals at the expense of their opponents.

Sweden knocked out of Euro 2008

Roman Pavlyuchenko scored in the 24th minute, for his second of the tournament, and Russian player of the year Andrei Arshavin added a second in the 50th minute to seal victory.

Russia progress to their first ever knockout stages of a major tournament since the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and will play Holland in the quarter-final in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday – a repeat to a certain extent of the 1988 final when present Dutch coach Marco van Basten scored in the 2-0 victory over the Soviets.

Russia are also coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, who took the Dutch to the 1998 World Cup semi-finals.

Swedish coach Lars Lagerbäck was gracious in defeat.

“I would like to congratulate the Russians, who really play joyful football,” said the soon to be 60-year-old veteran handler.

“I think they saw rapidly where they could hurt us and they exploited our weaknesses perfectly.”

Russia produced their usual flowing football in the early stages with playmaker Arshavin – coming back after a two match suspension – pulling the strings, and the unimaginative Swedes, who did start with star striker Zlatan Irahimovic despite his knee problem, content to sit back on the whole.

It was the Russians who went closest to opening the scoring in the 20th minute as Yuri Zhirkov unleashed a fierce volley from the left side of the penalty box which just crept past the far post of the Swedes, Arshavin having provoked the corner with a cheeky chip which forced Andreas Isaakson into a tip over.

However, they got a deserved lead in the 24th minute as Pavlyuchenko tucked away a finely made goal for his second of the tournament, having been set up by Zenit St-Petersburg’s rampaging fullback Alexander Anyukov.

The Swedes hit back almost immediately as veteran striker Henrik Larsson got on the end of a long ball and his header clipped the bar much to the relief of Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.

The Russians were just playing the most delightful football, some of the best of the tournament, and in the 36th minute they went desperately close to doubling their lead as the redoubtable Pavlyuchenko was fed inside the box and his chip beat Isaakson only to clip the post.

The ball was crossed in again and Zhirkov fired fiercely on target only for Isaakson to produce a marvellous tip away save to leave it at that point the Russians having had 13 shots to the Swedes three.

Sweden, though, could not be discounted and captain Freddie Ljungberg forced Akineev into a scrambled save in the 44th minute but the Swedes failed to take advantage of the corner.

The Russians at last made their overwhelming superiority tell in the 50th minute as Arshavin scored their second, the ‘little jewel’ as he is fondly called, sliding the ball home after another glorious team move with the Zenit St Petersburg star at the end of Zhirkov’s pass.

The Swedes were pretty toothless up front with Ibrahimovic clearly labouring and it was the Russians who should have gone 3-0 up 10 minutes from time as Konstantin Zyryanov’s shot was deflected onto the post and thence to safety.

Then, as the Swedes pressed forward in desperate search of a goal – Lagerbäck having sent on veteran 35-year-old striker Marcus Allback in place of a defender – Pavlyuchenko had two glorious chances to add to the Russian tally but first miskicked and then seconds later directed his header into Isaakson’s welcoming hands.

However, for the Swedes there was nothing welcoming about the final result.

FOOTBALL

Veteran keeper Lehmann exits German national squad

Germany's veteran goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is handing in his international gloves after 10 years' service, the German Football Association (DFB) said on Friday.

The 38-year-old Lehmann was the oldest player at Euro 2008 in Switzerland and Austria when Germany lost to Spain in the June 29 final. The keeper, who quit Arsenal at the end of last season to join Stuttgart, decided to step down after a discussion with Germany’s national coach Joachim Löw and goalkeeping coach Andreas Kopke.

Lehmann explained he wanted to give a chance for another keeper to prove himself in time for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. “I was not able to guarantee to the national coach that I would still be playing football at the end of the coming season during which I am under contract to Stuttgart,” he said in the statement. “Under these conditions I proposed to him and to Andreas Kopke that they should no longer include me in the national squad. It has been a good period for me in the German team.”

The Euro 2008 final on June 29 in Vienna will therefore have been Lehmann’s final appearance for his country. He was first chosen to be in the national side on February 18 1998 against Oman then shared duties in goal over the next eight years with arch-rival Oliver Kahn until the latter retired in 2006.

The DFB made no mention of who would replace Lehmann. Foremost among contenders are Bayern Leverkusen’s Rene Adler, (23) and Hanover’s Robert Enke (30).

Coach Löw paid tribute to Lehmann saying: “He brought a great deal to German football. Above all it was his leadership quality which impressed me. I don’t know many players able to bring such experience into a team.”

For German fans, Lehmann’s achievement in winning the 2006 World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina in Berlin with two dramatic penalty stops will be the most memorable moment of his long career.

The 1.90 metre (6ft 2ft) tall keeper started his career at Schalke 04 in 1988, he had a year at AC Milan in 1998/99, then returned to Germany to play for Borussia Dortmund. Arsene Wenger brought him to Arsenal in 2003 and he spent four seasons at the London club.