Lokomotiv's main loss before the match was goalkeeping.
“A native of the Kyrgyz city of Frunze (now Bishkek), Anton Kochenkov joined the Lokomotiv team back in 2004. To realize how long ago it was, two facts are enough: that year the “railroad workers” won the championship for the second – and so far the last – time, and Kochenkov’s current coach Zaur Khapov has not yet gone out onto the field to play. The younger generation of fans remembers both vaguely. Since then, a lot of events have happened in Kochenkov’s career - leases, full-fledged departures and returns. There was only one thing missing: a chance to prove himself in a serious matter. After 13 (thirteen!) years, he finally got it. Guilherme's injury and the unsuccessful game against Sheriff of his replacement Medvedev opened the doors of the base to the club's most experienced, but nominally only third, goalkeeper. Kochenkov was not lucky enough to mark this case with a “cracker…”
Crazy audacity of CSKA
Columnist of "Soviet Sport" Sergey Podgornov evaluates the pressure and pressure with which the army team started the meeting.
“One could once again be convinced of Goncharenko’s courage by looking at how CSKA rushed forward from the first minutes. It was clear that the army team was in high spirits after a successful game in the Champions League, but why did they suddenly forget about the problems with the squad and the match with Lokomotiv in the first round? The railway workers then shredded CSKA's game formations with exemplary counterattacks. Goncharenko pretended that this did not happen, saying a decisive “no” to pragmatism and sending his gang on board. Insolence bordering on madness, no less.
“Lokomotiv” defended in its own style – hysterically and emotionally, every time it seemed that Semin’s team would concede a little more. But this is a false feeling that haunts Loko fans in every match. The individual qualities of the railway defense players are enough to resolve most moments in the penalty area in their favor.
Semin’s decision looked interesting - to assign Mikhalik to Dzagoev for personal guardianship. In modern football, this phenomenon is not the most common, but here the coach of the railway workers puts one on one against the leader of the opponents, a player who appears on the field extremely rarely this season. However, during CSKA’s positional attacks, Mikhalik allowed the opponent to create virtually nothing, which means the move worked.”
F**k off!
Match TV correspondent Pavel Tikhonov highlights the main anti-hero of the last match - CSKA midfielder Pontus Wernbloom.
“- Fuck off! - Pontus Wernbloom shouted towards the linesman shortly after the first goal conceded.
The linesman put his hand to his ear, indicating with a gesture that he had not heard anything. Wernbloom stopped and took a step back.
Fuck off! Fuck off! Fuck off! - Wernbloom said three times, moving his back from the edge to his place on the field - the place of the central striker.
The linesman pretended that he didn’t understand anything, said nothing into the microphone, and 45 minutes later he heard these words again!
Everything escalated already in the 49th minute. Khetag Khosonov carelessly flew straight into Taras Mikhalik after a technical error. When it became clear to everyone that this was the second yellow, Wernbloom held the referee's hands, not allowing him to take the red card out of his pocket. I hoped that this would save the team from being removed.
And in the 57th minute, the Swede overtook Miranchuk and, to record this, brushed off his opponent with his elbow. Thus began the key moment of the match.”
Heat in Cherkizovo
Reporter for "Soviet Sport" Konstantin Krinsky describes the most striking fragment of the meeting at the Russian Railways Arena, despite the four goals.
“Immediately after the start of the second half of the meeting, the only question arose: how many minutes will Lokomotiv have? After all, the railway workers after the European Cups rested two days less than the army men, and this, excuse me, is an extra 48 hours for recovery. But either villainous fate decided to equalize the teams’ chances, or another flash erupted on the Sun, or something else, but Khosonov almost tore off Mikhalik’s leg and, having rightly received a second yellow card, left the field. So you get it - 11 tired ones against 10 freshest ones.
And this was just the beginning of the nuclear 15 minutes. Suddenly Wernbloom remembered that he could move his elbows no worse than famous rap artists and injure those around him. The moment turned out to be so tough that Goncharenko attacked Semin. You won’t believe it, but the usually calm Belarusian rushed to the opponents’ coach to sort things out. And if it weren’t for Loskov, reserve referee Igor Fedotov and the Lokomotiv staff, the coaches would definitely have been locked in more than just tongues. How hot it is in Cherkizovo! Pontus, by the way, at that time assured Karasev of his angelic origin and slander from the outside. In general, such fouls should be given red cards, not yellow ones. What if the Swede had knocked out Miranchuk?”
Thermonuclear Wernbloom
Author of "Sport-Express" Alexander Muiznek believes that the Swedish midfielder is the force that drives the CSKA machine.
“CSKA is losing the second match in a row due to the removal of a young player - Viktor Goncharenko chose to focus on this. It was also lucky that CSKA did not lose, like in Tula. Viktor Vasin was also lucky, who committed a last-ditch foul on Farfan, but did not receive a red card for it. And the main one who was lucky is Wernbloom. The Swede ended the match by slowing down a little, but did not avoid clashes.
Pontus is the most combative player of the match: he has four clean single combats (all successful) and not a single allowed dribble of the opponent. The Swede is not even the championship leader in fouls or even yellow cards, but this does not prevent him from being his most thermonuclear person. Perhaps this is the main thing on which his team rests.
If CSKA Lokomotiv was able to stop, then it seems no one can stop Wernbloom.”
Justice has triumphed
Special correspondent for “Sports Day by Day” Egor Prokudin believes that Lokomotiv, having managed to equalize the score, restored justice in this meeting.
“Fortunately, this derby did not repeat the sad fate of the recent Russian clasico between CSKA and Zenit, in which there was little football and a lot of skirmishes and squabbles. The red-greens found the strength to press the opponent to the goal with combination play, which was greatly facilitated by the replacement of the “extra” defender Mikhalik with Alexander Kolomeitsev.
The Miranchuk brothers and Manu Fernandes soon organized a one-to-one for Farfan, whom Vasin stopped only at the cost of a foul already inside the penalty area. However, Akinfeev managed to save the penalty and kept the army fans' hope for a miracle called victory over the leader.
And yet justice triumphed. Well, Yuri Semin’s team did not deserve to lose in this derby! In the end, the attack that began on the right flank with a dash from Kolomeytsev, continued with a pair of cross passes and completed by Manu Fernandes, became effective. So the Loko playmaker is going to the Portuguese national team in a good mood.”
CSKA Moscow forward of the first half of the 2000s Denis Popov gave an exclusive interview to the portal "Euro-Football.Ru". In it, he told which of the “army men” encountered each other while diving in the Zheleznovodsk pool, whether he visited the capital’s casinos, whether he considers the defeat by “Vardar” a shame, how things are going with his coaching career and much more. .
Giner has accumulated enormous moral and physical fatigue
- Denis, tell us how you ended up in CSKA.
In 2000, I played for Novorossiysk Chernomorets and had several offers - from Moscow CSKA, Spartak and Lokomotiv, and Dynamo Kyiv. I personally talked with Semin, but the clubs could not agree on my transfer to Loko, and then representatives of the “army” club called me to Moscow for negotiations - I came to the capital, talked with Sadyrin and Giner, and literally half an hour later we struck hands, the clubs also agreed among themselves.
- Is it true that at first you didn’t like CSKA and you wanted to return to Novorossiysk?
Well, how was it? The team went abroad for a training camp, and I stayed in Moscow to recover from my ankle injury. I was young then, I found myself alone in a big city, where I didn’t know anyone, it was slushy and cold outside - in general, I was seriously bored. At a certain point, I told the doctors that I was tired of sitting idle and would go to the training camp. They gave the go-ahead, although actually my leg still hurt, and it was too early for me to train.
- So there was a risk of worsening the injury?
Probably yes. But everything worked out.
- How did the “army” team receive you?
Very good. The team was good, there were no problems in this regard. Then there was a generational change in CSKA - much like now. Varlamov, Kulik, Novosadov were about 30 years old, and they were gradually replaced by young people. By the end of 2002, one of the most experienced players on the team was Semak, at 26 years old.
- How did you react to the caustic talk that CSKA was buying everyone?
There are always conversations. Now they also like to make noise: “That’s it, they don’t have money, this is the end!” But for some reason, many still dream of playing for CSKA; the army team fights for medals every year and participates in European competitions. As they say, the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on. And in general, television today leaves much to be desired: there is a lot of chatter on the screen about everything, but in essence - no specifics.
- Giner himself denies that the club has financial problems.
Agree that problems and difficulties are two different things. I think many people are having financial difficulties - look, Magnit’s shares fell in literally six months, and Galitsky sold his controlling stake. Who would have predicted this a year or two ago?
- They say that Giner is about to sell CSKA...
Well, if he decides to sell the club, he will sell it. I don’t see any point in panicking and procrastinating on this information. Giner is almost 60 years old and has been the owner of CSKA for almost 20 years - about a third of his life. Evgeniy Lennorovich achieved everything with the “army” club: he won all the titles in Russia, plus he also took the UEFA Cup. As for winning the Champions League, although we are optimists, we understand that today and in the near future Russian teams will not achieve such heights. Even under Giner, a wonderful stadium was built without running tracks, but at first many doubted whether this could be done in Russia. It turned out that it is possible.
You know, it doesn’t make much difference how many times you become a champion - one or ten, it’s more for show. Each subsequent championship is no longer so important. By now, Giner has accumulated enormous moral and physical fatigue, because managing a football club is actually a colossal job. From the outside it may seem that Giner is playing with his money, but in reality he is engaged in club affairs from morning to night. And if I hadn’t done it, the army team wouldn’t have achieved such high results. Maybe Evgeniy Lennorovich will completely hand over the reins of CSKA to his son and will continue to calmly enjoy the fruits of his many years of labor - coming to the beautiful stadium with his grandchildren and watching the game of his favorite team without stress and without fuss.
It wasn’t like Gazzaev swore and showed dissatisfaction all day long
When you came to the “red-blue” camp, the team was coached by Pavel Sadyrin. What impressions did you have from working with him?
He was seriously ill at the time; he had cancer. We, the players, understood that the coach was not feeling very well, so we tried to be more disciplined so as not to upset Pavel Fedorovich once again.
- What do you remember about Valery Gazzaev, who headed the “army team” after Sadyrin?
Valery Georgievich is a very bright person, and every day spent in his company was eventful. Gazzaev is an emotional coach and a maximalist, and at every training session, all the players worked hard as if it were their last.
- But they still cut the circles?
Yes, a lot of things happened (smiles)! And the circles were cut off, and weighted vests were hidden under trees. Once during a training camp, a guy from the reserve team was caught doing this trick with vests. It turns out that he saw that two veterans had thrown off their vest - and decided to do so too. When everyone was caught, the veterans were simply told something, and this guy from the reserve team was sent home - he started being cunning too early (laughs).
- Did Gazzaev communicate with the team too strictly?
Valery Georgievich is a supporter of order and discipline, but he could always make a joke at the right moment and defuse the situation - that is, in terms of the emotional impact on the team, there was a symbiosis. It wasn’t like he was constantly swearing and showing dissatisfaction all day long. Sometimes we could even persuade him to shorten a couple of races for us (smiles).
- How did Gazzaev joke?
Oh, I don’t even remember now, after all, 15 years have passed since those times. These were purely football jokes, which only those people who played and were on teams would understand one hundred percent. It will be difficult for other people to understand them: there are things in football that cannot be explained in words.
- Are there many stories associated with the legendary swimming pool in Zheleznovodsk?
Well, yes, it was fun in the evenings at the training camp (smiles). We had to dive, sit under water for one and a half minutes and swim under water too - in this way increase the volume of the lungs. So, someone couldn’t jump into the water with his head and got a bruise on his stomach, and Venya Mandrykin and Rakhimich, in my opinion, once swam with their eyes closed and collided in the center of the pool (laughs). There were many funny moments, but no one was offended, no problems.
- Did all this training really bring benefits?
Since there was a result, then most likely yes. Now I'm studying coaching, and they tell us in lectures: “There is no single recipe for training. You can conduct training like in Barcelona, but this will not make your team play better - most likely, it will only get worse.” You can do hard training day and night - and there will be no point. Or you can play squares and holes-holes - but the team will win. The task of each coach is to select the optimal training plan in specific conditions.
I don't remember. But I myself have never confused Vasya and Lyosha, and if someone else from the team did, it was only in isolated cases. When you are constantly with the Berezutskys, you can easily distinguish them.
- They say that Gazzaev often fines football players. How did the players react to this at CSKA?
In fact, I don’t remember that I myself or anyone else ever paid a fine at the “army” club. Maybe Valery Georgievich announced fines, but then in fact, in most cases, he forgave the players and did not fine them. Here there was more of a psychological impact on his part.
And then think about what is better: driving a car or going to a casino
- When you played in Moscow, did you have many temptations - casinos, nightclubs, and so on?
To be honest, I didn’t have much time to take my mind off football. With intensive training twice a day and performing on several fronts, you won’t get much better. On my days off I could only go to the cinema.
- Alan Kusov said that he lost 800 thousand dollars in a casino.
Well, someone may have played roulette, but certainly not the whole team. Personally, I didn’t go to the casino. I want to say that extraordinary individuals - actors, performers, singers, musicians, athletes - are living people, and they can also have their own quirks. It is clear that they have many temptations, but you can’t just immediately put a stigma on them.
What will you do as a coach if you know that a player on your team does not come out of nightclubs at night?
In any case, I will have a conversation with him, but this is a double-edged sword. My personal opinion: if a football player is used to living in such a regime and this does not yet affect his results, there is no need to put restrictions on him, otherwise it could be worse. There are examples when players who were drinking were coded, after which they stopped not only drinking, but also stopping playing football.
Sometimes you hear that football players are now becoming more professional in everyday life than before. What do you have to say about this?
It seems to me that all this is prejudice. The players smoked, drank and went to entertainment establishments in Soviet times, in my time, and now. It’s just that hobbies can gradually change: for example, 20 years ago there were so many cars driving along the streets, but now there are so many of them that you can’t get through them at all. When I was young, I liked cars more.
- Did you drive?
Yes: me, and Vasya, and Lyosha Berezutsky, and Evsikov, and Solomatin, and Mandrykin. Sometimes traffic cops would stop me, and I would tell them: “Look at the license plates on the car.” And they answered: “Yes, everyone already knows you by sight! Don’t violate it anymore!” Later it turned out that Venya had a major accident... And then think about what is better: driving a car or going to a casino.
- After Mandrykin’s car accident, did you start driving more carefully?
Naturally. Well, in general, when you have children (now I have three), you grow up and begin to look at the world differently.
I think fireworks can be legalized to some extent
Denis, is it true that due to poor condition, Solomatin was initially mistaken by fans for an administrator during training?
Yes, those were jokes (smiles). It is clear that the man had already played for Lokomotiv before, and everyone knew him. It’s just that he is stocky and dense in build, and during the holidays he might have gained a little extra weight. Although the army club was very strict with weight, because extra pounds significantly increase the risk of injury. But in the end, Solomatin played well for CSKA, and in general no one dropped out of the team. Naturally, in any case, someone had to remain in reserve, but Gazzaev explained the situation correctly: “In clubs like CSKA, all players are approximately the same in level, but the regulations do not allow more than 11 players to start and more than 3 for replacement."
- Was it clear from the Berezutskys that they would become one of the best defenders in the country?
Well, why not? The young guys were good, they themselves wanted to progress. That's why we achieved such success.
- But they were criticized a lot.
You know, we don’t even have criticism, but... How to put it more civilly... We like to not just criticize, but throw mud at people. Let’s say Rooney plays in a casino abroad and gets behind the wheel drunk, but people there understand that someday he might lose his temper, but then we will give our all on the field. And in Russia, it feels like many people are not even rooting for their own people, but against them. Recently I went to a football game in Novorossiysk, and some fans in the stands were filled with tears and shouted: “Eh, goat, ram, where are you running, where are you hitting, what are you getting money for?!” I already had to calm them down, say: “Either you support your team normally, or leave here. I’ll see how after the game you tell the player in the face that he is a goat and an ass.” And everyone immediately fell silent: “No, but that’s not what I meant, well, you see for yourself...”.
Or one more case. I watched my son play at Chernomorets school, and the parents of other children shouted: “Where did you run! You ran the wrong way! Pass the ball!” So, the ball bounced to one of the parents, he wanted to serve it - and hit the child on the head. He began to make excuses: “Oh, I somehow ended up in the wrong place!” And after a couple of minutes, the other parent actually performed a hit: he missed the ball that flew towards him and sat down on his fifth point. I told them: “You see how it happens? You are engaged in clownery and at the same time you yourself cannot even hit the ball! So stand silently. I don’t shout, although I understand football. Your son has a coach - he will figure it out. If you don’t trust the coach, take your kid and take him to another one.”
- What do you think about the fans?
Team support should be civilized. It is clear that there are normal and adequate fans, and there are those who don’t even know the names of the players and for whom the main thing is to make it weird. And so that we don’t have unrest, we need personal sanctions, like abroad. For example, left-wing people came, did something weird - hop, immediately slap them with a good fine and a ban on visiting stadiums, up to life. There is no need to be clever and invent a wheel here, especially since it’s the 21st century - there are a lot of cameras everywhere. Over there in the Krasnodar Territory, the speed of cars is recorded by drones - my friends sent me a video. This means that we have enough thoughts and money to monitor speeding on the roads, but we cannot restore order in the stadium, that is, in a confined space - well, this is ridiculous! And it turns out that on the podium someone is yelling obscenities, and the children are sitting nearby, listening. The Cossacks simply look at this so-called fan and, at most, can only reprimand him. People can’t stand it anymore and tell them: “Well, you’ll calm him down in the end! Go up to the podium and take him away, why are you standing below?!” But when you go to the stadium, they will ask you 150 questions and demand that you empty your pockets 150 times, show this, show that...
- How to solve the fireworks problem?
I believe they can be legalized to some extent if we think carefully about how to do this. Of course, I am against flares and firecrackers being launched onto the field and hitting players with them, but it would be nice to organize a light show with their help. I recently went to the Lokomotiv-Kuban - CSKA basketball match in Krasnodar, and they created a very beautiful light show with the help of rays, I liked it. And in football, for example, you can somehow arrange for the team to set off fireworks after matches - it will be beautiful!
I wouldn't say that the defeat to Vardar is a shame
Let's talk again about your period at CSKA. I read somewhere an opinion that the “army” team did not have a plan “B” in the game at that time...
Wait, what do you mean "didn't exist"? Didn't the CSKA players beat anyone on the field or pass each other? Did we just stupidly kick the ball away from the goal and try to cling to it on the other side of the field? No, we played almost the same football as the others, we were just better prepared physically, that’s all. Gazzaev said that 50% of success is physics and 50% is performance skills, but physics is still more primary. Because if you can’t win the duel and take the ball for yourself, then you won’t show anything.
- In 2002, did CSKA have a chance to win the golden match against Lokomotiv?
Well, since we took part in it, then, of course, there were chances (smiles). Due to difficult weather, we lost 0:1, at the beginning of the game we conceded a goal from Loskov - he took a shot, the ball bounced across the penalty area and flew into our goal. But the next year, when we became champions, we beat Lokomotiv twice. By the way, it cannot be said that 2002 was a bad year for CSKA - nevertheless, we won the Cup, which became the first trophy for the Army team in recent history.
- How did you celebrate that victory?
The whole team, together with management. And there was no such thing as someone watching someone, as long as he, figuratively speaking, did not drink champagne and go outside to smoke. As Evgeniy Lennorovich Giner said, you cannot work and earn money all the time - you must also be able to relax and spend. Everything should be within reason - like in “Gentlemen of Fortune,” remember? "Stole, drank - in prison, stole, drank - in prison! Romance!" But this is in a figurative sense, of course - there is no need to steal (laughs).
- Why did CSKA fail in the Champions League qualification at Vardar in 2003?
- I think luck was not on our side there. I remember in an away match we scored several goals, which were canceled due to offsides. Well, then we were already tired and sat down, we were on the rims. Probably the bench was not long enough.
- Was it a shame?
Well, what does “shame” mean? I wouldn't say it that way. Failure yes, shame no. Vardar may be a little-known team, but they beat us. Recently, the main team of the leader of the Premier League, Manchester City, lost in the FA Cup to Wigan from the third strongest division in England - do you think this is also a shame? When we played with Vardar, moral fatigue multiplied with physical fatigue, and in general there is not a single team in the world that wins all its matches. Sooner or later, both Real and Barcelona lose. In the first match of the 1/8 finals of the Champions League, Madrid beat PSG, and everyone fell silent, and if suddenly a French club advances to the quarterfinals, then the shouts will start again: “Oh, Real Madrid is rubbish!” The one who makes the least mistakes usually wins, so the task of football players and coaches is to minimize their mistakes.
- What impressions do you have overall from your stay in the CSKA camp?
When everything inside you is boiling with joy or disappointment, it cannot be expressed in words. A lot of emotions were thrown out in the 2002 Cup final with Zenit and in the derby with Spartak. And the matches against Lokomotiv, in my opinion, at that time were even more important for the army team than against the red and white: the railroad workers were then fighting for medals, and Spartak was not in the best condition. There were also disappointments - for example, defeat by Vardar. Gazzaev said: “It is inevitable that in life there are both white and black stripes. God grant that there are more white stripes, like on a piano, but in any case it’s bad when everything is gray and without emotions. And if anything about you Some people say, even in a bad way, that this is actually good - it means that you are still something of yourself. But when they don’t say anything about you at all, you need to think about it, because you have become uninteresting and are doing something wrong. So".
Lead Spartak? I don't rule out this option
- How did you leave CSKA in 2004?
I felt that I had passed a certain stage in my life, I had already had a child, and, frankly speaking, I was tired of living in such a rhythm. At the same time, Deripaska started a good project in “Kuban”: he planned to take the team to the level of fighting for medals and for the championship, and gathered famous football players who were born in the Krasnodar Territory into the team. Besides me, Khokhlov and Buznikin were also supposed to go to Kuban. I thought that now I would go to Krasnodar for big tasks... But something didn’t work out for Deripaska with Tkachev, and this whole project collapsed.
- Do you regret that you left the “army” club then?
I don't regret anything. At that time, CSKA began to rejuvenate its roster, and of the players around my age, only Ignashevich remained on the team. Although Gazzaev, who returned to the post of head coach after Jorge, said that I didn’t need to go anywhere. Maybe if I had stayed in the “army” club then, I would still be in it now. But you know, as they say: if I knew the purchase price, I would live in Sochi, or if I knew where you would fall, I would spread straw. Yes, I didn’t win the UEFA Cup with the “army” club, but I won the Cup, Super Cup and Russian Championship.
- Did you leave the capital reluctantly?
In general, I never particularly liked Moscow as a city to live in. But I really like my native Novorossiysk, where I live now. I look out the window - and before my eyes is the sea and the sun. The beach is a five minute walk. And you can go to the Sochi mountains for snow. Some people like it warm, some like cold, some like meat pies, and some like cabbage (smiles). Every man to his own taste.
- How are things going with your coaching career?
I had options to work somewhere until the summer, but I decided that now there was no point in me twitching somewhere. Why come to a team you don’t know and try to change something about it in three months? I already went through this in Maykop with “Druzhba”, and somehow I don’t want to do it a second time. God willing, in the summer I will be able to calmly accept some team from scratch and start working with them purposefully - and not just save them until the end of the season.
- In which leagues can you coach now?
I will go to study in the “Pro” category at the end of the year, and at the moment I can be either a head coach in the PFL or an assistant in the FNL. I need to weigh the pros and cons to choose the best option. It is quite possible that while I am studying, it makes sense to go and work for six months or a year in the FNL under the guidance of an experienced coach.
- As a coach, do you adhere to an attacking philosophy?
In principle, yes. My role was as a striker, and attacking football is closer to me - interesting, with chances, with goals. But, of course, I understand that there are matches in which you have to be patient and play for the result.
- Do you have big professional plans?
Naturally. I don’t think God is with him, I will coach for the rest of my life in the second league and not rock the boat. We must set high goals for ourselves and strive to achieve them.
- Are you ready to lead Spartak Moscow someday?
I do not rule out this option. We will have to think about such a proposal. But let them call me there first (laughs).
- You said that your son plays football at the Novorossiysk Chernomorets school. What success has he had there?
Alexander is 10 years old, he is trained by Boris Yurievich Puzikov. My son is in good hands - and for me this is the most important thing. And its results should be assessed starting from the age of 16, for now all this is pampering. I also have two daughters. Sofia is 7 years old, she used to go to gymnastics, but now she switched to ballet. Victoria is 16 years old, she studied ballroom dancing, and now focuses on her studies.
Kirill Ivantsov
Both Lokomotiv and CSKA showed an amazing game before the opening of the second round. The railway workers sensationally topped the standings, defeating Zenit on their field, but then Yuri Semin’s team did not have enough strength to beat the Moldavian Sheriff. The army team first lost to Arsenal Tula, and then gained three points in the match with Basel in the Champions League.
Injuries on both teams have complicated the situation. Guilherme and Eder ended up in the Lokomotiv infirmary. Nikita Medvedev did not convince Semin of his professional suitability, and Anton Kochenkov ended up in goal at the Moscow derby. On the day of the match, CSKA learned that Alexander Golovin was injured, risking missing the national team matches at the same time, and earlier it was already known that Konstantin Kuchaev, Igor Akinfeev’s lucky talisman, with whom he would not miss the RFPL, would miss the derby due to disqualification.
But CSKA could rely on Alan Dzagoev - he celebrated his return to duty with a great game against Basel, which brought an important victory to the army team, and at the same time charged it with positive emotions before the meeting with the leader of the Russian championship. Russian fans have already been waiting for his ability to turn the tide of the most important matches, to which the play of the first and third teams of the tournament certainly belonged.
Decline of army defense
And yet, Lokomotiv was considered the favorite of the match, knowing the secret of victories over their main rivals for the title. Viktor Goncharenko needed to find non-trivial ways to restrain the railway workers, and he encroached on the sacred: the combination of Sergei Ignashevich and Vasily Berezutsky remained sitting on the bench.
The coach relied on faster defenders who could hold back the opponent's counterattacks. Ignashevich was left without a record 30th match against his former team, and the fan banner in honor of the Berezutskys was addressed only to Alexey - the fans congratulated the brothers, who between them played a thousand matches for CSKA.
But Goncharenko miscalculated. CSKA's defense lacked the experience of veterans - especially Khetag Khosonov, who was included in the starting lineup only in the Russian Cup games. In the 14th minute, Manuel Fernandes threw the ball towards the army penalty area, Anton Miranchuk and Jefferson Farfan played a one-two, and the Russian player scored his first goal in the Premier League. Lokomotiv took advantage of the first chance that arose at the opponent's goal.
Cherchesov's right choice
Of the main characters in the match, only Igor Denisov remained without a call-up to the Russian national team for the games with Argentina and Spain. After his selfless game against Zenit, fans called on Stanislav Cherchesov to forget past grievances and give the Lokomotiv defensive midfielder a chance. However, the national team coach remained adamant, and, as it turned out, for good reason. Denisov was to blame for the missed goals from Sheriff, and in the game against CSKA he let the team down again.
A quarter of an hour after the first goal, Vitinho beautifully fought for the ball in the center of the field, passed to the flank, and from there Georgy Shchennikov returned the ball to the Brazilian. Denisov missed the CSKA forward in his zone, and he still scored after more than 20 inaccurate shots on someone else's goal. Cherchesov, who watched the derby from the stands, was once again convinced that he was right.
The team coach could only wait for miracles from Dzagoev, to whom he gave a large advance with his challenge. The army midfielder did not disappoint: he returned the ball to the game, which was already flying over the goal line, and Bibras Natkho was able to shoot Kochenkov point-blank. CSKA led with a score of 2:1 at the end of the first half.
One and a half removals for CSKA
Immediately after the break, the army team remained in the minority - Khosonov received a second yellow card for a clash with Taras Mikhalik and, leaving the field, commented obscenely on the sending off. This episode did not teach the CSKA players anything, and very soon Sergei Karasev had to intervene again. Pontus Wernbloom roughly elbowed Alexei Miranchuk, causing the Russian national team player to end up on the lawn.
The entire Lokomotiv team rose to defend the midfielder, but the army team did not stand aside, so a massive brawl almost broke out on the field. Even Yuri Semin and Viktor Goncharenko were ready to fight hand-to-hand. Karasev needed a few minutes to restore order and deal with the sanctions. They turned out to be quite mild: Wernbloom only received a warning, although he deserved to be sent off not only for hitting Miranchuk in the face, but also for talking in a raised voice.
Fernandes' second chance
Lokomotiv knows how to take advantage of their numerical advantage - just remember the match with Spartak in the first round of the RFPL. Having fought off four corner kicks in a row at their goal, the railroad workers began a retaliatory assault. Farfan, who survived a painful hit against the post, jumped out one on one with Viktor Vasin and ended up on the lawn. Karasev immediately awarded a penalty. Fernandes approached the point and disappointed the Russian Railways Arena - Akinfeev parried the shot.
The Portuguese national team player did not despair and became the hero of the next episode, which influenced the final result. Anton Miranchuk made a longitudinal pass, after which Fernandes found himself in front of an open goal. The second time he did not shy away from Akinfeev - 2:2.
Lokomotiv and CSKA tied, and this is a good sign for their pursuers. In the match with Rubin, Zenit will be able to reduce the gap from the railway workers to one point, and Krasnodar has regained third place in the standings. The match, which could have ended in favor of one of the Moscow teams, brought the greatest joy to the competitors.
"in the rank of leader of the Russian Football Championship in the central match will meet with, the meeting will take place on Sunday at the stadium in Cherkizovo and will begin at 16:30 Moscow time.
Lokomotiv does not lose points in top matches
In the last round, the railway workers defeated St. Petersburg's Zenit on the road and became the sole leaders of the championship. However, there is no doubt that Lokomotiv will approach the upcoming match with CSKA with a cool head, since already this week the Moldavian Sheriff sensationally beat the red-greens in the fourth round of the group stage of the Europa League in Moscow.
At the same time, in the match with Sheriff, goalkeeper Guilherme (damage to the rectus femoris tendon) and forward Eder (damage to one of the muscles of the hamstring) were injured, and their participation in the meeting with CSKA, according to Lokomotiv head coach Yuri Semin, unlikely.
“Yes, the calendar is quite complicated for us. Why? It’s hard for me to talk about this, you need to pay a lot of attention to drawing up the calendar. But I don’t see anything wrong with it now, everything is in our hands,” Semin said after the match with Sheriff, answering the question that his team has less time to recover than CSKA before the match in the Russian championship after the European Cups.
The statistics of the current season speak in favor of Lokomotiv before the match with CSKA - the railway workers show a 100% result in games with the leaders. The “red-greens” scored 100% of points in matches with teams from the top six in the first round, beating “Zenit” (3:0), CSKA (3:1), “Krasnodar” (2:0), “Ural” (2:1) and “Spartak” (4:3). At the same time, Lokomotiv handed out points to teams that on paper were outsiders - Amkar (0:1), Ufa (0:1) and Tosno (0:2).
The railway workers, who are currently seven points ahead of CSKA, if they win, could break away from the army team by ten points and, possibly, eliminate one competitor in the fight for the championship. At the same time, “Lokomotiv”, even in case of failure, will continue to lead the standings even after 16 rounds.
CSKA on the rise after Basel
For the army team, the upcoming match with Lokomotiv will, perhaps, be even more important in terms of championship ambitions than for the opponent. CSKA's performance in the Russian Championship recently is not much to be envied - in the previous five rounds, the army team scored six points, scoring only one goal. Although the away victory over the Swiss “Basel” () in the Champions League will definitely add positive emotions, which preserves the “red-blue” good chances to continue the fight or, at least, to qualify for the Europa League.
Separately, it is worth noting the contribution to the victory over Basel by Alan Dzagoev, who claimed the title of player of the week in the Champions League. The midfielder, who entered the field for the first time since suffering an Achilles tendon injury on September 27 in the second half, radically changed the situation on the field. Also taking part in the Champions League match was defender Mario Fernandez, who missed the 15th round match with Arsenal Tula (0:1).
It is also worth noting that both CSKA head coach Viktor Gancharenko and Semin trust the young players. The leading roles for the army team are Konstantin Kuchaev, Timur Zhamaletdinov, Fyodor Chalov, Astemir Gordyushenko, and this is not to mention the mature leader Alexander Golovin. Lokomotiv, in addition to the brothers Alexei and Anton Miranchuk, has Mikhail Lysov and Dmitry Barinov.
Former goalkeeper of both teams Valery Novikov is confident that the game will be difficult for both teams. “I think that you shouldn’t expect an abundance of goals. The game will be difficult for both CSKA and Lokomotiv. Don’t forget that Loko beat Zenit with a good game and a good set of performers, but the army team in the match with “Basel showed very worthy football, winning an absolutely deserved victory,” he told R-Sport.
On Sunday, in the central match of the 11th round, the railway workers will host the army team in Cherkizovo. Both clubs have faced serious difficulties recently. Sunday's game gives each of the opponents a chance to overcome them.
Dmitry ZELENOV
TO Which one is heavier - either , or ? You can’t answer this question right away. Both teams find themselves in a difficult situation, both coaches are under serious pressure.
Loko has not won in five matches and cannot score from the field. Semin was actually left without strikers, and the midfielders were pushing against someone else’s defense like they were hitting a wall. The once creative team seems to have simply forgotten how to attack.
CSKA has slightly adjusted its affairs in the standings, but the personnel situation is terrible. No and, access to the field is in question. After the victory, the general mood began to improve a little, but the most offensive draw negated all the positivity. The continued series consumed the minds, a noise arose that drowned out everything around.
Alexey MIRANCHUK vs Alexander GOLOVIN. Photo "SE"
On Sunday, two clots of negative energy will collide with each other.
This will be a clash of angry, irritated, somewhat desperate rivals. A battle in which everyone must win, because there is simply no other way. Losing points will aggravate the situation even more, the nervous situation can become truly explosive - the slightest spark will be enough to explode.
Only victory - and nothing else - will give a respite, allow you to take a breath of fresh air, and become a real salvation.
And how much will depend on the coaches here! When the apathy of some is overtaken, when the leaders of others are injured, Semin and Slutsky must take on a special role. Each of them is capable of getting out of this crisis, each of them deserves the best. But only one will win. A draw for both will be equal to defeat.
Yuri SEMIN vs Leonid SLUTSKY. Photo "SE"
SEMIN VS SLUTSKY: +2=2-3
The meeting in Cherkizovo will be the eighth confrontation between Semin and Slutsky. The current army man has won more often due to victories at the head of CSKA in recent years.
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Season |
Stadium |
Club Semina |
Slutsky Club |
Check |
Goals |
|
2006 |
them. Streltsova, Moscow |
Bulykin, 85 - Bracamonte, 36 |
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|
2009 |
Metallurg, Samara |
Shishkin, 43, own goal. Sychev, 69. Gatagov, 86 - Adamov, 90+5, penalty |
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|
2010 |
Arena Khimki |
Kuzmin, 89 - Guilherme, 7 |
|||
|
Lokomotiv, Moscow |
Maicon, 25 |
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|
2014/15 |
Arena Khimki |
