Van der Sar ends Dutch career with painful defeat

Edwin van der Sar, who had announced that his career with the national team would end after Euro 2008, also said he would play only one more season with European champions Manchester United.

"Until this match, it was all nice and we received a lot of international praise, but we could not take that extra step towards the semi-final and final and that hurts," Van der Sar told reporters after their extra-time defeat.

Capped 128 times for his country, his career was finally ended by goals from Russia substitute Dmitry Torbinsky and man of the match Andrei Arshavin, who threaded Russia's third between the Dutchman's legs from close range to secure his side's victory.

The man who launched Van der Sar's international career in 1995 as Netherlands coach at the time, Guus Hiddink, was also the one who brought it to an end on Saturday as manager of a Russia side that were just too good for the Dutch.

"The good feeling just was not present on Saturday," Van der Sar said.

"In the first half they really put us under pressure. In extra time I really had the idea that we could go through if we managed to get into the penalty shoot-out."

That optimism may well have been founded on his performance in last month's penalty shoot-out in Moscow, when his heroics won the Champions League final for United against Chelsea.

Looking back at his career, he said: "I really enjoyed it all these years, but it has been enough. I only will stay one more year at Manchester United."

Van der Sar, who joined United from Fulham in 2005, agreed a contract extension last December that will take him through to the end of the 2008-09 season, when United will be bidding for a third consecutive Premier League title.

Netherlands coach Marco van Basten said he felt sorry for goalkeeper van der Sar.

"Edwin had a great international career and really deserved to end it by winning the final of a tournament like this," said Van Basten of the United keeper.