Newz Forum: SOCCER: Holland defeat Sweden on penalties

Nothing separated Sweden and Holland over 120 minutes of action, so their quarter-final clash in Faro has gone to the dreaded penalty shoot-out.

Rules Explained

If scores are level on 90 minutes, extra time will be played and the silver goal rule will come into force.

If a team scores a goal in the first period of extra time, play continues until the first period is complete and if one team leads, they win the match. If it is still level at the end of the first period, the second period will be played to its end and if scores are still level, there will be a penalty shootout.

In the penalty shoot-out, each team alternately takes five spot kicks. If, after this procedure, both sides have converted the same number of penalties, kicks continue to be taken in the same order, until one team has scored one goal more than the other from the same number of kicks.

Match Report

BBC Sport

Holland reached the semi-finals with a penalty shoot-out win over Sweden. Man-of-the match Arjen Robben scored the winning penalty after Edwin van der Sar saved Olof Mellberg's spot-kick. Edwin van der Sar and Arjen Robben were the heroes for Holland as they booked a Euro 2004 semi-final showdown with Portugal by beating Sweden 5-4.

Swedish keeper Andreas Isaksson had kept his side in the game, though he enjoyed some luck as well, notably when a Robben shot hit the post. Sweden also hit the woodwork first through a Henrik Larsson volley and then Fredrik Ljungberg's low shot, but Holland were worthy winners.

Initially Holland had concentrated their attacks down the Swedish left, with the Chelsea-bound Robben prominent in the best of those Dutch attacking movements. As early as the fourth minute Isaksson had to punch clear a Robben cross and soon after the Swedish goalkeeper did well to tip over the bar the Dutch winger's rising shot after he had cut inside Mikael Nilsson.

A long-throw from the Dutch right was then flicked on by Philip Cocu to Van Nistelrooy but his shot was bravely blocked by Olof Mellberg. Another feature of Holland's attacking play was the way Robben and Holland's other winger Andy van der Meyde frequently swapped flanks.

It was from the left wing that Robben broke inside and linked well with Van Nistelrooy, to set up a shot for Michael Reiziger. Deprived of possession Sweden were restricted to a couple of tame efforts from free-kicks though just before the interval Mattias Jonsson crossed for Anders Svensson, whose goalbound shot was blocked by Wilfred Bouma.

Ten minutes after the interval a Jaap Stam mis-kick landed at the feet of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the Swedish striker's shot was cleared by Cocu. On 83 minutes Ibrahimovic set up substitute Kim Kallstrom, whose shot was superbly blocked by Johnny Heitinga.

As the game opened up Van Nistelrooy, who was isolated for long periods in the game, began to find more space. Just past the hour Van Nistelrooy killed Clarence Seedorf's diagonal pass on his chest and the ball went just wide after the Dutch striker's shot rebounded off Isaksson.

In the closing stages of normal time Holland piled on the pressure and Van Nistelrooy and Roy Makaay went close. Holland dominated the first period of extra-time, a Robben effort hitting the post after the swerve of the shot deceived Isaksson.

However the Swedish goalkeeper recovered himself as he dived low to fist away Seedorf's shot. Isaksson made an even better save from a Seedorf free-kick when he flung himself to his right to get his hand to the ball. But Sweden also went close, notably when Larsson swivelled and volleyed against the bar and then Ljungberg's low shot rebounded off the post.

Sweden: Isaksson, Ostlund, Mellberg, Jakobsson, Nilsson, Jonson, Linderoth, Ljungberg, Svensson, Ibrahimovic, Larsson.
Subs: Hedman, Kihlstedt, Lucic, Mjallby, Hansson, Kallstrom, Andersson, Farnerud, Allback, Wilhelmsson, Wahlstedt.

Holland: Van der Sar, Reiziger, Stam, de Boer, Van Bronckhorst, Davids, Seedorf, Cocu, Van der Meyde, van Nistelrooy, Robben.
Subs: Westerveld, Waterreus, Bouma, Kluivert, Van der Vaart, Makaay, Sneijder, Overmars, Van Hooijdonk, Heitinga, Bosvelt, Zenden.

Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).