Russia v Ukraine
Russia (1) v Ukraine (2)
The HWC always throws up some emotional local derbies but still the spirit of the tournament pervades what could otherwise be tense fixtures. Russia and Ukraine were the latest teams to write new chapters in their countries' footballing histories. The Ukraine captain gave a pennant to mark the occasion to his opposite number and the players added further to the air of mutual respect by taking care to shake each others' hands.
It was no surprise though that they played out a cagey first half, with similar styles underpinned by a cautious outlook and leading to few chances. The tension built but still the goals failed to come as the second period wore on and the crowd started to prepare for a shootout. But just as the seconds ticked down the Ukraine No.11 woke the crowd up, thumping home a right footed drive to give his team the win. There followed a furious reaction as the scoreboard failed to update, but once reassurance was forthcoming, harmony was restored and both teams again embraced and the HWC had another of its powerful and enduring images.
Joel Dimmock