Fuente: © UEFA (English)
http://www.uefa.com/

EURO 2008: Semshov enjoying freedom of Russia

/noticias.info/ Russia midfielder Igor Semshov believes his side were released from their "shackles" by the comprehensive opening-day defeat by Spain.

Nothing to lose
Guus Hiddink's team succumbed 4-1 to the eventual Group D winners in their first outing at the finals, but recovered with a 1-0 win against Greece followed by Wednesday's impressive 2-0 victory over Sweden to reach the quarter-finals. "We had a chance to unload mentally after the Spain game, where we suffered such a heavy defeat," Semshov said. "After that, we realised there was nothing to lose and played like our normal selves again, although we knew we had to win both games to progress.

Pressure off
"The first match is always the one people base their judgements on," the 30-year-old FC Dinamo Moskva player added. "There is always a lot of expectation, but what happened, happened. Spain have a very strong group of players, they are really top class. But after that game, we broke free from our shackles." And with Russia gaining momentum, Semshov is looking forward to Saturday's Basel quarter-final against the Netherlands with confidence. "Playing in a group is one thing, but a knockout situation is completely different," he said. "There is no margin for error. You play 90, 120 minutes, maybe penalties even to decide your fate. You do not get a second chance. The two scenarios cannot be compared."

Belief
Russia have just two days left to prepare to face the Group C winners, but Semshov is unfazed by the rapid turnaround between matches. "On the one hand, we have had less time to recover than the Dutch, but on the other we are more in game mode than them," he said. "Only the match itself will show who's best. There is no question the Netherlands are among the favourites, though. They are one of the strongest teams here, but we have to believe in ourselves." notas_de_prensa_archivo