Tactics
4-4-1-1 is the most likely scheme in which Estonia will hold the defense in front of eminent guests. The Baltic team is very encouraged by the absence of the Berezutsky brothers and believes that in this situation, the first forward of the team Andres Oper will be able to compete upstairs. Local journalists have little doubt that their team’s game will be played in a straightforward “pillar” fashion: extreme midfielders will heavily hang on the Opera, and the second forward, along with the central midfielder, will guard the rebound or discount at the penalty area line.
Goal
Mart Poom, 35 years old, Arsenal (England). The national star, Estonia’s main football brand, is six times the country's best player. The first Estonian footballer to sign a contract with a European superclub: in order to insure against injuries of Lehmann and Almunia, Arsenal lured an experienced Estonian to him (more than two hundred matches in England for Derby County and Sunderland) on the last day of the 2005 summer transfer window. Since then, Poom practically did not appear in the Arsenal (this season there is only one game against Everton in the League Cup), but he was formally involved in the Champions League final and in the reception with the Queen of England, which for several days they were on Estonian television. The young and ambitious Arthur Kotenko from Levadia has been setting him up for a long time in the national team, but he will not be able to play in the match with Russia. In the last match of the Estonian championship, Kotenko collided with an opponent and got a sprain of the shoulder joint.
Defense (from left to right)
Dmitry Kruglov, 22 years old, Lokomotiv (Russia) . The main young star of Estonian football in recent years. Fast-footed “shuttle” with an excellent blow and transmission, for which he is constantly exposed to blurred comparisons with Roberto Carlos. In the first half of the 2005 season, he was the country's most popular player; he confirmed all advances with a successful game against Russia and in the summer left for Estrekovo Lokomotiv. However, the Russian career has not yet taken shape: an empty year at Loko, a six-month lease at Kuban, and unsuccessful bride shows at Khimki forced him to start this season in a double of railwaymen.
Marek Lemsalu, 34 years old, Levadia. On the eve of the match with Russia, personnel problems mowed down almost the entire Estonian defense. Its central part disappeared after the player of the Norwegian “Fredrikstad” Rayo Piroja earned a disqualification, and Enar Jaager, who left the Moscow “Torpedo” in Norway, - an injury. To replace the unlucky partners, the old fighter Lemsalu was called up, who ended his career in the national team three years ago. The player, who once played 84 times for the main team of the country, spent a great season in “Levadia”, becoming the champion and receiving the title of best player in the championship.
Andrey Stepanov, 28 years old, Khimki (Russia). One of the most skilled players in the team - a few years ago was in good standing in the Russian Premier League, being in the lead with “Torpedo”. After the fall of Luzhnikov in the first division joined the “Khimki”. Having learned about the problems in the defense of the Russian national team, he expressed confidence that he could succeed not only in the defense of his goal, but also in an enemy attack: an increase of 188 cm allows him to resort to the penalty area to any dangerous standard.
Tikhon Shishov, 24 years old, Levadia. Of all the young stars of Levadia in recent years - the least talented, but the most efficient. Will be in the lineup instead of Theet Allas - the right-back of Flora is also hit by an injury.
Reference midfielder
Alexander Dmitriev, 25 years old, Levadia. The main candidate for leaving Estonia to Russia after the upcoming match. In the winter of 2004, he was already watching at Anzhi in Makhachkala, but failed to gain a foothold in the club of the first division. For three years, he significantly added, becoming a real pride for the club management. “A strange midfielder, unusual: it seems that he doesn’t crawl like crazy even in tackles, and doesn’t break his legs, but it’s almost impossible to pass him with the ball - he’ll take it anyway,” recommends Levadia vice president Valery Ovchinnikov.
Left edge
Ragnar Klavan, 21 years old, Heracles (Netherlands). As a teenager he was sold to the Norwegian Valerenga, from where in the summer of 2005 he moved to the Netherlands. Now he is the main player (31 matches this season) of one of the weakest Dutch clubs (15th place in the championship). The trump cards are speed and performance. Sometimes in matches for the national team it’s shifted to the center, however, according to eyewitnesses of such experiments, “sometimes” it’s better “to refuse immediately”.
Right edge
Sergey Terekhov, 31 years old, TFMK. The main winger of the national team is high-speed and knows Russia well. In the match two years ago, it was the goal of Terekhov, who played at that time for the Yaroslavl “Shinnik”, that deprived Russia of victory.
Under the hitters
Yoel Lindpere, 25 years old, Tromso (Norway). He wasn’t called to the national team after he had a row with the president of Flora and the vice president of the Estonian Football Union Aivar Pohlak. Lindpere is known as the hottest of all the Estonian national team guys - he is able to make a scandal or a brawl on the field because of any controversial situation. The quarrel with the boss happened just on this basis: in September last year he was disqualified for insulting the reserve arbitrator. The peace concluded before the game with Russia makes Lindpere very likely to appear next to a pair of Estonian forwards.
First forward
Andres Oper, 29 years old, "Roda" (Netherlands). Estonia’s leading striker in the 21st century: he has already scored three dozen goals for the national team. After leaving Torpedo, he finally found himself in the Dutch Rode: not without his participation (26 games, 8 goals), the modest club from Kerkrade feels very confident in the middle of the table. In recent days, I have experienced some health problems, but by Saturday they will all be forgotten. Play with Russia Opera will be in any condition.
Second forward
Tarmo Kink, 21 years old, Levadia. The textured striker was in the Moscow “Spartak” as a teenager, but the matter did not move further than playing for the double and several games for the main team. Last year he returned to his homeland, where he was sheltered by Levadia. Kink is a newcomer to the team, but his appearance in the squad is very likely: injuries to his main teammates Opera (Zakhovajko and Viikmäe) and a special mood for Russia should pave his way to the field.
Yuri DUD , "PROsport" - specifically for "Sport Today"