Word: spain
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Sweden displayed absolute determination against a Greece team equally determined to not let them play. Croatia exhibited the black art of protecting an early lead to its exhausting end while the Czech Republic gave testimony to that sporting proverb that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. Spain's finishing was nothing less than exquisite, raising expectations yet again that this will be their year. And Holland, stamping itself as the hottest team of the tournament, showed a little bit of everything in a 3-0 dismantling of Italy that had controversy, luck, skill, star performances...
...Germany was soon to be forgotten after Spain and Holland set the tournament alight. Perhaps it wasn't surprising that Spain would get off to a good start. Finishing tournaments has been the Spanish weakness. It may still be. Against a supposedly rising Russia the Spanish frontrunners David Villa and Fernando Torres ran rampant in a 4-1 win. Torres set up the first goal by undressing Russian centerback Denis Kolodin and serving Villa with a gilt-edged pass to make it 1-0 at 20 minutes. It would be the beginning of a long night for the Russian back...
...Oddly, the dominating performances by Portugal, Holland, Spain and Germany mean there are plenty of scraps left over for the runner-up spots and a place in the knockout round. And likely, a chance to be knocked out. Italy must find a way past Romania - certainly possible - and then play an out-of-form France for the second spot in Group C. Switzerland needs to beat Turkey to stay alive in Group A and possibly overtake the Czechs, who face Portugal. The Russians, who threatened the Spanish on a number of occasions, face a stubborn Greece and a rejuvenated Sweden...
...didn't look like it after Russia's first game at Euro 2008, when they were thrashed 4-1 by Spain, who immediately joined Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands - all impressive winners in the first round of games - as early favorites. The Russians can argue, with some justice, that the scoreline against Spain didn't reflect the skill they showed. But whatever happens at the tournament, Russian football has already strung together a run of small successes, rekindling memories of some terrific teams - at both club and national level - from the 20 years after World...
...takes more than bulging pockets to create national footballing brilliance and depth, as the defeat by Spain proved. But cash always helps. "Money alone is no guarantee, but without a lot of money you don't stand even a chance," says French coach Rolland Courbis, who once directed clubs including Bordeaux, Marseilles and Alania Vladikavkaz in the Russian republic of North Ossetia. "Russia has the major resources: money, a huge population and people who know football. Now it's a question of competence in how well the system can be organized, and the focus kept on long-term development...