Jun
20
Game Preview: Netherlands vs. Russia
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With two upsets already in the bag, Russia will try to make it three tomorrow against Holland. The two will play each other in Basel to see who reaches the Euro 2008 semi-finals. Russia, who had a slow start, now has a lot of momentum going into this game after their thrilling 2-0 shutout over Sweden on Wednesday. The team is ready to let lose offensively despite going into tomorrow’s game with only a couple of days of rest.
The Netherlands once more are the quiet team, with nothing really new happening with them. Don’t let that fool you though because the team has often seemed lackluster in this tournament (and even before it), only to play clutch ball that leads to solids wins. Dutch coach Marco van Basten hopes to approach the game being well-informed and ready for whatever the opponents throw at them. He recently told the media that he would be watching tape of Spain’s 4-1 win over Russia earlier this month to see the team’s weaknesses.
It is this kind of planning that the Dutch have relied on all throughout Euro 2008 and they truly believe that it will get them through to the semis. That and their solid play of course.