90' (+2): The ref did the right thing. he didn't even wait the 3 minutes. The match is over. Spain is in the FINAL!!!

90': 3 minutes of stoppage time on this one

88': Cassiiiiiiiillllaaaaaassssss!!!!!! What a save!!!! A magnificent header the Russian player and Iker Casilas dives to his right for an splendid save!!!

87': Spain now pass the ball around trying to waste time while Russia does not do anything.

84': I still don't get why Fabregas start on the bench. He's got much more quality than Silva.

82': GGGOOOOAAAALLLLL... David Silva seals the Russian coffin!!! 3-0. The second half of a champion

79': Now Spain controls possession. And Russia is done. This match is over. Sunday we'll see a great clash between Germany and Spain

73': I told you, I told you, I told... Just put Guiza in for Torres.... In his first opportunity he scores!!!

73': GOOOAAAALLLLLL !!!! GUIZA!!!!

70': Cesc takes a good blaster from outside the box and forces Akinfeev to tip it out for a corner

68':

Thank God!!! Fernando Torres is leaving... and Guiza is coming in...  now Spain is going to score a second goal

66': Hahahahaha.... Torres runs like a drunk gazelle...  And gets shouldered by the russian defender!

64': Right into the wall...

64': Here comes a Free Kick for Russia....

62': What??? What the fuck Fernando Torres???? He was scared of the ball...

61': Excellent combination Iniesta/Fabregas. Russia is being creamed right now!!!

58': Is it just me or Fernando Torres really suck bad in this competition??? Put Guiza in... He was the topscorer of the season in La Liga

55': Saenko also left the pitch and Sychev takes his place.

55': Senshov is being replaced by Bilyaletnov (or something like that) on the Russian squad

54': Didn't Sergio Ramos just grab that ball with his hands??? hahaha...

51': Fabregas just received a free oral examination, Russian style.

51': What's wrong with Torres... He shouldn't have wasted that one. He was open on the left side of the box and with time to shoot much better

49': A cross by Iniesta to the middle of the box finds the boot of Xavi and the ball found the back of the net!!! Spain closer to the final now. 1-0

49': GGGOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL !!!!!! XAVI !!!!

47': Zyryanov just had his boot removed by Fabregas and unintentionally the Nike-sponsored-gooner just gave Adidas a chance for free advertisement

46': Ramos tries a deep ball for David Silva who has not participate in this match at all. Was he hiding somewhere during the first half?

45': All right... time to go downstairs and get some food and a beer, I mean, a soda!!! Fuck!!!

45': No blood??? What??? Pussies

45': That hurt... Will he get staples on his head too? That would be cool!!!

43': I need a beer!!! Oh shite... I'm at the office... A soda will do then

42': Here comes Ramos. Adventuring in the attack for the 19485th time and not doing anything

38': Wow... Look at Torres fancy play... He tipped the ball over the defender but the shot with the left was crappy...

36': Oh shit. Some photographer just got his camera broken ... That's about $1000 pounds

36': It seems that the Spanish team got psychologically affected by Villa's injury.

34': And Pavlyuchenko almost puts it in!What a chance!!!!

33': Uh-oh... Bad news for Spain, very bad news... David Villa is out!!!

33': Fabregas is already warming-up. It might be Xavi or Iniesta coming out earlier than expected

32': AAAAMMMAAAZZZIIINNNGGGG SHOT!!!!  A curvy ball that was touched by Casillas fingertips. The ref didn't see that... It should be a corner. Fucker!

26': Iniesta!!!! Oh Jesus Christ!!! He missed the ball... He can go to the third row to grab his "foot" back... hahahaha... Ridiculous

25': Marchena wanted to fight Saenko... Don't mess with the Russians mate! hahahaha

24': Sergio Ramos tries a wild long range shot but he can continue shooting like that all day long and he won't beat Akinfeev

22': Corner for Russia now! Played short and nothing came out of it.

21': Oh, and the more it rains the better it will be for Russia so Spain should really try getting a goal soon

20': David Villa still didn't find his space. But when the Ruski least expect he will be there... (the same with Arshavin on the other side)

15': Great strike by Pavlyuchenko!!!! But the ball flies over the bar and hits someone's beer in the 4th row

15': Casillas has his amrs up in the air... Maybe asking God to help him or something

14': I think the Russian guy pulled Torres but the ref didn't see it that way and now a dangerous free kick for Russia.

13': Sergio Ramos passes the ball back to Casillas with his chest! Classy

10': Fuck... Great Shot by someone in the spanish team. Akinfev saves it. And Peter Nguyen has his fat face in front of the TV... Move man!!!

6': There are 7 fucking hungry fellow co-workers mobbing on my desk to grab their food. Why the fuck they placed the food on my desk.? I can't see the telly... move you fuckers!

5': TOOORRREEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!! Almost... El Nino almost had it!

5': Great ball for Spain and Ramos almost touched his head on that one. Spain is looking dangerous right now

3': Free kick for Spain in midfield ends in nothing. Russia passes the ball in defense

2': Russia is passing the ball well. One can tell that they have incorporated the Dutch touch of Hiddink

Before Kick Off: Russia already won my vote for having sexier women than Spain. (Even though there some stunning Spanish women too)

Before Kick Off: Akinfeev; Anyukov, Ignashevich, V. Berezutski, Zhirkov; Semak, Saenko, Semshov, Zyrianov; Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko 

.:. Spain vs Russia .:.

Spain has a great chance to advance to the Euro 2008 finals. The team is very motivated and with talents like Fernando Torres, Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas, Iniesta, Xavi and the inspired David Villa (and Cesc Fabregas on the bench (?)) one could only think that they are really the favourites to play Germany for the title on Sunday BUT some other facts should be taken in consideration before the fans of La Roja start celebrating.

Russia has a fast, disciplined and well trained team. Guus Hiddink is a very intelligent coach and he might use a strategy to surprise Spain just like he did with the Netherlands.

Another point that will make a difference today is the weather. It's been raining in Viena for quite some time and the wet pitch might give Russia a physical advantage.

So all I can really say is that there are no real favourites in this match. Russia has a not-so-well-known roster but that doesn't mean that they don't have the necessary quality to win and Spain, we all know very well. The team has quality, has talent and has already beat Russia once in this competition. But can they really perform under pressure?

We shall see ...

90' (+2): And it's over.... Spain nails this one... and the team looks pretty good!!!

90': GGGGGOOOAAALLLL for Spain... Cesc Fabregas 4-1... another counter attack after Russia missed a CLEAR chance again... Looks like a replay

90': Corner for the Ruski

89': Sergio Ramos made two or three ridiculous mistakes during this match that could be costly against a better team.

85': Roman Pavlyunchenko looked for a goal the whole match and he found one. A good, unstoppable header. 3-1 ... but there's no time for reaction

85': GGGOOOAAAALLLL... RUSKI

75': Spain is back to the pacing controlling, excellent passing line...

74': Hat Trick Hat Trick Hat Trick ... David Villa buries Russia for good!!! Villa Receives, turns the defender in and out and shoots... this time Akinfeev can't do anything!!! GGGGGOOOOLLLAAAAZZZOOOO

73': Great play by Fabregas on the right side. He crosses but the ball is saved by Akinfeev

72': Another shot for Russia. Pavlyuchenko risks it from the top of the box but the low shot was easy for Casillas.

70': This is a very, very, very strange decision for the Russian coach. He replaced the Bystrov who had come in in the second half (????)

64':

Spain with total control of the match... I mean, TOTAL CONTROL. La Furia is actually playing with a lot of calm. Passing the ball in defense, attracting the Russian team and exploring the space left behind their defense. 

64': Akinfeev had to work hard again. Villa found once again space behind the Russian defense but this time the keeper got to the ball before he could dribble and score the third

63': Andres Iniesta, who played a great match, leaves the pitch and is replaced by Santi Cazorla

61': Bilyaletdinov takes a good shot from the left side of the box that went really close to Casillas goal, but I don't see Spain losing control of the match. The Spanish team seems comfortable and wirking well in defense and midfield and creating good offensive plays. David Silva just had a great opportunity that was cleared by the Russian defense

57': Torbinskyi comes in for Senshov in the Russian squad

53': So I guess Aragonés is testing now his 4-1-4-1 formation right? With Villa being the only striker

53': Here comes Fabregas!!!! the number 10 comes in for Torres

49': Bystrov had a good chance after the corner but the shot went straight to Casillas hands

47': Bystrov tries to run with the ball on the right side but David Silva protects it and get the goal kick for Spain

45': A sub for the Russian team during half time: Sychev, number 21 leaves the pitch and Bystrov comes in

Half Time:

Two very different "schools" of European football. Spain with talent, technique, offensiveness versus Russia with discipline, tactics, pace control ... Both teams played well this first 45 minutes but Spain was just better. More efficient and after the initial "studying" period of the match Spain got their first goal, were save by the post and managed to explore the counter attacks well. Russia didn't give up but the second goal might have opened the door for Spain to score more. 

44': After the bad corner kick taken by the Russian team Spain used the same weapon used by the Netherlands to beat Italy: fast counter attacks. A great ball by Iniesta found Villa in good condition behind the defense and the forward didn't waste the opportunity. Spain 2, Russia 0.

44': GGOOOOAAAALLLLLL for Spain!!!! Villa again!!!!

43': Great play for the Russian offense. Another corner

40': Zhirkov goes down. Iniesta took him and the referee calls it a foul for Russia.

39': The Russians are alive!!! The Russian forward is caught offside but they are now finding spaces behind Spain's defense

35': 35 minutes of good and wet football. No team can claim dominance of the match so far. Spain scored their goal on a perfect combination midfield/Torres/Villa but Russia also had chances to level things up.

32': The Russians are trying but they struggle to penetrate Spain's line of 4 defenders.

31': Shot by Torressssss!!! No. That was an easy ball for the keeper

29': Zhirkov moves up and gets a corner for Russia. The corner is taken and Marcos Senna clears the danger

27': Another chance for Villa. Great pass by Iniesta and the keeper Akinfeev puts it out for a corner. Believe folks, there will be more goals in this match... and it could be for any of the teams

23': The match takes an incredible speed and despite the rain both teams are demonstrating a lot of energy and determination.

22':

Two minutes after Spain's goal Russia had the chance to tie the match... But the ball just hit the right post when Casillas couldn't do anything else.

In the sequence Spain also got close to score another one...  

20': A deep pass to Fernando Torres on the left. Torres takes on the defender and pass it sugar coated ball to David Villa who followed the play in the middle... And then it was easy: Villa just sent the ball inside the net... Great breakthrough goal for Spain right when Russia was starting to feel confortable

20': GGGGOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL for Spain!!!! David Villa!!!!

18': corner for Spain. After a good play by Villa on the left the defender knocks it out

18': Is Spain already suffering the pressure of being the eternal underachievers???

14': Here comes the Russians!!! Greatp lay on the right and the finish by Semshov goes wide but very dangerous

14': The rain might play an important role in favor of the Russians who are fast and play well the ball crossed in the box. For Spain the rain can be a problem because makes it more difficult for talented players to control the ball

10': Good play by the Russian team on the left but the flag went up... Offside

9':

Sorry folks... Technicals problems... But I'm here live now!!!

After a initial mistake by Sergio Ramos the match is pretty balanced...