Hello World
by edwzipper on Saturday, June 21st, 2008 at 08:55pm
And, a star is born. Grant Wahl, as always in these parts, with the last word:
We’re seeing a new world soccer superstar emerging from one of the most unlikely of sources. He’s only played in two games, but Andrei Arshavin has suddenly replaced Spain’s David Villa as the headline act of Euro 2008. Russia’s stunning (and deserving) upset of the once-rampant Dutch was won on the feet of Arshavin, the 27-year-old playmaker who punished the Dutch defense all game long with his speed, creativity and tireless effort. Twelve years ago in a European championship quarterfinal I got to see the emerging genius of France’s Zinédine Zidane for the first time. Now, in another Euro quarterfinal against Holland, I got the same kind of adrenalin rush watching Arshavin shred the Dutch defense. Arshavin has a long ways to go if he wants to be the next Zidane, but there’s something special about seeing the rise of a great new talent on the world stage.
True all dat. The Russians took it to the Dutch all day, and Arshavin was a huge part of that. Yet another hugely entertaining match in a Euro Cup that has been full of them. Tomorrow’s clash of the futbol titans to determine the last semi-final entrant is between Spain and Italy. That would make me a big-time Spanish fan.