as much as I like Russian women, I like Spanish women more....so I'll be going home at lunch tomorrow to watch Espana kick your butt!  lol

Russia coach Guus Hiddink urged his inexperienced team on Monday not to be afraid of a Spain line-up bursting with household names when they meet in their opening Euro 2008 Group D match on Tuesday.

Russia arrived with the squad with the lowest average age (26.26), according to tournament organisers UEFA, and just one of their 23-man squad -- forward Ivan Saenko of Nuremberg in Germany -- plays his club football outside his homeland.

Hiddink said his players might not be familiar faces yet but hoped they soon would be.

"(Spain's) players are known, our players are not known. I hope that will change in 24 hours," he told a news conference at the Tivoli Neu stadium.

"We will try to give Spain a hard time. I don't want to see a team that was afraid to play as was the case at past tournaments."

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

so, you like dark and hairy .....  ok, to each it's own.

---

- Независимость - это когда в 20-й раз наступаешь на одни и те же грабли, а русские уже ни при чем....

soccer blog - real time game stats
Minute 14, score is 0:0.  Is Spain a team or just a collection of talented individuals.

Russia is holding its own...

 

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

Minute 19:  Spain 1:  Russia 0.

 

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

Minute 22:  Russian bounces one off the Spanish post - very close!

 

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

Minute 23 - great save by the russian goalkeeper - ball was fired in fast....

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

minute 30 - several feeble attempts by both sides....both teams seem to have rattled nerves....

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

It's raining hard on the field - Spain is giving the ball lots of touches in the back field - drives in and misses.

Minute 39 Russia takes a shot right in front of the Spanish goal - but was in an offside position

 

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

MInute 41 - Russia misses free kick - ball again bounces off Spanish goalpost

 

 

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

GOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!

Minute 44 - Spain moves down the field with the finess of a Russian chess player making all the right moves.....and nails one for Espana.

Spain 2:  Russia 0

 

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

damn. back to reality.  end of blog.

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

:-) white men can't jump:-)

and Czech's also lost to ...dark skinned Portugese...:-)

---

Можем в шахматы сражаться

Или лучше в городки

А в футбол не надо братцы

Не позорьтесь, мужики.

Болела вся страна

Какого же....

Do Russians really care about soccer? 

Cuz I"m NOT feeling Soccer-Love on this website.

I saw the best soccer game EVER on Sunday watching Spain beat Italy in overtime on penalty kicks.  Wow.  That was almost better than s*x.  lol

Now, in case YOU haven't heard, Spain is now playing Russia (again) on Thursday in the Euro 2008 quarterfinals.  This is a Big Deal.

I'm sure Spain will win, but at least show some interest.  lol

Or maybe Egor and I should debate why Russia is still considered part of Euro 2008.  I didn't see the Euro 2008 teams from Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania, Macedonia, Romanica, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuantia, Maldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and a few other Euro 2008 countries?  lol

---

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

Iran.. that's a good one.

---