Euro 2008: Despite Elimination, Russia Still Rules

Russia’s Euro 2008 campaign ended the same way it began: losing at the hands of Spain.

However, the team and its supporters should not hold their heads down, as there has been many positive aspects to the team's new found ability. For one, Russia had not advanced to the semifinals since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Back in the soviet days, they were a force to be reckoned with and instilled fear in their opponents, now after the performance put on at this years European Championship they have a new found respect within the football world.

Another fact for the Russians is that they advanced farther than eight of the fifteen top ranked teams in the world which can assure them a huge jump in the FIFA rankings after the competition.

There is no need to be heartbroken after the elimination to Spain because no one in their wildest dreams could have imagined advancing this far, this soon, with such a young team. They were outplayed and shutdown by a formidable defense that only allowed a single shot on target, which occurred in the last minutes of the game.

Each goal Spain scored was prettier than the last and no keeper or defense in the world could have stopped them. The only negative aspect in the match was Andrei Arshavin doing his best Cristiano Ronaldo impression when it mattered most.

Perhaps things would have been different had Russia not lost two players to suspension, but we are not here to play the “what if” game.

The team, along with trainer-turned-tactical-magician, Gus Hiidink, has an incredibly bright future. With the likes of Arshavin, Roman Pavlyuchenko, and keeper Igor Akinfeev there is no reason they can't be a world contender.

In a few months time the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers will begin and Russia has been drawn in a group that shouldn’t cause too many problems.

The group consists of Azerbaijan, Finland, Germany, Liechtenstein, and Wales none of which—with the exception of Germany—rank higher than 36th in the world nor qualified for this years Euro.

Russia has an incredible chance to win this group and claim a world cup berth for the first time since 2002.

When the team returns to Moscow today and heads to the Luzhniki Stadium to be welcomed by their supporters they should be all smiles for we all know this won't be the last time we see them play so brilliantly.

вперед Россия навсегда (Onward Russia Forever)