SPORTS/OLYMPICS> Soccer
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SPORTS/OLYMPICS> Soccer
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Worthy winners Spain reach Euro 2008 final
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-27 06:59 VIENNA - Spain reached the European Championship final for the first time in 24 years on Thursday with a convincing 3-0 win over Russia to set up a meeting with Germany in Sunday's Euro 2008 decider.
Xavi scored with a superbly taken opportunist volley at a rainswept Ernst Happel stadium to give Spain a deserved 1-0 lead after 50 minutes and substitute Daniel Guiza made no mistake when he beat the offside trap to make it 2-0 after 73 minutes. Cesc Fabregas set up David Silva to make it 3-0 eight minutes from time. "We're in the final, it's what we all wanted but, of course, now we've got a team in front of us which is Germany and that's a very big challenge," said Spain coach Luis Aragones. "The first half was difficult but our second half performance was extraordinary." Midfielder Andres Iniesta added: "The team just got better and better as the game went on. We dominated throughout and we're absolutely delighted to be in the final." Russia coach Guus Hiddink said: "We lost against a very good opponent. We managed to keep up more or less on the same level for one hour -- they had to make us tired. "Having third place in this tournament is a tremendous success and they (Spain) deserved to win." ABSORBING MATCH Spain's breakthrough in an absorbing match came five minutes into the second half when Iniesta cut in from the left and found Xavi who had lost his markers. He took his chance brilliantly to put Spain ahead and on the way to their first final since they lost to France in 1984. |
