5. Antonio Ferreira o.g. (59′), Spartak Moscow 2 – 1 Terek Grozny

Although the inclusion of an own goal may appear queer, I believe this particular “oh gee” a justifiable golaccio. The hosts were a goal down, [...]]]> A *mere* 22 net-busters to select from this week. 2 down on round 4, but a 2.75 goals-per-game average ain’t all bad!

5. Antonio Ferreira o.g. (59′), Spartak Moscow 2 – 1 Terek Grozny

Although the inclusion of an own goal may appear queer, I believe this particular “oh gee” a justifiable golaccio. The hosts were a goal down, stifled in a narrow formation, and up against a side so quick to wave-break/launch. Nevertheless home-heads weren’t dropped, and socks were pulled up. Spartak rallied, but Dikan’s erratic kicking aside, the man from the industrial city of Kharkiv was an impenetrable steel contraption between Terek’s tailpipes.

The gents in front of him were pretty formidable too, none more so than the Brazilian at right-back (a player who’s a great deal steadier than his overpriced namesake at Chelsea). Alas, something had to give. Up against deep banks of 3-3, the Muscovites exploited temporarily abandoned space on Terek’s right (Ferreira was burning back post-burst). The pass may have been sidewards, and the ghosting Sheshukov’s first touch may have ensured his second was a tackle, but the former Russia U21 starlet’s hunger after a well-timed dart to meet the pass ensured that Dmitri Yatchenko was always second best in a quasi-50:50 on the ‘D’.

The lively Welliton exploited the space Terek’s left-back had rightfully vacated, and reaching (amidst intense Kobenko pressure) the point where the right-line of the six-yard-box meets the goal-line, he fired back a cross-cum-insect-killer that his fellow Brazilian – cannily positioning himself as other-post protector – had no time to move away from. Fast forward to 1:54 in the above link to the goal to, depending on your allegiance, revel/mope in Ferreira’s misfortune.

4. Guilherme (7′), Alania Vladikavkaz 1 – 3 CSKA Moscow

Tomáš Necid persistently flatters to deceive, so a Dynamo Kyiv cast-off was handed an opportunity to complement CSKAs midfield magicians. And with the game barely four minutes hold, the tricky Brazilian laid down a memorable marker. Receiving in an attacking-midfield hotspot, Guilherme nonchalantly tried a goal-facing keepy-up-by and run-round his marker. Ibrahim Gnanou was committed, fooled, and sought to resolve matters with a cheeky ball-slap.

Moving along the South American continent, and we reach Chile – a child of whom stepped up to take the free-kick from the ‘D’. Mark Gonzalez took a solitary step up, and leaning back, casually used his big toe to scoop the ball off the underside of the crossbar. Alania’s net-tender may have been stranded after a helpless dive, but Guilherme was the first to reach the six-yard box and a ball with more bounce than Flubber. He ground his sprint to a jog in order to gracefully meet the ball with a dainty arched-leap, and headed in the Moscow side’s opener.

3. Mersudin Ahmetović (12′), FK Rostov 2 – 1 Amkar Perm

The opening goal of a game between two of the season’s most exciting prospects, this goal was all the more remarkable as moments earlier the visitors had hit one post and shaved the other. Lebedenko adopted the guise of trequartista, ignoring the covered angles and pressure two Amkar players enacted. They say great minds think alike, and this sentiment gained further credence here as Aleksandr Pavlenko ran on to the AML pass from deep and instantly curled over to the right-side of the ‘D’.

Not only was the pass delicately weighted, and his gangly Bosnian target perfectly located, it was executed at just the right moment – Ahmetović had peeled from the left-back’s attentions, and Pavlenko’s own guard, Vitaliy Fedoriv, was given no time to rectify the decision to hang deep as an auxiliary centre-back. The trap was tidy and set the former FK Sloboda man on the golden path to goal. Nevertheless, there was still work to do; Dmitri Belorukov showing agility and acceleration to re-adjust his caught-out stance and slide at the moment Ahmetović shaped to shoot. Alas, his contact only served to loop the ball over Sergei Narubin, the ‘keeper’s valiant attempts to narrow the angle thwarted.

2. Vladimir Sergeyevich Bystrov (54′), Zenit 1 – 0 Lokomotiv Moscow

Involved in the build-up from the outset, Bystrov ignored the tirade from the terraces to dispatch this tight affair’s sole goal. Bystrov bobbed for a throw along the invisible line that commenced the home side’s final-third. This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill jog-down-the-byline movement mind – Bystrov cleverly drifted in, out, and shook it all about. One could hear the strains of The Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go accompanying his darts! He may have lost out upon trapping to the on-floor mop of Yanbaev, but Zyrianov was alert to scoop the loose-ball over for Kerzhakov to flick on to Bayer Leverkusen-reject Lazović at AML.

With the centre-backs pulled to within arm’s reach of their own goalkeeper (both tracked Zyrianov’s sprint to the left-post), and Dujmović and Glushakov monitoring Kerzhakov’s hungry “gimme”-howls at the penalty spot, Bystrov’s trudge to the vacated ‘D’ didn’t go unnoticed by his colleague. Exposing poor Kuzmin angle-closure, Zenit’s #8 passed for the boo-boys’ target to fire an unstoppable left-footed half-volley into the bottom-right.

1. Dušan Andjelković (84′) FK Rostov 2 – 1 Amkar Perm

We return to an aforementioned clash; greeted by a goal worthy of winning any game! A corner from the right-side was laughably overhit and headed out by an away side clinging to their point. Sergei Volkov zoomed out to prevent any damage despite the ball trickling harmlessly to the position occupied by Rostov’s left-back. Yet like a bullet, Andjelković arrived to pay a personal tribute to the so-called percentages-game certain English managers are so fond of. Connecting instantaneously on the half-volley, the ball took just one deflection as it whizzed through a crowded box and into the top right-hand corner. Sergei Narubin, stooped in a position one normally assumes on the lavatory, could only glance and admire.

5. David Siradze [...]]]> - 1 game, + 7 goals! The pitches may still contain more lumps than James Bond’s bedsheets, but the amount of strikes soar by the week. Enjoy my weekly take on the Russian Premier League’s finest strikes – courtesy of a Georgian, a Czech, a Ukranian, a Belarussian, and a supposedly creaking Russian!

5. David Siradze (4′), Spartak Nalchik 5 – 2 Rostov

The hosts are decisive in several tackles to launch with increasing momentum. Leandro halts for an assessment of his options, the defence primed for a burst down the chalk, although Kulchiy does little to reduce the Brazilian’s vision or comfort. The well-travelled wideman unselfishly tees in Malyerov, who’s quick and decisive with a pass through to the veering-in Siradze (Timofei Kalachev copies his Belarussian counterpart Kulchiy in applying zero, well, anything). The trap is tight and allows him to continue with the ball bobbling favourably. Dyadyun’s canny dummy-tag keeps the 3-pronged Rostov ‘D’-guard on momentary tenterhooks, allowing the Georgian international to score. A left-footed volley that’s precise, smooth, and so low and inside-post that former Nalchik ‘keeper Dejan Radić’s 6ft. 2in. frame stands little chance of reaching it.

4. Jan Holenda (53′), Anzhi Makhachkala 2 – 0 Alania Vladikavkaz

This one’s mainly about the determination of David Tsorayev – but I can’t let Gheorghe Florescu escape without an admonishing, giving possession away in the final third as cheaply as he did. Carrying from his side’s box-joint (right) to the opposition’s, the Russian complements this exciting and incisive turn-of-pace with a peach of a snooker-shot-cum-diagonal-square for Holenda to finish. The Czech deserves a high-5 for timing the run, getting the right side of the defender (all Mamah achieved was an extra scoop of detergent in the washing machine), and finishing with the aplomb and ferocity you’d expect of one who’s represented a European giant like AC Sparta Prague. To add insult to going two-down injury, Anzhi’s #6 is a former Avtodor Vladikavkaz player.

3. Valeri Klimov (34′) Tom Tomsk 2 – 2 Spartak Moscow

Fast-forward to 3:41 on the video to commence enjoyment of this gem. With the visitors arrogantly rolling the ball to one another – fabricating a simulated reality in which there was ice-cream and flowery-swim shorts on a Rio de Janeiro beach - Đorđe Jokić “thank-you very much” seizes control versus Ari (dozing on a metaphorical hammock, sombrero shielding face from the sun). Klimov is at the right-side of a counter-readied triangle, and doesn’t have to stop bobbing due to the delightful weight and landing on the pass. Carrying out but then stepping inside of the adjusting Marek Suchý – the touch tidy; the strength and balance measured – the lanky more-clubs-than-Nicklaus Tom Tomsk #3 makes light of the bobbles to decisively send a Hitzlsperger-esque thunderbolt back-across-goal to the bottom right. A great show of character from the 36 year-old, proving that a *bigger side* drawing level need not mean the *smaller side* crumbling.

2. Andriy Voronin (22′) Lokomotiv Moscow 3 – 2 Dynamo Moscow

Mainly included because of the context in which the goal materialised. The machine-like Dynamo had spent the opening 2/9ths of the game camped in their own half, forming disciplined banks, neglecting to inject creativity into the midfield, isolating the forward(s), and playing at a tempo that matched the fan’s 10-minute commemorative silence. Contrastingly, the Odemwingie-inspired hosts were in the ascendancy. If Aliyev’s delivery had been more decisive, or Traore’s touch not rendering every one of his second strokes a tackle, the Railroaders would have had the tie wrapped up already. Nevertheless, the burst down Edgaras Česnauskis’s flank from Samedov was decisive.

The former-Lokomotiv man had mainly spent the match tracking and tripping the jinxes of Odemwingie. So this was a rare foray forward for the Russian, although the flank he launched down was unsurprising –  Česnauskis had begun to exploit the space Oleg Kuzmin was leaving (although in this case, the left-back was actually that). Dmitri Kombarov laid on the pass and like Old Yeller, lunged up for the ride. The cross was whipped, swinging in and then out to the rear-end of the six-yard-box. Several yards in front and either side of the penalty dot, it was 2 CBs vs 2 FWs. Unfortunately for the hosts, the duel into which the ball dropped saw Voronin easily sneak away from the more-Clueless-than-Alicia-Silverstone Marko Baša. Adopting posture more suited to a Stegosaurus, Vince Neil-wannabe Andriy Voronin stooped to head home. I’d question what exactly Guilherme was doing, yet let’s be honest, we’d be more surprised if he wasn’t playing the part of headless chicken.

1. Dmitry Molosh (34′), Amkar Perm 3 – 1 Sibir Novosibirsk

Most of the 20 goals I’ve included in this four-week-so-far series have been praised and mined for their tactical genius. Yet football ultimately retains a place in our hearts due to its bolt-from-the moments. Like this blue-exiting bolt, for instance. Perhaps Molosh was seething at the shoddy marking he employed to let Volkov open the scoring. He could have been thinking about robbing my mother’s purse for all I care, because this 40-yard howitzer is simply joyous. I dare you to watch it and not experience an unintended and unnatural yelp and chair-leap!

Two first-half goals from Sergey Kornilenko and Valery Klimov was not enough for Tom Tomsk to wrap up the full points but with Spartak Moskva continuing to show some insufficiencies through midfield it was adequate for a solid draw.

The glove weather of Tomsk on Sunday made every challenge just that little bit more [...]]]>

(Photo: football.tomsk.ru)

Two first-half goals from Sergey Kornilenko and Valery Klimov was not enough for Tom Tomsk to wrap up the full points but with Spartak Moskva continuing to show some insufficiencies through midfield it was adequate for a solid draw.

The glove weather of Tomsk on Sunday made every challenge just that little bit more painful. For Valery Karpin, the weather wasn’t as bad as the start time—claiming the 11:30 local time kick-off was a contributing factor to Spartak Moskva’s sluggish play.

Despite all of the questionable conditions the home side came out looking excited, effectively cornering Spartak in their defensive end. The early pressure certainly worked to Tomsk’s favor, with Dorde Jokic getting clonked on the head to the left of goal by Spartak keeper Soslan Dzhanayev off his line making a ill-advised attempt on the ball. The eighth minute spot kick from Sergey Kornilenko went off without a hitch and Tomsk had the early lead.

Ten minutes in Spartak were still barely able to make it past the half line, out-of-synch on the tough surface. A weak shot from Ari was the first registered on goal for the visitors in the twelfth minute. It took another ten minutes for Spartak to truly settle down and hold any significant possession.

For Tom Tomsk, Aleksandr Kharitonov looked solid in midfield—making exigent runs and getting a decent effort on goal one fourth of the way through. Kornilenko followed up his chance minutes later after a header from Goran Maznov rolled his way. One touch to his left was enough to create space but the Belarusian clipped his shot wide of the near post. On twenty-eight minutes right-back Georgi Dzhioyev managed a long-distance free-kick on frame that Dzhanayev was came quickly to save. But still, all the real chances were going Tomsk’s way as Spartak continued to look clumsy through midfield.

Against the run of play, however, Spartak managed an equalizer in the twenty-ninth minute. In their first seconds of sustained possession deep in Tomsk’s defensive zone  a goal would come from nice work from Ari and Sergey Parshivlyuk operating down the right. Parshivlyuk, getting behind his former teammate Sergey Covalciuc just enough to send a cross inside the six-yard box, found Welliton waiting for the easy goal with Dmitry N. Smirnov carelessly allowing him to get in front.

The exciting first half continued as Tom moved back on the offensive. Their lead was restored in the thirty-fourth minute after Jokic read an Alex pass well, stepping forward to intercept and immediately pushing it forward for Klimov on the right side. The midfielder was crafty, turning Suchy around in his tracks and galloping into the area. His fourteen yard strike was a good one, sent to the far side well past Dzhanayev, who could only turn his head while sprawled on the ground to watch it cross the line.

Maznov almost added a third from a header off a corner four minutes later as Tom Tomsk held all the momentum. They’d take the lead into the half but with the way Tomsk was playing they may have wished that the break never came.

That sentiment was surely felt three minutes into the new half. The equalizing goal from Spartak off a fairly benign set up as Alex controlled the ball into the attacking third. His shot from twenty-two yards was mishandled by Sergey Pareiko. His attempt to catch went awry and Spartak was fortunate that Ibson continued his run, jumping on the ball eight yards from goal in front of Jokic and tipping it in.

Kharitonov had a decent strike sent directly to Dzhanayev five minutes later but while Tomsk continued to once again look to reclaim the lead Spartak began to solidify their back-line.

The visitors, seeing a draw as unacceptable, had the ambition but Tom strongly fended them off. The defensive effort had to do with a well-organized back-line, led by Jokic, but could perhaps be more attributed to an excellent match from Covalciuc—his first of the year, which was certainly fueled by the wish to frustrate the club that released him in the offseason.

With close to twenty minutes remaining Tomsk once again applied good pressure. Covalciuc and Klimov both had decent efforts created off of corners as tangling bodies piled up inside Spartak’s box.

Play shifted back in Spartak’s direction with a quarter of an hour remaining. Welliton almost found his brace after nearly tracking down a through-ball inside the area in front of Dzhioyev but Pareiko reacted quickly and grabbed it before the Brazilian could strike.

Despite Spartak controlling the final minutes of the match, as Tom Tomsk committed a number of niggling fouls to slow down the attack, the home side may feel that they deserved the full three points. Nevertheless, their point was a solid one for the Siberians, who showed that in 2010 they are perfectly capable of going toe-to-toe with the better clubs in the league. After a hard-fought ninety minutes they keep their fourth spot in the league.

Two goals created through counterattacks from Andrey Streltsov and Jan Holenda allowed Anzhi Makhachkala to treat their home fans to a solid defeat of Alaniya Vladikavkaz.

Anzhi came out of the gate with zeal, as David Tsorayev managing a shot in [...]]]>

Andrey Streltsov opened the scoring for Anzhi and they never looked back (Photo: Aleksandr Kuzmin)

Two goals created through counterattacks from Andrey Streltsov and Jan Holenda allowed Anzhi Makhachkala to treat their home fans to a solid defeat of Alaniya Vladikavkaz.

Anzhi came out of the gate with zeal, as David Tsorayev managing a shot in the first minute. Though easily grabbed by Dmitry Khomich, it was certainly a harbinger of the match’s direction.

Anzhi failed to maintain the early energy as play became concentrated in the middle of the pitch in the first fifteen minutes. Shortly thereafter, however, Anzhi appeared to take the initiative—finally holding the ball and pushing to earn a couple of corners. Tsorayev continued to look the most potent in attack, astutely looking for space on the right side.

In the twenty-fourth minute, after Alaniya found their way into attack, Anzhi showed off their counterattacking as Jan Holenda did well to hold the ball and deliver a smooth pass on the left side for Gocha Khodzhava. The Georgian was frugal with his touches and snapped a left-footed pass back into the middle for Tsorayev with Andrey Streltsov toeing the line in front. Tsorayev gave a simple touch ahead and Alaniya’s last defender—their fresh acquisition—George Florescu tripped Streltsov in the box (a byproduct of the left side of Alaniya’s backline having pushed much too far forward) and was whistled for the penalty. Khomich guessed correctly to his right but Streltsov’s shot had just enough pace to squeeze past the keeper, his second goal in as many games.

Alaniya attempted to mount a comeback to close out the half, concentrating their approach down their right side as Jambulad Bazayev and Ivan Stoyanov putting in decent shifts.

With Alaniya venturing into the attacking third even more at the start of the second half the visitors left themselves too susceptible to Anzhi’s counter. In the fifty-third minute it came to bite them, with Tsorayev again doing damaged down the right, making a determined fifty-yard run that evaded Florescu’s flailing challenge in his own half and managed to beat a storming Yury Kirillov into the area to skid in a cross for Holenda, whose sliding shot outpaced Ivan Ivanov to register his first RPL goal and give Anzhi the comfortable lead.

Not in need of further counterattacks, Anzhi tried to hold the ball as much as possible. Just past the hour mark, however, Alaniya did manage to threaten with Bazaev making Ilya Abayev make his first real save of the match with a twenty-yard blow.

But Alaniya would be unable to sustain any real pressure thereafter, as Anzhi’s central defensive pair of Mitar Pekovic and Rasim Tagirbekov performed adequately to lead Anzhi to their first win of the season.

Yet another Vladimir Dyadyun double sees Spartak Nalchik comfortably defeat FK Rostov at home in the rain on Saturday. A David Siradze blast in the fourth minute set the tone early as Nalchik continually capitalized on foolish defensive plays from the out-of-synch [...]]]>

Vladimir Dyadyun netted his second double in as many matches (Photo: Ruslan Shekemov)

Yet another Vladimir Dyadyun double sees Spartak Nalchik comfortably defeat FK Rostov at home in the rain on Saturday. A David Siradze blast in the fourth minute set the tone early as Nalchik continually capitalized on foolish defensive plays from the out-of-synch Rostovians.

The match started off with a bang, courtesy of Siradze’s left foot. Spartak, perhaps less fazed by the damp conditions, moved into a quick attack on four minutes as Leandro, operating down the right wing, shifted play into the middle with a pass to Roman Kontsedalov. The midfielder chose a hurried pass in front for an in-stride Siradze, whose first touch was brilliant in its subtle correction of the slightly inaccurate ball. Managing to keep control of the bouncing sphere–shirking Dusan Andjelkovic in the process–and without Isaac Okoronkwo closing down, Siradze was able to deliver a stunning strike inside the left post past a diving Dejan Radic.

Okoronkwo’s humdrum performance continued ten minutes later, conceding a penalty kick after leaping clumsily onto the back of Vladimir Dyadyun six yards from goal. Leandro calmly struck the ball into the same spot as Siradze previously managed—with Radic guessing to the wrong side.

Nalchik kept up their tenacious presence in midfield, leaving Rostov having to really battle to move into attack. Close to the twenty-minute mark the visitors began to win some corners but Nalchik stayed firm.

As Rostov grew frustrated in attack they lost defensive focus, exposing themselves to a Nalchik counterattack in the twenty-third minute that ended with Radic having to punch a Dyadyun shot from fifteen yards up over the bar.

At the half-hour mark Rostov showed they were not backing down. Some decent movement of the ball, with Roman Adamov showing fine control in the box, eventually led to Timofey Kalachev receiving a deflection off of Kontsedalov and striking a clean shot square of the near post that clearly had Otto Fredrikson beat.

Both sides struggled to hold possession through the remainder of the half but Spartak fans were clearly not worried as their club was enjoying a comfortable lead.

With the rain continuing to pour down as the sun set, the second half proved to be a pleasantly wild one. Leandro did well for Nalchik, challenging Andjelkovic down the right to find space to send a cross into the box before Kalachev could come in with defensive support. Leandro’s delivery was pedestrian but deflected off of Aliaksandr Kulchiy to Nalchik’s Nikita Malyarov. Despite the first touch being a poor one, Kulchiy’s subsequent challenge was even more ill-begotten, injuring himself and Malyarov in the process of gifting Nalchik another penalty kick. Defender Alexander Amisulashvili stepped up to take and comfortablybeat Radic, like his teammates, to the keeper’s right.

Just past the hour Rostov began to inch closer in attack. After a couple of half-chances, a Nalchik turnover in midfield led to Aleksandr Pavlenko turning on a counterattack that led to Mersudin Ahmetovic smacking a twenty-yard ball under the unhelpful leg of Amisulashvili and the diving Fredrikson to erase the clean sheet.

Dyadyun almost obliterated Rostov’s glimmer of hope a minute later with a fine bicycle kick that flicked off the post. But only one additional minute would have to pass before the match was truly put away after a dubious non-call for offsides allowed Dyadyun to receive a Kontsedalov pass through the middle of Rostov’s defense and authoritatively push it past Radic from sixteen yards.

Rostov added a second, consolation goal from the spot after Malyarov yanked Aleksandr Gatskan down in the box after the midfielder had a clear chance on goal off a corner. Adamov eagerly took to tally his first goal of the season but with only ten minutes to play Rostov’s chances were still as dismal as the weather.

To make matters worse, less than a minute after play resumed Dyadyun added a second to restore the three goal lead. Scooping up a loose ball in midfield, Kontsedalov quickly fed Leandro down the right flank. The Brazilian did not hesitate, lifting a cross into the area that Dyadyun was able to head in after Okoronkwo inexplicably failed to even attempt a challenge. While perhaps not as shocking as Dyadyun netting his second consecutive brace, the fact that the Rostov central defender made three very poor blunders in the match was a bit appalling.

With the victory Nalchik’s amazing early run continues—now having earned ten points after four matches and continuing to sit on top of the league. Skeptics will cite their kind match-ups in the first weeks. But we shall all see the true mettle of Spalchik when they travel to Kazan next weekend to take on Rubin.

An aggressive Amkar Perm took control of their match against Sibir Novosibirsk early on and never really looked back. Sergey Volkov’s first tally of the year, followed by a brace from Georgi Peev had the Red-Blacks roll over the Siberians.

Amkar was aggressive particularly [...]]]>

Two of Saturday's goalscorers: Georgi Peev and Dmitry Molosh (Photo: Aleksandr Kuzmin)

An aggressive Amkar Perm took control of their match against Sibir Novosibirsk early on and never really looked back. Sergey Volkov’s first tally of the year, followed by a brace from Georgi Peev had the Red-Blacks roll over the Siberians.

Amkar was aggressive particularly down the right side in the first minutes. The charge was led by Gerogi Peev, who in the eighth minute showed nice skill near the by-line, spinning away from goal and delivering a nice pass on the ground to Fedoriv. The full-back sent a cross dangerously into the middle that Martin Kulshev dropped back to Deduckho but the shot was turned away in the congested area before challenging Solosin (who received his first start of the year?).

Amkar’s first goal would come two minutes later through a pinpoint cross from the left after Sibir was unable to hold the ball in midfield due to incessant pressure from the home side. Switching the angle of their attack, Amkar spread the ball out wide for Miklos Gaal down the flank, who had plenty of time to line up his cross due to Yevgeny Zinovyev not closing down. His expertly dipping ball into the middle of the 18-yard area dropped over Sibir’s Tomas Vychodil and allowed Sergey Volkov a virtually uncontested header to the keeper’s right for the goal.

The excellent offensive display was followed thereafter by a poor defensive error from Belorukov, allowing Anton Antipenko to skirt past him into the box to receive a through-ball. The offensive rhythm of the Siberians was not up to snuff, however, and the eventual cross from Zinovyev went to waste.

Sibir continued to struggle bringing the ball forward, making mistakes down both flanks. But their greater troubles were in defense. In the twenty-third minute Amkar broke the visitors back-line yet again. Deduchko, from just beyond the area on the left-hand side, fed the ball out wide to the aggressive-minded Gaal. With the Hungarian having time to issue a cross into the middle it skipped low but was still allowed to come to Kushev. Turning toward goal for his shot, the big forward’s effort toward goal was pushed away directly for an oncoming Peev in space. The winger was punctual with his effort on goal, clipping the ball inside the near post with the outside of his right foot—leaving Solosin with nothing turf burns for his diving effort.

With the two-goal lead Amkar did not sit back in defense but did put less pressure on the ball, which allowed Sibir to get into the attacking third. A thirty-fourth minute free-kick from Dmitriy Molosh was audaciously struck toward goal from just inside forty yards. Perhaps Narubin was expecting a ball into the middle but either way the keeper was caught flat-footed and the shot was perfectly placed in the top right corner, bouncing off the bar and in.

The action-packed first half continued on, with Amkar being spurred back into attack. Volkov made a solid run into the middle but was unable to a shot in toward goal. Minutes later Peev found his way deep down the right to send a cross toward the far side for Dmitriy Sokolov, but the former Torpedo midfielder flubbed the finish. Amkar continued to look the better side but with their possession dipping as the half came to an end there was not much room for comfort.

The Red-Blacks appeared to have restored their defensive dominance early into the second half. And feeling comfortable containing the visitors, they looked toward quick counters rather than sustained build up.

Sibir switched on Aleksandr Degtyarev for Antipenko—hoping the new look up top would yield the equalizer. Instead, Amkar held possession comfortably, with Peev continuing to show his control through midfield. With just under a half-hour remaining Sibir did have a great opportunity created by Aleksey Vasilyev, challenging Gaal on the left to loft a nice cross for Aleksandr Shulenin but the midfielder headed it over the bar.

Sensing some vulnerability in the middle, Amkar coach Rashid Rakhimov brought Josip Knesevic in for Motar Novokovic. It almost didn’t matter after Deduchko nailed a long-range free-kick just wide to the right, an effort that would have sealed Amkar’s victory.

Despite the added reinforcements Amkar was chippy in defense, conceding several free-kicks. But the back-line was solid throughout, clearing their lines comfortably.

While Sibir did get into their attacking third, their tiredness was evident near the end, as the final ten minutes went the way of Amkar. First Kushev almost netted his first of the year, sending a tight-angled shot from the right side wide of the far post. Finally the match was put away with Peev—deservedly—earning a brace in inside stoppage time. Coming on a counterattack led by a gingerly run from Volkov, the forward passed off to his right for Kushev, who once again showed his passing abilities up top by sliding a great pass for the on-running Peev, smacking a nine-yard shot inside the near post.

The third goal capped Amkar’s most impressive offensive performance of this early season, which—while helped along by an uninspired Sibir squad—should boost their confidence going forward in the upcoming weeks.

The marquee match between CSKA Moskva and Zenit St. Peterburg has been postponed. Nevertheless, round four’s Saturday action sees yet another Caucasus derby as well as an intriguing match surprise leaders Spartak Nalchik and FK Rostov–two squads growing in confidence.

In the last two days Spartak Moskva has taken up many of the domestic football headlines, making moves and reportedly trying to line up others.

As posted earlier, Aleksandr Prudnikov has been once again shipped out on loan. For 2010, rather than Terek Grozny or Sparta [...]]]>

Quincy is off to Al-Sadd (Photo: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Europe)

In the last two days Spartak Moskva has taken up many of the domestic football headlines, making moves and reportedly trying to line up others.

As posted earlier, Aleksandr Prudnikov has been once again shipped out on loan. For 2010, rather than Terek Grozny or Sparta Praha, the 21-year-old has headed to Tom Tomsk, where he hopes to find form that has failed him in the last year.

But other intriguing developments have occurred. Midfielder Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, whose loan contract with the financially calamitous Portsmouth was severed prematurely, has been sold to Al-Sadd (Qatar).

The door was left open for the 23-year-old Ghanaian to rejoin Spartak in 2009 after serving time with Birmingham City and Cardiff City. Although he did make several appearances for the people’s team, his constant tension with coach Valery Karpin led to his loan transfer back to England.

Reports today have cited a €3 million figure for Quincy’s transfer, which is not a shabby profit (although it was never disclosed how much Spartak actually paid for the attacker) considering Quincy’s contract with the club was set to expire this year.

English tabloids have speculated that Quincy is scheduled to pull in £80,000 a week playing in the Qatar Stars League.

Joining Spartak in 2006, Quincy only managed to find the pitch 29 times for the club, netting three goals.

The €3 million could be out of the bank before it has time to accrue any interest. Another Portsmouth midfielder, Nadir Belhadj, is currently drawing Spartak’s interest. The twenty-seven-year-old has recently been shopped around by the debt-ridden British club, with Roma looking the most likely candidate, having tabled a £5 million offer.

It is not clear how much Spartak has available or is willing to drop for the former Lens winger, but with talks with Liverpool’s Albert Riera reportedly coming to a standstill they may be caught in a minor bidding war as they look to add to their attack before the 8 April registration deadline.

A polished finish from Diego Milito in the sixty-fifth minute sparked a tremendous run of pressure from Internazionale but some excellent saves from Igor Akinfeev and a dramatic goalmouth clearance from Alexsei Berzeutsky allowed CSKA Moskva to escape the San Siro with only a single goal deficit.

Both sides were hesitant in the opening [...]]]>

(Photo: AFP)

A polished finish from Diego Milito in the sixty-fifth minute sparked a tremendous run of pressure from Internazionale but some excellent saves from Igor Akinfeev and a dramatic goalmouth clearance from Alexsei Berzeutsky allowed CSKA Moskva to escape the San Siro with only a single goal deficit.

Both sides were hesitant in the opening stages. Perhaps merely following their respective coach’s instructions or possibly hampered by the tension of the occasion, a cautious pace was pervasive. Nevertheless, as the half wore on Inter looked the more dangerous side, especially after CSKA’s midfield created needless turnovers through midfield. In that regard, the inclusion of Keisuke Honda despite an injury earlier in the week was of note. The Japanese playmaker was all but absent throughout—clearly laboring to get forward and create chances for the Army men.

Though there were no early attempts on goal, CSKA did show decent offensive promise in the first few minutes. Milos Krasic, in particular, made a pair of decent runs. Pavel Mamaev, who was given the start on the left wing due to injury concerns for Mark Gonzalez, was intended to add defensive coverage but some attacking confidence with a challenging against Marco Materazzi in the box. But CSKA’s stamina near the beginning of the match soon evaporated.

Inter attack took some time to get started, but Jose Mourinho’s strategy was clear: establish width going forward. Goran Pandev, Sameul Eto’o, and Diego Milito each tried runs in from the left, astutely challenging Alexsei and Vasily Berezutsky, knowing their tendency toward error when backpedaling. Despite some awkwardness from the twins, they defended adequately, eventually leading to Inter moving to the right to test young full-back Georgi Schennikov.

Maicon was certainly ready for the occasion, actively moving forward past Mamaev and Schennikov, looking to pick-out teammates in the center. Although CSKA looked the slower squad and conceded several dangerous long free-kicks, they did manage to keep their defensive shape throughout most of the half.

On the few occasions CSKA was able to move forward, however, their attackers looked lethargic off the ball. With little movement being created Inter could focus on absorbing one-on-one challenges from Krasic, Mamaev, and even Schennikov. Beyond one difficult-angled shot from Tomas Necid that went wide, the chances on goal were all going the other way.

Inter showed patience in the portion of the half, but their efforts through the heart of CSKA’s defense lacked the necessary timing. Two offsides in quick succession stopped promising moves from Pandev and Maicon. A deflected shot from Eto’o was also whistled dead soon thereafter. But it would be Wesley Sneijder’s work with Pandev and Milito, leading to Sneijder lauching a shot wide to the right that looked the most dangerous. All of these unsuccessful attempts, however, left the club frustrated at the half but if they could continue their dutiful work in attack it was bound to pay off.

CSKA’s inability to move into the attacking third continued into the second half. Honda, while unhelpful in the first half, was clearly a liability by the second—struggling to have any impact in the center of the pitch.

Despite their problems controlling the ball, the Army men did try a decent pair of long-range shots from the feet of Mamaev and Yevgeny Aldonin in the early stages of the new half. Mamaev’s went mere feet over the bar and Aldonin’s seemed to catch Julio Cesar a bit off-guard. Ultimately, however, both were ineffective.

Maicon continued to offer dangerous crosses into the middle. Vasily Berezutsky, however, continued to show his strength, boxing out Milito to prevent any damage. Nevertheless, CSKA began to look vulnerable, seemingly on their heels throughout the rest of the match.

Inter’s confidence came to a head on the hour mark, establishing control over the match that they would not relinquish. After a turnover from Devidas Sembaras, Esteban Cambiasso cruised toward goal and caught Sergey Ignashevich out with a flick to his right for Dejan Stankovic. The midfielder’s legs went pretzel-like, however, and the ball was grabbed by Akinfeev.

But that was just the start. Moments later, an Eto’o run from the left set up Milito in the middle of the area. Moving it further to the right for Pandev rather than work the one-two that the Cameroonian was expecting, the sequence was dead in its tracks. CSKA, however, were struggling to find an answer to the incessant pressure.

After a long ball forward for Pandev, who outfoxed Schennikov, the Macedonian worked a nifty move with Sneijder to create a hard eighteen-yard shot that forced an expert left-fisted punch from Akinfeev.

An Eto’o shot made Akinfeev trap the ball on the line moments later and it seemed as though it were merely a matter of time before Inter broke the deadlock.

The goal came less than a minute later from the leg of Diego Milito. With Akinfeev on his game it would take something special, and the Italian striker provided it. The play would be launched by Sneijder from the half-line, darting forward with CSKA’s defensive midfield nowhere in site. Inside thirty yards, Sneijder, still full-steam ahead, got Vasily Berezeutsky to bite, allowing space for Milito to receive a short pass to his right. With Ignashevich back-peddling, the CSKA defender was unable to reverse course to get in front of Militio, who took one step to his right and stuck an exquisite, low-flying ball inside the left corner past Akinfeev.

With twenty minutes left Inter continued to control the match, looking for another goal.

A dramatic, acrobatic clearance by Alexsei Berezutsky off the line stopped a Pandev shot from point-blank range to keep CSKA close.

Alan Dzagoev would come on for Honda and Mark Gonzalez on for Mamaev, as CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky seemed hopeful that his club would finally find some offense—at least to alleviate some of the burden placed on the back-line. Instead, Inter maintained their waves of pressure—with Milito and Sneijder in particularly looking hungry for a second.

More impressive perhaps was the heavy pressure the home side applied on CSKA. Despite dropping Necid way back, CSKA could not find any easy moves past the half-line and were clearly frustrated throughout the remainder of the match as they were unable to build any sustained efforts on goal.

In the eighty-fifth minute it would be Inter who would have another good chance. Sneijder, with massive amounts of space on the left side of the box, inched forward and struck what should have been his club’s insurance goal but he over-curled it wide of the near post.

Shortly thereafter, a Cambiasso shot from the middle of the area was remarkably saved by Akinfeev, only to be followed by an even keener save of a Stankovic shot sent from the top of the arch off the rebound, which had the added difficulty of being deflected off of Elvir Rahimic. But Akinfeev, yet again, was focused enough to keep it out.

One final attempt for CSKA came from Necid summed up the lackluster performance from the visitors. Beating the offside trap to receive a ball sent over the top from Semberas, the Czech striker could not out-muscle Julio Cesar, who came off his line aggressively and pounced on the loose ball.

Having completely dictated the pace of the match, Inter may feel they deserved better than the 1-0 final but nevertheless have the edge going to Moscow for the second leg next week.

For their part, CSKA will feel fortunate to have staved off the relentless second-half pressure from the Nerazzurri and kept themselves with hope going into Luzhniki. But should their midfield not recover some strength before next week’s match the  optimism could quickly turn to despair.

Tom Tomsk has officially announced the loan acquisition of Spartak Moskva forward Aleksandr Prudnikov. 

On 1 April the 21-year-old will arrive in Tomsk to sign his personal contract with the Siberians.

While Tom Tomsk had been courting Prudnikov ever since his loan to Sparta Praha (Czech Republic) was [...]]]>

Aleksandr Prudnikov will spend 2010 with Tom Tomsk (Photo: Eurosport)

Tom Tomsk has officially announced the loan acquisition of Spartak Moskva forward Aleksandr Prudnikov. 

On 1 April the 21-year-old will arrive in Tomsk to sign his personal contract with the Siberians.

While Tom Tomsk had been courting Prudnikov ever since his loan to Sparta Praha (Czech Republic) was terminated, it was not until Spartak’s acquisition of Ari that it was wholly certain that Prudnikov was considered excess to coach Valery Karpin’s striking core.

One condition of the loan agreement is that Prudnikov will be unable to play for Tomsk on Sunday.

For Tomsk, Prudnikov becomes the second striker brought in on loan. Sergey Kornilenko, who is currently back training with the squad after suffering a knee injury against Rubin Kazan, joined Tomsk from Zenit St. Petersburg earlier this year.

Last week there was speculation that FK Anzhi Makhachkala was making a late attempt to acquire the young striker. Prudnikov—and, one can assume, Spartak officials—decided Tomsk was his better option despite having to split time with Kornilenko. Tomsk coach Valery Nepomniachi has developed a bit of a reputation mentoring younger players and most recently assisted another Spartak forward, Artem Dzyuba, reclaim some decent form on loan in 2009.

Round three attendance figures:

Alaniya Vladikavkaz v. Amkar Perm: 17000

Anzhi Makhachkala v. CSKA Moskva: 15200

Sibir Novosibirsk v. Spartak Nalchik: 9000

Krylya Sovetov v. Tom Tomsk: 12000

Dinamo Moskva v. Zenit St. Petersburg: 13480

Spartak Moskva v. Lokomotiv Moskva: 40000

Rubin Kazan v. Terek Grozny: 10000

Rostov v. Saturn: 9200

More pictures after [...]]]>

A dramatic mise-en-scène from FK Alaniya Vladikavkaz fans (Photo: fc-alania.ru)

Round three attendance figures:

Alaniya Vladikavkaz v. Amkar Perm: 17000

Anzhi Makhachkala v. CSKA Moskva: 15200

Sibir Novosibirsk v. Spartak Nalchik: 9000

Krylya Sovetov v. Tom Tomsk: 12000

Dinamo Moskva v. Zenit St. Petersburg: 13480

Spartak Moskva v. Lokomotiv Moskva: 40000

Rubin Kazan v. Terek Grozny: 10000

Rostov v. Saturn: 9200

More pictures after the jump . . .

FK Anzhi Makhachkala supporters during Friday's match against CSKA Moskva (Photo: Sergey Rasulov)

Another scene from Makhachkala (Photo: Sergey Rasulov)

CSKA Moskva's away supporters (Photo: Sergey Rasulov)

Crowd routing on FK Sibir Novosibirsk against Spartak Nalchik on Saturday (Photo: Sergey Tarasov)

Krylya Sovetov scarves (Photo: kc-camapa.ru)

There are some fans happy to welcome Igor Semshov back into the fold: Dinamo support prior to their match against Zenit St. Petersburg (Photo: Aleksandr Safonov)

Dinamo banner (Photo: Ivan Korzeniowski)

Zenit away supporters at Arena Khimki (Photo: Ivan Korzeniowski)

Spartak still life: flags and smoke (Photo: Aleksandr Safonov)

Spartak spectacle at Luzhniki (Photo: Aleksandr Safonov)

Lokomotiv banner

More Loko fans (Photo: Sport Express)

In memorium Vladimir Fedotov, one year after his death (Photo: loko.ru)

Prior to FK Rostov's home match against Saturn (Photo: saturn-fc.ru)

Rostov's southern stands (Photo: saturn-fc.ru)

More from Rostov (Photo: saturn-fc.ru)

Saturn's away support (Photo: saturn-fc.ru)

For round three our sbornaja of the week turns out to be a healthy balance of newcomers and veterans. That is, not only in terms of RPL experience, but in terms of experience with our sbornaja accolades. Here’s the 4-4-2:

Goalkeeper:

Solid [...]]]>

Round three sees Marek Suchý make his debut appearance on our sbornaja (Photo: Aleksey Ivanov)

For round three our sbornaja of the week turns out to be a healthy balance of newcomers and veterans. That is, not only in terms of RPL experience, but in terms of experience with our sbornaja accolades. Here’s the 4-4-2:

Goalkeeper:

Solid saves are not a rare occurrence. But when describing the keeper of the week, sbornaja lists will typically attempt to cite the vratar who absorbed the most pressure and kept his club in the match. Sergey Ryzhikov’s saves on Shamil Asildarov and Juan Carlos Arce appear to have wooed everyone (see the opinion of others below). The Rubin keeper made sterling reflex saves to allow Rubin to win a point and appears to have reclaimed a calmness that had been lacking in his game over the last couple of weeks.

Defense:

Cristian Ansalid’s unusual performance at right-back may stand out in round three and while he did have good moments of pressure it was his opponent’s full-back Rizvan Utsiyev that proved the more vital to his respective team’s needs. He may not have moved forward as dramatically but the Terek Grozny defender shut down the advances of Vagiz Galiulin—who began to look threatening once Karadeniz was forced out of the match with injury and Rubin’s attack looked more interested in moving down the left side. Utsiev is a promising young full-back and although he will face much greater challenges in the weeks to come he performed his tasks efficiently.

If a central defender can a) shut down his adversaries and assist his club in the keeping of a clean sheet and b) score a goal, he close to assured of a spot on the sbornaja of the week. Against Lokomotiv, Marek Suchý once again has shown that Martin Stranzl’s job is not safe. While he solidly held his own filling in for Stranzl against Zenit, he flat-out dominated Loko’s front men. The goal, Suchý’s first in one hundred matches, was the result of some ineptitude from Guilherme—but regardless of its ultimate cause the young Czech defender’s positioning was good and he was there to finish it off.

The young partnership of FK Rostov’s Isaac Okoronkwo and Sorin Ghionea is already showing promise and is likely to improve even further. But it was the Nigerian who really stymied FK Saturn’s forwards over the weekend; Martin Jakubko was wrestled out of the match and his replacement Dmitry Kirichenko proved just as ineffective. With Rostov doing well to effectively contain the width we expect from Saturn, the visitors were forced to cross their fingers and launch long balls down the middle. It was up to Okoronkwo to clear the lines and he did so flawlessly. He even contributed on the offensive side of Rostov’s game, on several occasions getting into the box for corners and connecting on decent headers. One of these days, should such ambition be repeated, one such header is bound to get through.

(Photo: Sport Express)

Another great performance from Renat Yanbayev. The major highlight, of course, was when he went from whimsical—with his run down the left flank that evaded Alex and Sergey Parshivlyuk–to wonderful, delivering a cross into the middle of the box that Oleksandr Aliyev drove through for Loko’s only goal. That could have been enough to put the shaggy blonde full-back on our list. But he was diligent in his defense as well, preventing the Spartak attack from establishing anything down his flank. An indication of the respect he has in the league came at the start of the second half. With Welliton forced out of the match with injury Valery Karpin brought in Pavel Yakovlev not primarily for his goalscoring abilities but as fresh legs to restrict Yanbayev’s movement down the flank.

Midfield:

We’ll admit he is the dark horse of our list but Timofey Kalachev’s performance against FK Saturn was spectacular in its subtlety. While he missed on several great chances in the second half, should his shots have been more accurate they would have been mere insurance. Kalachev covered tremendous ground and did not tire to the task of isolating—if not completely shutting down—Saturn’s left side. His ability to contain Ruslan Nakhushev with strong pressure and his tracking back to deal with Denis Boyarintsev will not appear on highlight reels but Kalachev was a primary reason why Rostov obtained their first victory of the season.

Returning to his usual self, Alex was the engine of Spartak Moskva’s offense. His initial surprise placement on the left wing did not last long as the Brazilian really has a canine-like yearning for the ball—he will chase and chase and chase it until he has it at his feet. His early free-kick was excellently placed—initiating the possibility of the blunder that led to Suchý’s goal. And then there was the spectacular ball that sliced through the wobbly Loko back-line for Ari’s first of the year. If one were to take Alex out of Spartak’s equation they, quite simply, would have never scored. Valery Karpin will hopefully remember why Alex requires the ball in the center of the pitch and instruct Renat Sabitov and Aleksandr Sheshukov to find the playmaker even sooner when pivoting play into attack.

The comedy of errors that was the first half of Tom Tomsk’s defeat of Krylya Sovetov was memorable for more than the false steps. The Siberian club erasing a two-goal deficit in twenty minutes and continuing on to defeat Krylya on the road is certainly remarkable—but perhaps would have been even more so were it not against the Samara club. Even still, Tomsk’s midfield pairing of Aleksandr Kharitonov and Kirill Kovalchuk deserve the co-receipt of an award for round three. But because there is no trophy to split down the middle, we will give the symbolic nod to Kovalchuk for his fine control in the box that led to him bringing down what looked like a weak strike from Kharitonov and putting it comfortably away. We apologize to Sasha if it actually was a pass—in which case it was one of the finest of the week. After Tom Tomsk settled down after their two own goals in quick succession, it was this duo that looked the most threatening. With Sergey Kornilenko unavailable someone needed to come forward and create opportunities. Kovalchuk proved worthy, being a general nuisance moving into attack but was also quite pesky with his challenges—winning the ball back in midfield and doing well to hold onto possession.

FK Anzhi Makhachkala’s Andrey Streltsov was relentless against CSKA Moskva. Sensing that the early room being afforded by Kirill Nababkin, Streltsov established a pressure that continued throughout the match. The former Spartak player made runs down the flank and dashes into the middle that were unencumbered by his underdog status. His goal was the result of Igor Akinfeev’s slip-up but the strain on the back-line and the good position to draw the cross were to Streltsov’s credit.

Danko Lazovic challenging Leandro Fernandez on Saturday (Photo: Alexander Wilf)

Forwards:

In five halves of play Danko Lazovic has won the hearts of Zenit’s faithful. He has already demonstrated, repeatedly, the all-around quality of his game that precipitated the Serbian’s transfer to St. Petersburg. If there was any leftover skepticism for Zenit’s fans, Lazovic’s pass to Danny in the early minutes of Saturday’s match against Dinamo Moskva should have converted it into affection. Beyond the fine anticipation and show of skill in the twelfth minute, Lazovic must have also won the love of Luciano Spalletti for his movement off the ball, his aerial battling, and remarkable willingness to close down on Dinamo’s defenders—which prevented the home side from establishing any real calm while in possession. A top-notch, hard-working effort.

Vladimir Dyadyun simply outfoxed the chilled and frustrated Sibir keeper Wojciech Kowalewski to earn his brace on Saturday. The 21-year-old striker was lively, burning many a carb in his pestering of the keeper. His first goal was the consequence of the blistering wind, which deadened a cross that caught Kowalewski in no-man’s land. Nevertheless, Dyadyun was quick on his feet, adjusting his body to be the first to the misplayed ball and was able to finish cleanly. His youthful toes were even more apparent in the second goalscoring sequence, beating everyone to the exceptional long ball from Roman Kontsedalov. A 25-year-old version of Kowalewski may have been able to sweep that ball to safety but Dyadyun’s determination won out—seizing the ball as it rolled to the left of the keeper and slotting it home. Let’s hope the healthy version of Dyadyun sticks around in 2010.

• Honorable mentions:

Yury Kirillov stepped up for Alaniya Vladikavkaz to hold off Amkar Perm after his club was reduced to ten men upon Sani Kaita’s dismissal in the first half. The extra burden in his holding role actually prompted better play from Kirillov, who has generally looked ill at ease in Alaniya’s midfield. Perhaps the good showing, leading to Alaniya rescuing a point, suggests that the young loaner from Dinamo Moskva has previously been saddled with too many responsibilities. Without the demand for as much offensive creation, Kirillov could function as an out-an-out defensive midfielder, reducing the number of clumsy challenges and needless turnovers.

Danny, of course, deserves yet another mention for his stellar run and superb finish to open the scoring for Zenit St. Petersburg against his former employer Dinamo Moskva. Beyond that moment of real class, Danny was denied a second by the woodwork (which led to Vladimir Bystrov’s goal) and generally created problems for a defense that had looked invincible in the first two rounds of the season. His passing, in particular, continues to impress and because of it he really deserves to be more than an honorable mention. It’s merely our wish to spread the love around the league that prevents us from giving him the full distinction.

(Photo: rubin-kazan.ru)

Terek Grozny’s Dmitry Yatchenko was asked to keep tabs on the difficult duo of Cristian Ansaldi and Alan Kasaev. Both were tidily controlled, which had the added effect of limiting the stain on Sergey Omelyanchuk and Antonio Ferreira, who could concentrate on obstructing Aleksandr Bukharov.

 The opinion of others:

Championat:  Ryzhikov; Džudović (Spartak Nalchik), Suchý, Andzhelkovich, Yanbayev; Kharitonov, Danny, Pavlenko, Aliyev; Dyadyun, Lazovic.

Eurosport: Ryzhikov; Anyukov, Jiranek, Suchý, Yanbayev; Tsorayev, Alex, Danny, Streltsov; Dyadyun, Lazovic.

Soccer.ru: Ryzhikov; Anyukov, Jokic, Suchý, Kvirkvelia; Honda, Alex, Danny, Streltsov, Lazovic; Dyadyun.

Sport: Ryzhikov; Anyukov, Suchý, Andzhelkovich, Yanbayev; Kharitonov, Alex, Aliyev, Danny, Lazovic; Dyadyun.

Total Football: Ryzhikov; Hubočan, Suchý, Jokic, Yanbayev; Samedov, Alex, Danny, Aliyev; Necid, Lazovic.

Some residual thoughts on Sunday’s action in the Russian Premier-Liga:

Lokomotiv Moskva quickly lodged a complaint against referee Maxsim Layushkin after their defeat to Spartak but it was clearly the early mistakes from Loko’s defense [...]]]>

Ari's goal, fed from Alex, gave Spartak Moskva a lead they never relenquished (Photo: Aleksandr Mysyakin)

Some residual thoughts on Sunday’s action in the Russian Premier-Liga:

• Spartak Moskva 2,  Lokomotiv Moskva 1

Lokomotiv Moskva quickly lodged a complaint against referee Maxsim Layushkin after their defeat to Spartak but it was clearly the early mistakes from Loko’s defense that proved to be the truly insurmountable problem. First, off an Alex free-kick in the eleventh minute, Guilherme made a mess of the dead-ball situation. Not coming of his line to challenge the entry pass, the keeper—with assistance from an ill-begotten header from Dmitry Tarasov—inadvertently allowed the chaotic scramble and subsequent goal from Marek Suchý to arise. It takes something very special, indeed, for Suchý to score—that was his first goal in one hundred matches.

While Lokomotiv may believe the no-call on Renat Yanbayev being fouled in the box in the fifth minute would have made the difference, as far as blunders go that certainly pales in comparison to Marko Baša playing Ari onside to allow Spartak’s second goal (which Loko’s also vehemently blames on Layushkin).

Instead of searching for the scapegoat, skeptical fans make ask whether Yuri Semin should have played Baša in the heated match in the first place, after missing the first two weeks due to injury. A legitimate (but nonetheless futile) retroactive question is whether or not Tomislav Dujmovic or Dmitry Sennikov would have been as out-of-step as Baša during that fateful sequence in the eighteenth minute? Should Baša’s return to the starting squad been postponed one more week to allow the Montenegrin to rekindle his chemistry with the rest of the back-line? Could we be so bold as to suggest Semin made a mistake?

Baša is a strong defender who will just need more time to adapt to league play, which should suggest that Lokomotiv’s concerns in the long-run shouldn’t be focused on the back-line. Perhaps the more relevant anxiety comes from the striking core. Currently the pairing of Renat Yanbayev and Oleksandr Aliyev are the only significant contributors to the attack, as Dmitry Sychev has yet to really show up for duty this season and Peter Odemwingie and Dramane Traore are both looking unsettled.

Obviously someone beyond Yanbayev and Aliyev will need to step up if the tough matches coming in succession against Dinamo, Zenit, and CSKA are not to be a total wash.

For Spartak, despite the victory coach Valery Karpin will feel less than content with the showing against Loko. Sure, they managed the three points, but the offensive unit was less than rhythmic. A major part of that discord in attack may be attributed to Welliton’s thigh injury, which caused him to miss the second half on Sunday. Early reports suggest he will be out for two to three weeks, delaying even further the Brazilian synergy that many have expected from the people’s team. Artem Dzyuba has apparently recovered from a respiratory infection and will be available going forward. But shouldn’t Spartak fans be worried about Karpin’s shuffling of line-ups? While the coach looks for the right combinations up front and on the wings, he also seems convinced Albert Riera could also be a solid addition. Rumors continue to circulate that the unwanted Liverpool midfielder is on his way to Moskva. Beyond the spletnik, with Tom Tomsk, Terek Grozny, and FK Saturn to deal with in the upcoming weeks Karpin may feel he has a bit of latitude to allow him to tinker some more with his attack but all three of those clubs have the ability to surprise Spartak if the Red-Whites continue to lack the requisite chemistry.

But, then again, if Alex can build upon his stellar performance in the first twenty minutes of play against Lokomotiv, perhaps the issue of cohesion up front is moot.

(Photo: rubin-kazan.ru)

• Rubin Kazan 0, Terek Grozny 0

Both Andrey Dikan and Sergey Ryzhikov made good first-half saves but their respective clubs—while likely not in need of the lesson—learned that in order to execute your counterattack you need the other club to attack. That sounds sensible, if not downright platitudinous, but with neither club willing or possibly able to launch a strong move forward both clubs seemed at a loss as to how to find a goal.

For Rubin Kazan the early injury to Gökdeniz Karadeniz and the absence of Fatih Tekke (due to a cold)—as well as the continued unavailability of Sergey Semak, of course–are legitimate reasons for the club’s offensive malaise. Perhaps the greatest weakness on Sunday was the general lack of creativity in the attacking third (although Hasan Kabze at times showed he can distribute). Imprecise moves through midfield also obstructed the squad, but that was less their own failing and more to the credit of Terek Grozny, who proved they are strong defensively when they exert pressure on the ball.

Blagoy Georgiev and Shamil Lakhiyalov did a fine job in the center of the pitch to deaden Rubin’s attack and effectively push it to the flanks. And that is where Andrey Kobenko and Dmitry Yatchenko came into play, having the thankless task of slowing the intriguingly placed Cristian Ansaldi at right-back. Perhaps all of those exhausting efforts somewhat hampered the visitors’ movement forward but without much room for counters Terek’s task was clearly to secure the tough point on the road.

Such is why Juan Carlos Arce’s golden, eight-yard chance in the sixty-ninth minute—expertly smacked down by a lunging right fist from Ryzhikov—would have been all the sweeter. In fact, the Rubin keeper kept his squad in the match several times over.

Rubin seems to be starting a trend: look for the win in the last quarter of an hour. With five minutes remaining Rubin started to warm to the goalscoring task but unlike the matches against Lokomotiv and Tom Tomsk, there was misfortune for Aleksandr Bukharov (and a good effort from substitute Adlan Katsaev) and match, of course, ended ni-nil. But it’s a testament to the training from Gurban Berdiýew, who rigorously conditions his players, that allows them to create those late opportunities. We should assume more successful late attacks will be made for Rubin, especially when a new pitch comes to Kazan.

(Photo: saturn-fc.ru)

• FK Rostov 1, FK Saturn 0

It may go under-recognized but Rostov’s team effort was quite solid. Prior to Igor Lebedenko’s beautiful cross deep down the left to set up Aleksandr Pavlenko with his header from inside the six-yard box for the only goal of the match, Rostov didn’t look terribly threatening but did show an ambition not on view in the first two weeks. What made the goal sequence that much more impressive was Rostov’s nonchalant dissection of what has been the most solid part of Saturn’s game, namely their wide players. Having Lebedenko move so far to the left and Pavlenko smartly looking for space inside the area was an aggressive move that obviously paid off. Saturn right-back Benoit Angbwa either thought Alexsey Ivanov was moving back to cover the flank or was simply unaware of Lebedenko’s position. Whatever the case may be, it was an uncharacteristic collapse of a veteran defensive squad and the Rostov faithful certainly reveled in it.

While we are on the topic of Rostov’s fans: you’ve got to love the support emanating from the southern stand of Olimp—2. Really impressive.

The home sides’s performance in the first half continued to impress, as well, as Aleksandr Gatskan proved that although he may not have the most accurate of shots he is certainly capable of intelligently picking out and delivering solid passes to teammates in front of him. It was his pass to the left that set up the cross from Lebdenko for the goal. Then, in the twenty-ninth minute, he gave Roman Adamov a great chance on goal that was promptly sent into the sidenetting. To make it a trilogy, just before the break, Gatskan again found the striker—off a kind deflection—for another good opportunity. If the midfielder’s feeds from central midfield continue we should expect some more solid matches from Rostov.

Feeling the momentum, Rostov’s second half was just as attack-minded as the first—another refreshing aspect of their 2010 look. One stand-out performer—while again acknowledging that it was a genuinely solid team effort—was that of Timofev Kalachev. Running his heart out, the Belarusian had several very good chances on goal in the second half but what was more impressive was his ability to contain Ruslan Nakhushev. With the central midfield of Saturn struggling to develop anything (and this hasn’t been the first match where that is the case), movement down the flanks has been imperative for Saturn’s scarce offense. Kalachev’s positioning on the evening was impeccable, single-handedly taking the full-back out of the match and contributing to the dominance of possession for the home side.

First-half goals from Danny and Vladimir Bystrov gave Zenit St. Petersburg an impressive road victory, capitalizing on defensive miscues from a generally resilient but offensively suspect Dinamo Moskva.

Dinamo were more aggressive on the ball in the opening minutes, [...]]]>

Vladimir Bystrov goal off a Danny rebound was the difference for Zenit (Photo: Aleksandr Safonov)

First-half goals from Danny and Vladimir Bystrov gave Zenit St. Petersburg an impressive road victory, capitalizing on defensive miscues from a generally resilient but offensively suspect Dinamo Moskva.

Dinamo were more aggressive on the ball in the opening minutes, leading to a great chance for Aleksandr Kokorin that Igor Semshov had fed to the left of goal. The young striker’s shot was struck low and, fortunate for Zenit, directly at their keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev.

Aleksandr Samedov kept the pressure going with a return pass to Andriy Voronin at the top of the area. The Ukrainian did well to chest it down but his shot was meager and the striker came up wincing in pain.

Zenit’s offense would soon click, so much so that they found the opening tally. The goal sequence started innocuously with Igor Denisov linking up with Konstantin Zyryanov to move the ball quickly into attack in the twelfth minute. Spreading the ball wide to the left flank for Danko Lazovic, the Serbian—with his head up—showed great anticipation to thread a perfectly weighted pass to Danny, who had begun a run behind an inattentive Leandro Fernandez. Alexandru Epureanu will be angry with himself for not providing coverage for his partner but the pass was supreme and Danny’s finish inside the far post was spot on—leaving Vladimir Gabulov unable to make himself an obstacle.

After a tiny bit of pressure from Dinamo but no significant chances on goal, Danny returned the favor to Lazovic as Zenit began looking deadly on the counterattack. From well within Zenit’s defensive half, Danny intercepted a pass and smacked a straight ball past Luke Wilkshire (who struggled on the evening) ahead for Lazovic to run on to. Fernandez and Epureanu were there to fend of the run and did nicely to cut down the angle needed to pass the ball to Aleksandr Kerzhakov.

An Edgaras Česnauskis run in the thirty-fourth minute, looking to create Dinamo’s own counter, turned inadvertently into Zenit’s second goal. After intercepting the ball, Denisov quickly turned the tables, running into space down the right with Dinamo having lost their shape. With plenty of time to look for options, the midfielder took the ball twenty-four yards from goal and lofted a cross to the far side for a completely unmarked Lazovic. Chesting the ball down, the attacker had what seemed like minutes to find the next pass, and with Dinamo’s defense mistakenly choosing to all converge on him Lazovic was able find Danny inside the six-yard box. His one-time effort on goal smacked the cross bar and came directly to Vladimir Bystrov for the put-away. A terribly confused defensive sequence for Dinamo that left the home crowd aghast.

Dinamo almost clawed their way back with five minute left in the half with a long ball from Samedov that caught Tomáš Hubočan out-of-whack. His misplayed ball ricocheted into the middle for Voronin who quickly flicked it on over Nicolas Lombaerts for Korkorin heading toward goal. Just a touch too ahead of the striker to issue an early shot, the angle was too tight once Korkorin got on to it and Malafeev parried it out of play.

A hefty but clean challenge from Epureanu to stop a speedy run from Bystrov opened the second half. As lighters from the terraces were projected forth from the crowd, the unintentional message was that Dinamo needed to find a spark for their offense.

The response was not stellar. Korkorin looked for a foul from Lombaerts after receiving a cross just inside the area—not the most convincing of falls, but Ivica Križanac’s accusatory finger at the prostrate forward was just as unnecessary as emotions began to flare up.

It became clear that an individual effort from Dinamo was needed and it very nearly came from Samedov, who made a beautiful run in the fifty-fifth minute that began inside the circle. Evading both the desperate tackles of Tomáš Hubočan, Anyukov, and Zyryanov, the winger’s shot from the corner of the six-yard box deserved a goal but Malafeev made a fine save.

Perhaps an even finer save was made by Gabulov only minutes later to keep Dinamo in the match. After Danny piloted a pass to Kerzhakov in the box from the left flank, the Russian forward slid the ball back to an onrushing Lazovic, whose venomous shot was knocked down just in front of the line and shuffled away by Dmitry Kombarov.

Danny’s control was of an even higher caliber moments later, delicately placing a ball for Bystrov in the box that was headed toward goal, past a wayward Gabulov, but ushered out of play, once again, by Kombarov.

But the match heated up even further in the sixty-fifth minute after a Voronin corner. First the ball dropped to Česnauskis in space toward the far post. Malafeev, stellar all evening, came off his line and made the save. Attempting to chase down the rebound, however, the keeper went in for a very clumsy challenge on Dinamo substitute Adrian Ropotan, yielding a penalty kick for the home squad.

Dmitry Kombarov stepped up to take it and with a soft touch to his left he had Malafeev guessing wrong to pull a goal back.

An Anyukov kick to Kokorin’s head brought a yellow card for the full-back in the next minute but also brought even more sense of conviction from the home squad that Dinamo could find an equalizer. A minute later off a corner Dinamo had half-chances from Ropotan and Epureanu but they were left disappointed.

The half-chances continued with Samedov striking a dipping shot beyond the area that traveled straight to the keeper, whose attempt to catch was thwarted but he quickly held the ball off the bounce.

Finally, in the last minute of regular time, Alexsey Rebko had a good strike after Korkorin laid it back for the midfielder. He was afforded room but Rebko’s shot tailed wide.

But Dinamo’s final attempts were not nearly enough to find the equalizer. Zenit put in an admirable performance for which they were rewarded the full three points.

A double from Vladimir Dyadyun, albeit with swirling winds as a helpful aid, gave Spartak Nalchik an impressive road victory against FK Sibir Novosibirsk.

An equal match for the first quarter of an hour, both clubs fought through the harsh conditions to create decent chances. [...]]]>

A tangled-up version of Sibir keeper Wojciech Kowalewski (Photo: Sergey Tarasov)

A double from Vladimir Dyadyun, albeit with swirling winds as a helpful aid, gave Spartak Nalchik an impressive road victory against FK Sibir Novosibirsk.

An equal match for the first quarter of an hour, both clubs fought through the harsh conditions to create decent chances. But it was Nalchik that ultimately looked more capable of winning the midfield battle, which lead—in part–to an early goal.

Dyadyun’s mulling around up front paid off in the seventeenth minute. A Kazbek Geteriev cross from the left flank, looking for the forward, appeared to be well off the mark and had Sibir keeper Wojciech Kowalewski come off his line to the edge of the 18-yard box to grab. However, the wind deadened the flight of the ball, causing it to land a yard beyond the area, forcing the keeper to readjust his approach and make a quick clearance with his boot. But the ball careened off his defender and landed on the far side of the arch for Dyadyun to turn and fire back inside the left post, past the flummoxed keeper.

After the goal Sibir enjoyed the better possession but Spartak appeared comfortable soaking up the pressure and launching counterattacks. That is, other than a yellow-carded challenge that Aleksandr Amisulashvili committed to halt a storming run from Yevgeny Zinovyev.

Spartak’s keeper Otto Freidriksen was also attentive enough to make a one-bounce save off a long-distance free-kick from Tomas Cizek—but for the most part Nalchik’s defense went unchallenged.

Off a corner for Spalchik, Geteriev set up Roman Kontsedalov with a lovely pass into in the area. The midfielder’s shot was cleanly struck but Kowalewski pushed it away. This one clear chance changed the rest of the first-half proceedings as Spartak controlled the bulk of possession and as a consequence prevented Sibir from even looking for an equalizer, as the home side failed to muster further forward movement.

The wind-chill factor was in full effect in the second-half with neither team asserting itself early. Sibir did well to fight for the ball in midfield, particularly through hard work from Cizek down the left. However, Spalchik were organized—with the defense looking strong in covering the long balls launched forward from the home side.

Instead, it was a long ball issued from Spartak that virtually wrapped up the points for the visitors in the fifty-third minute. A loose ball inside their defensive half was controlled nicely by Kontsedalov and elevated into the middle for Dyadyun to run under. Beating the high offside trap from Sibir, the Spartak striker unintentionally tipped the ball off keeper, who was too slow off his line to travel the necessary twenty-odd yards to clear. Dyadyun quickly recovered the fortunate deflection and having already deceived the Polish keeper the goal was a mere formality; he moved to his right and comfortably slide the ball in for his second goal.

Sibir would immediately bring on forward Anton Antipenko and later addd Maksim Astafyev but the added numbers in attack were unsuccessful in creating greater chances. In fact it had the opposite effect, as a Spartak continued to look the more offensively potent side.

While the winds died down just a bit in the final minutes of play, beyond a seventy-fourth minute strike from Aleksandr Degtyaryov from about 20-yards which was directed out of play by Freidrikson, the Nalchik keeper had little to do in see out his club’s second clean sheet on the road this season.

When factoring in goal differential, Nalchik currently sit on top of the league with seven points.

Saturday’s action in the Russian Premier-Liga has three interesting contests. The late match, however, between Dinamo Moskva and Zenit St. Petersburg clearly holds the greatest intrigue.

The Siberians got their proverbial Premier-Liga legs at the next-to-empty Saturn Stadion last week. Doing it in characteristic style, they showed [...]]]>

(Photo: Aleksandr Mysyakin)

Saturday’s action in the Russian Premier-Liga has three interesting contests. The late match, however, between Dinamo Moskva and Zenit St. Petersburg clearly holds the greatest intrigue.

• FK Sibir Novosibirsk v. Spartak Nalchik

The Siberians got their proverbial Premier-Liga legs at the next-to-empty Saturn Stadion last week. Doing it in characteristic style, they showed little adventure but acted professional in midfield, looking for Alexsey Medvedev to use his mind (or perhaps just his head) to steer in a goal. The game plan against Nalchik will be quite similar and may well lead to even more success. Unlike FK Saturn, Nalchik can be easily exploited on the flanks if their opponent has quickness. Sibir could reap major benefits by going after both of their full-backs, Vladimir Kisenkov and Valentin Filatov, which would create some width to give Medvedev more room to operate and also have the residual effect of neutralizing some of the aggressiveness we have all of a sudden seen from Gogita Gogua and Aleksandr Shchanitsyn. Midfielder Alexey Vasiliyev, returning from injury, began training with Sibir this week, just in time to perhaps fill in for Aleksandr Makarenko, who is unavailable after picking up a red card against Saturn.  Winger Yevgeny Zinovyev and defender Martin Horak should also be available for Saturday’s match.

Nalchik is still beaming from the good showing against Alaniya Vladikavkaz. But will they take the good fortune on the road with them? Though a much different squad in 2010, Spalchik have not lost an away match since last August, which suggests that they are perfectly willing and able to fight for a draw. With Makarenko not in Sibir’s squad, Nalchik may like their chances through the middle. Their best opprotunties are likely to be the result of Vladimir Dyadyun (who had a fantastic match against Alaniya) or David Siradze getting into dangerous areas and drawing fouls, especially because Sibir has looked vulnerable on set pieces.  On the defensive side of things, it will be imperative for Miodrag Džudović and Aleksandr Amisulashvili to be in tip-top shape for the club to even pull off a draw as keeper Otto Fredrikson has already managed in two weeks time to look inconsistent as he adjusts to the Russian game.

Prediction: 1-1

• Krylya Sovetov v. Tom Tomsk

Yury Gazzayev may crack a smile this weekend. And like the possibility of a point for his club, it would be his first. With news coming down from the RFU that Krylya are allowed to register new players we will see a very different squad on the pitch for the Wings, which leaves all of the typical questions one asks about communication and comfort that are raised when untested players enter the line-up. But those uncertainties are more promising than the unambiguously poor performances—particularly in the attack—that Krylya put in during the first two rounds. With the roar of the home crowd and the new support of Aleksandr Stavpets, striker Yevgeny Savin could finally find a groove and, as an effect, the first goal of Krylya’s season.

Krylya goalkeeper David Yurchenko, who has been outstanding in these opening weeks, may shed less beads of sweat now that Tom Tomsk is without Sergey Kornilenko. The Tomsk club is certainly still feeling the effects of Monday’s blood bath against Rubin Kazan. Beyond the obvious hurt the club will experience with the absence their only goal scorer of the young season, red cards issued to Georgi Dzhioyev and Valery Klimov also leaves them thin in both defense and midfield. With Shin Young-Rok still not officially registered with the club, striking duties will fall squarely on Goran Maznov’s shoulders. Looking so promising at the end of last season, his form thus far has left something to be desired. Pushing the Macedonian into the more advance role could allow Aleksandr Kharitonov more time as a central playmaking—a positive addition if he can put in the same craftsmanship that he demonstrated late against Rubin. Even if Valeri Nepomniachi puts Kharitonov off on the wing, given Klimov’s absence, a solid performance from him could make the difference.

Midfielder Serghei Covalciuc has finally rejoined the squad after missing the first two weeks, which is an addition that should not be underestimated. Chances are good that he will be included in Tomsk’s starting XI. But the most worrisome issue is the absence of Dzhioyev, leading Dmitry N. Smirnov to perhaps slide over from right-back and thus placing more pressure on Đorđe Jokic to be solid throughout the match.

Prediction: 1-0

• Dinamo Moskva v. Zenit St. Petersburg

The two clubs have shared more than a love for white and blue in the last few years. Former Policemen Danny and Aleksandr Kerzhakov return to the greater Moskva region (rather than Moskva proper now that Dinamo plays at Arena Khimki) in what is certainly the most dramatic “show-up-your-former-employer” match of the week. For Dinamo, Igor Semshov obviously wishes to prove something to his former club but also—and more importantly—he’ll want to truly win back the support of Dinamo’s fans. He’ll be fired up, for sure, as a goal against Zenit would be the quickest route to their hearts.

The match will be a muscular affair, as the Arena Khimki pitch at this point in time is not conducive to attacking football. However, should Zenit lose such will be their excuse.

But given Dinamo’s impressive defense, Zenit’s chances will be few and far between. If the visitors are as wasteful as they were last week, Dinamo will certainly come away with at least a draw. Backing up that assumption is the evidence that the Policemen have a more stable defensive midfield, more trustworthy full-backs, and stronger central defenders than Spartak Moskva—who themselves did just enough to squeak out a point.

Fresh off his receipt of the award for the best Moldovan player of 2009, Alexandru Epureanu can make strides toward a repeat if he puts in the kind of effort we know he is capable of against Zenit. Denis Kolodin has trained with Dinamo’s squad but odds are that Leandro Fernandez will still get the start. Having received several “team of the week” nominations for his performance against CSKA, he has shown himself to be an excellent defensive partner for Epureanu in the early weeks. For defensive midfield duties Alexsey Rebko will also be available, having missed the last outing due to a fever.

For Zenit, while the first two rounds were the Danny show, the Neva dwellers will need the central midfield pairing of Igor Denisov and Konstantin Zyryanov to have strong performances. While anticipating Dinamo to play conservatively and try to bog down play in the midfield, the Russian international duo—if they can control possession—will need to quickly find Danny in space in order to pressure the tough Dinamo back-line. Denisov is likely to play, but after suffering a knock against Spartak he may not be available for the full ninety. Expect Roman Shirokov, just like the first two weeks, to get significant playing time.

With the performance of Aleksandr Kerzhakov being criticized the match against Dinamo will be a great platform from which to silence his cynics. His game is bound to turn around, especially with Danko Lazović and Danny looking ambitious with their deliveries. But his performance may not be so important if Vladimir Bystrov can come alive. The winger has not looked his best in the first two rounds and was particularly isolated in the second half against Spartak once Lazović came on. Spalletti may call on Alessandro Rosina once again, after his compatriot had more success from the right in his substitute appearance, should Bystrov fail to produce. But he should like his chances against Dmitry Kombarov, who is still growing accustomed to his full-back role with Dinamo.

Finally, in defense, Fernando Meira and Radek Šírl are also newly available, with Šírl the more likely to play given Spalletti’s concerns at left-back. Aleksandr Anyukov and Šírl will have to play somewhat cautiously if the speedy Dinamo wingers grow adventurous. Zenit’s central defenders should have a somewhat easier time taking care of Andriy Voronin. That is, if our assumption that the only thing less productive than Voronin at the moment is an injured Voronin. The Ukrainian’s leg injury should not keep him off the pitch but he should be easily contained by the likes of Nicolas Lombaerts.

Prediction: 1-1

Wanting a good warm-up for their clash against Inter next week, CSKA Moskva may have gotten more than they bargained for. But second-half goals from Keisuke Honda and Tomas Necid allowed the Army men to overcome the hard-fought effort put in [...]]]>

Tomas Necid's header made the difference, as CSKA came from behind to beat Anzhi

Wanting a good warm-up for their clash against Inter next week, CSKA Moskva may have gotten more than they bargained for. But second-half goals from Keisuke Honda and Tomas Necid allowed the Army men to overcome the hard-fought effort put in by Anzhi Makhachkala.

Encouraged by the great atmosphere at Dinamo Stadion, Anzhi’s first-half performance was certainly laudable.

Other than an early cross from Keisuke Honda that caused some panic, it was the home side that was winning the battles in midfield and getting forward to fluster CSKA with some high pressure within the midfield.

Some simulation just outside the area from Gocha Khojava had referee Igor Yegorov brandish a yellow card. Despite the rather unnecessary infraction, Khojava’s step on Elvir Rahimic was the first indication of the strong effort put in by the Anzhi midfielder as well as the sluggish play of his  opponent.

In the eleventh minute Anzhi’s emotion and an Igor Akinfeev blunder culminated in a goal for the home side. Off a goal kick from Ilya Abayev, a Vasily Berezeutsky header was cleverly stolen by Andrey Streltsov. Quickly springing into attack, the winger spread play out wide to the right by connecting with David Tsorayev. One on one with Georgi Schennikov, Tsorayev made one move to his right and brought the ball back onto his left foot to send a high cross toward the far post intended as a return pass for Streltsov. Kirill Nababkin lost track of his marker and Akinfeev’s attempt to catch led to the defensive collapse. The ball dropped to a spinning Streltsov who moved quickly to strike the ball in before Akinfeev could recover, past the futile attempts of Berezeutsky and Sergey Ignashevich to keep it out.

Tsorayev had his own good chance several minutes later, created off a free kick, but his shot would be deflected just enough to allow Akinfeev to dive to his right and corral. Even still, Azhi was riding the emotional high and causing much difficulty—particularly for clumsy looking Rahimic and an out-of-step Yevgeny Aldonin.

It took until the midway through the first half for CSKA to really establish even of their own offensive pressure. Milos Krasic was the first to find his way into the match, getting the better of Dato Kvirkvelia on several occasions (excepting, of course, a lovely pickpocket from the left-back in the thirty-eighth minute).

CSKA would win several corners on account of the winger’s play, but Abayev did enough to clear.

But the half ended with more great runs from Streltsov—who disturbed a less than fit Nabakin all evening—and nice work from Khojava.

Anzhi’s good fortune would not carry over into the second half. While it started rather mundanely, CSKA took the initiative—knowing that with enough control within the attacking third they could find much more than just an equalizer. And, sure enough,  within a solid fifteen minute stretch they did just that.

A forty-ninth minute foul from Mitar Pekovic, who could not deal with Necid when the CSKA player was aggressive, set up a dangerously placed free kick from just beyond thirty yards. Honda took it directly and deceptively smacked the ball past an unprepared Abayev. The shot, taken so nonchalantly, sneakily dropped under the bar after looking to be struck too high. But, without being too harsh on Abayev, the keeper should have done better.

Not backing down, Azhi came back with their own dangerous free kick; Kvirkvelia’s fifty-third minute attempt to reclaim the lead was met by a more-than-prepared Akinfeev.

The fifty-seventh minute saw some oohs and ahhs; Streltsov almost converted a counterattack, sprinting into the middle and sending a low-flying  long-range shot wide to his left. But that ripple of Anzhi attack was erased by CSKA two minutes later.

Finding more time with the ball in the attacking third, CSKA quickly found the lead. After some miscommunication from Anzhi’s back-line, a clearance was pushed back into the middle of the pitch. Pavel Mamaev, with time, left it wide for Schennikov to run onto. Taking the briefest of pauses to assess the situation in the box, the left-back’s cross was perfectly placed, splitting the momentarily hapless defensive duo of Pekovic and Rasim Tagirbekov to allow Necid little to do but turn his head and slip it in past Abayev.

Forward Revazi Barabadze was quickly brought in with just under twenty minutes to play, as Anzhi was pleasantly hopeful that more presence up top could bring an equalizer. Barabadze, having more of an effect in his cameo than Jan Holenda had all evening, almost made an impact in the seventy-ninth minute. Rahimic once again misplayed a ball, knocking a Tsorayev cross back into his own box. Barabadze, perhaps thinking himself offsides, tentatively struck the ball wide—but still close enough to cause a scare.

Admirably, Anzhi tried to place pressure on CSKA. Working the ball in the attacking third with little effect, their tired legs clearly prevented them from finding space within a clogged CSKA defense.

With the win CSKA have at least temporarily moved to the top of the table. While Anzhi did not muster a point they surely have improved their confidence. We can only assume the same determination will manifest itself against Alaniya Vladikavkaz in round four.

A 10-man Alaniya Vladikavkaz showed enough determination and defensive organization to grind out a nil-nil draw against Amkar Perm on Friday at Respublikanskij Spartak Stadion.

It was a first half of unenthused legs, with Amkar showing the effects of a weakened side having a number of key injuries. Little creativity and [...]]]>

(Photo: Alexander Kuzmin)

A 10-man Alaniya Vladikavkaz showed enough determination and defensive organization to grind out a nil-nil draw against Amkar Perm on Friday at Respublikanskij Spartak Stadion.

It was a first half of unenthused legs, with Amkar showing the effects of a weakened side having a number of key injuries. Little creativity and poor passing through the middle from both clubs led to the exchange of long balls, effectively lulling a crowd that would go fifteen minutes without seeing any remote chance on goal.

Alaniya winger Vitaly Chochiyev, showing some promise last Friday coming on as a substitute to earn their penalty kick, reasserted himself against Amkar. He would make the most noticeable impact early, but unfortunately for the home side it was not enough to find a goal. Coming a quarter hour into the match, he would find good position after Mitar Novakovic missed clearing a cross from the right flank, but Chochiyev’s header was mistimed and sent in the wrong direction.

After beginning to hold more of the ball, Alaniya found another chance five minutes later with a shot from Eldar Nizamutdinov that was nicely squared away by Sergey Narubin.

The first of a series of mistake from Amkar central defender Alexsey Popov almost led to another attempt on goal for Nizmutdinov as Amkar looked to be on their heels. In the same sequence, after the ball was transferred to the right side, Jambulad Bazayev picked out Yury Kirllov in the middle of the box for a tentative strike that was blocked before getting through. The deflection looked dangerously placed for Chochiyev but it dribbled just beyond his reach.

Amkar’s defense continued to look quite harried despite Alaniya being not being tremendously aggressive in attack—a result of the visitors having to juggle their back-line due to two key injuries. With Zahari Sirakov out with injury, Vitaliy Fedoriv was forced into the left-back position and Miklós Gaál set up on the right. Popov, in for Ivan Cherenchikov, looked slow on the up-keep in the middle throughout the match.

Somewhat fortunately for Amkar, the complexion of the match dramatically changed in the thirty-fifth minute when Alaniya’s Sani Kaita received a straight red after making a hazardous challenge on  Damir Sadikov in the midfield.

The man advantage allowed Amkar to come out of their shell just a bit, which led to another infraction from Alaniya. This time, as Dmitry Sokolov sprinted down the left to challenge Abdoul Mamah, the full-back’s tangling of legs would only yield a yellow. Without giving up much ground, however, Alaniya recovered to take the nil-nil score into the break.

In the second half Alaniya actually continued to look the more dangerous squad, relatively speaking of course. Helped in part by the fumbling attempts at defense from Popov, Alaniya were granted a few decent chances through counterattacks—but the defender’s misdeeds were tidily cleaned up by the ever-present Dmitry Belorukov.

Just before the hour mark Jambulad Bazayev would create the best chance of the match for Alaniya, slipping a pass to his left for Chochiyev. But, once again, Narubin showed his alertness, coming slightly off his line to cut down the angle and make a fine save.

Amkar did come back. After a Gaál cross was headed back into the middle, Novakovic gave a fine display of acrobatics, performing a nice toe-to-head spin move that set up a left-footed shot that would have really challenged Khomich had it had a bit more oomph.

That was quickly followed by a shot from Martin Kushev from the right that was misaligned, travelling wide of the far post, but Amkar looking to be making strides in shifting the match their way.

Real progress, however, would not be made and with Alaniya continuing to challenge Popov with counterattacks, the veteran defender continued to commit blunders.

In the seventy-second minute Peev would give Alaniya a scare with a header, forcing a decent save from Khomich. The visitors lacked offensive cohesion, however, and erroneously played balls in the middle that allowed Alaniya to push forward, relieving the back-line from having to really buckle down.

The match ended as uneventfully as it began, as both sides seemed willing to accept the single point. Alaniya continue to look for that elusive first win while Amkar will spend the next week considering tactical adjustments after yet another poor offensive showing.

FK Anzhi Makhachkala is currently in negotiations with Spartak Moskva for the transfer of 21-year-old striker Aleksandr Prudnikov.

In comments made to Sport-Express, the soon-to-be head coach of Anzhi, Haji Hajiyev admitted that the club has initiated talks for the Russia U-21 striker. However, Hajiyev [...]]]>

Hajiyev already expressing interest in Aleksandr Prudnikov (Photo: Dima Korotayev/Epsilon/Getty Images)

FK Anzhi Makhachkala is currently in negotiations with Spartak Moskva for the transfer of 21-year-old striker Aleksandr Prudnikov.

In comments made to Sport-Express, the soon-to-be head coach of Anzhi, Haji Hajiyev admitted that the club has initiated talks for the Russia U-21 striker. However, Hajiyev would not comment on the specifics of the talks with Spartak—leaving the Smolensk-born forward’s future with the Dagi ambiguous at best.

According to Sport-Express’s Anatoly Martynov, Prudnikov is currently holding out hope that he will be shipped to Tom Tomsk on loan after the Siberian side expressed a strong desire this off-season to bring him into their squad. If either transfer does not materialize it could be a disappointing year for the youngster, who is far down the pecking order for Spartak coach Valery Karpin.

Prudnikov’s dramatic impact for the U-17 Russian national team in 2006, which spearheaded the team to winning the UEFA Championship, lead to more playing time with Spartak in 2007 and 2008. However, his work rate was criticized, which led in 2009 to him splitting time on loan at Terek Grozny and Sparta Praha (Czech Republic). In the fifteen matches overall he failed to score, leaving some to question whether or not he is a true goal-scoring prospect  or if he simply needs a stable environment to finally bear the fruit of such potential.

Prudnikov is currently recovering from a rather bizarre leg laceration that appears to have occurred in a freak domestic accident. While it does not appear to be as dramatic as it sounds, given that he was not included in Spartak’s full squad for either of the first two rounds of league play, he is unlikely to be available on Sunday against Lokomotiv Moksva.

Hajiyev’s future with Anzhi, while more probable than Prudnikov’s, is still hanging in the balance. He must have a decent cell-phone plan, since he has stated that for now he will continue to advise the club over the phone and has yet to oversee any training exercises. He continues to insist that his primary concern is helping the development of football in Dagestan.