Poland v Russia
Poland (5) v Russia (4)
Two solid walls of defenseThe reigning champions from Russia went head to head with Poland in the East-European matchup. Even though the Russians from the start of the tournament have been at good odds of taking the trophy once again, they had to defeat Poland to get anywhere, and the Polish players were not going down easily.
The game was mostly dominated by a firm, easteuropean style of play. No magical Ronaldinho tricks, no solo attempts to make a fast goal. All the way through, both teams held a firm grip of their play with intelligent movement of the ball and having their back covered at all times. Both teams played a patient passing game, maintaining possession as much as possible and waiting for the right moment to strike. Although not a very entertaining match, it was clear that both teams had great skill, this goes mostly for their goalkeepers and defense, but certainly also for their powerful strikes. With a goal only 30 seconds before time, Poland took the victory.
By Mads Trolle Munksgaard