ROBERTO DONADONI, ITALY. Failure to reach the last eight  probably would have cost the Italian coach his job. But he conjured a more motivated and passionate performance from his troops, caught some luck, and escaped the Group of Death with a 2-0 win over the French.

WHAT WE LEARNED TUESDAY

1. That France is too old, too slow and devoid of any meaningful ideas under Raymond Domenech. It is time for a change ... and change is a-coming.

2. That the sweet smell of success surrounding Holland does not extend to Rafael van Der Vaart, who disgusted his colleagues on the bench by suffering from an ill-timed bout of flatulence. The reaction of the other members of the Dutch bench, who pulled their shirts over their noses and waved their arms frantically, was priceless.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE WEDNESDAY

1. To see what impact Andrei Arshavin can have on Russia. Arshavin stupidly got himself sent off against Andorra in qualifying and missed the first two games. But the influential Zenit St. Petersburg star is back in time for the crucial head-to-head showdown with Sweden. The prize: a spot in the quarterfinals.

2. How Luis Felipe Scolari handles the latest bombardment of questions about his impending employment at Chelsea. The Portuguese media and public are furious at the lack of information and explanation supplied so far and quickly falling out of love with the charismatic national team boss.

Here are some Related Links: