Aimless skirmish, ugly shoot out

Penalties are a cruel way to decide matches but the Netherlands’ Euro 2004 quarter-final shootout victory over Sweden ensured justice w...

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Penalties are a cruel way to decide matches but the Netherlands’ Euro 2004 quarter-final shootout victory over Sweden ensured justice was done on Saturday.

The Dutch exorcised the ghost of three successive defeats on penalties in European Championships and it would have been unfair if that run continued after a negative display by Sweden, who only really started to play positively in extra time. The Swedes could justifiably say that fortune was against them when they hit the woodwork twice in the final minutes of extra time to leave the game level at 0-0.

But that late flurry came after a display in which they lacked the will to win the game and on the evidence of this match the tournament is better off with a Portugal vs Netherlands semi-final.

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Not that the Dutch delivered much more in terms of positive play, especially in the first half with a 10th-minute drive from Arjen Robben, the best player on the pitch and eventual penalty hero, their only serious effort on goal.

The Swedes, though, took until the 56th minute to get close to a breakthrough when striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s shot was cleared off the line by Philip Cocu.

It was hardly a surprise that the Dutch defence was tested so little given the unwillingness of the Swedish midfield to support their strikers.

Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson were left isolated against a solid Dutch back-line, with Fredrik Ljungberg, whose penetrating runs so often prove devastating for his club Arsenal, spending too much time on the left of a deep midfield four.

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So unwilling were the Swedes to risk leaving gaps by pushing forward that they gave the impression they were content to take the game into extra time and bank on their stamina to see them through.

Dick Advocaat’s side struggled to create real opportunities for their lone striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, through Robben always threatened on the flanks and midfielder Clarence Seedorf lingered with intent on the edge of the penalty area. Given their record in penalty shootouts it was not surprising the Netherlands looked keener to avoid that eventuality with a late rally resulting in Van Nistelrooy going close with a stoppage-time header.

The pressure continued into extra time with Seedorf’s curling 20-metre free kick tipped over the bar by Andreas Isaksson and Van Nistelrooy had an effort ruled out for offside. Those efforts finally prompted Sweden to break free from their shackles and frantic play around the Dutch penalty area resulted in Larsson striking the bar from close range and then Ljungberg hitting the post with a firm shot.It was too little, too late, however, and joint Sweden coaches Tommy Soderberg and Lars Lagerback will surely reflect on what their team might have achieved had their found such urgency earlier. In the end it came down to the test of nerves from the penalty spot and this time the Dutch kept their cool.

(Reuters)