Young footballers, winners and prize winners of the All-Russian tournament held in Sochi, lined up at 9.45. Played a bravura march. But the award did not begin. They were waiting for Guus Hiddink, who was to present the main prize. He insisted that all formalities be completed before the start of the national team's training, so as not to be distracted later.
The team arrived only at 10.10. It has already been announced that children will be awarded "during the training of the team." It would be interesting to see how the organizers saw it. However, Hiddink immediately approached the audience. And not in vain. He was also awarded a reward.
Now on the Sochi Sports Glory Walk (it appeared this summer) there will be a star dedicated to the Dutch specialist. This, of course, is an advance comparable, say, with a call to the Taranov and Rebko national team. Alas, an annoying typo crept into the diploma awarded to Hiddink. In the word "alley" the last letter was lost.
In response, Hiddink handed the prize to the best player of the tournament Marat Sitnikov from Kazan Rubin (this team won in Sochi) and immediately ran to the adult football players. Those in connection with the early rise were not in good shape.
This was revealed by shots on goal. The first twelve attempts without hindrance to hit the target after flanking awnings were unsuccessful. Only after the goal was scored by Dmitry Sychev did things go.
The goalkeepers looked the most lonely at the gathering. Nobody worked with them on purpose. While the players were warming up and playing the "squares", the goalkeepers were just fooling around. For example, this morning they punched each other penalty, and Akinfeev was the best. Is it possible that after Rinat’s refusal to work with the national team, there were no other goalkeeper masters?
Judging by the distribution of the shirt-fronts, one could judge who Hiddink was not counting on in the next meeting. Out of the composition were all young, including Roman Shishkin.
“Honestly, this decision of the coach is surprising,” admitted one of the players who asked not to mention his name. - Roma looked great not only in the last matches of the championship, but also in the Champions League.
It seems that Igor Semshov and Roman Pavlyuchenko will not be in the application. Denis Kolodin was among the Reds. But who, besides him, can play in the center of defense? Perhaps no one. After all, Sergei Ignashevich went to Moscow early in the morning. Doctors could not do anything with his leg.
“We will not call anyone instead of Ignashevich,” said Guus Hiddink. - We will manage those players who are. Titov has all the problems behind. Arshavin’s back is still sore. But I think that everything will be fine.
Hiddink, Korneev and Borodyuk separately worked with players who will execute the free-kicks. They violently advised something to Andrei Arshavin, Denis Kolodin and Eugene Aldonin. And all the same, the blows from those did not work out too well.
After training, all as one football players refused to be interviewed in a specially equipped mixed zone. But they heard a lot of advice from local residents. One grandfather persistently recommended Pogrebnyak beat more often with a “bang”. But he did not understand this terminology.
One and a half hours before departure to Skopje, Hiddink sat in the lobby of the hotel, absorbed cappuccino and smoked with concern. But the hotel staff, who wanted to take a farewell autograph, prevented him from focusing on his own.
If that, one explanation for the failed game is already there.
Alexey Shevchenko