The plot win of CSKA looks so edifying and laid-back that it’s hard to believe in the previously vain attempts of the Gazzaev’s army to defeat Loko.
For the first minute, the owners of “Luzhniki” (CSKA far-sightedly shook a dangerous opponent for a synthetics well-mastered in the spring) placed two attacks. The second of them, already at the 49th second, became an assist. Ramon ran into the penalty area at a second pace and left rolled the ball to his “bottom” right. But to a greater extent, the goal-earner should be considered Zhirkov. It was he who in the depths of the field covered Bilyaletdinov with a selection, on the left flank he won the martial arts against Ivanovich and conveniently, with a slight kick from Efimov, rolled the ball to the young Brazilian.
It is tempting to start a match with gaining such a handicap. But in a sense it’s dangerous. The temptation to readjust to the second number game is great, especially if such a move has been successful more than once and has justified itself before. This time, he concealed an increased risk for the army, because their defensive line did away without both Berezutsky’s brothers at once, and therefore it was not worth it to “lower” the game too close to its penalty box.
It seemed that CSKA was not going to. CSKA did not mind starting a dispute over the ball and initiative in the middle of the field. But, I must admit, they quickly realized that successfully confronting the mobile triangle there, which, along with Gurenko and Loskov, surprisingly made Fininho, in the absence of Dudu is problematic. This is exactly what dictated to the army team other directions and methods of counterplay: either through the flank of the brilliant Zhirkov or “through midfielders” —throwing the ball through the air in the direction of Wagner Love and Jo over the lost neighborhoods of the central circle.
Real dividends from such rational simplifications came to CSKA towards the end of the meeting. And shortly before the break, the position of the champions seemed worse than the governor's. “Locomotive” and forgot to think about the starting failure and thoroughly took possession of the game advantage.
True, he incarnated for the most part in hints of danger in the form of inaccurate strikes. Although the two threats were quite specific. Once Sychev had already thrown the ball over Akinfeev, who had rushed towards him, but in the alignment of the goal of the goalkeeper, he secured Chamberes. And then Krasich, in a twine attack, beat Bilyaletdinov, who was closing the backache of Ivanovich on the corner of the goalie.
In anticipation of a difficult continuation for the army, a break passed. Going into the second half Kochish was an easily predictable move by Anatoly Byshovets - an excellent Romanian game in the previous match against Rubin gave every reason to wait for him even at the start. Valery Gazzaev, who was forcedly limited in reserves, was in no hurry with replacements and preferred to move the chips after the opponent. Admittedly, he did this with startling composure, having understood the essence of a considerable number of permutations in the ranks of the opponent.
But Byshovets, as it seemed, gave vent to excitement. He changed positions Bilyaletdinov and Fininho, instead of injured defender Spahich sent forward Korchagin (who, incidentally, was uselessly dissolved in the game).
Gazzaev’s reaction was to replace Ramon, who had exhausted her role as lucky, by Taranov. This added a diligent destroyer to the rear of the army. They switched to the game in three support and balanced the replenishment of another's offensive and blocked the draft on the left flank of the defense, from where he initially jealously threatened dribbling and backache Kochish.
“Lokomotiv” was amazed to find that the intelligible and much-promised pre-authentic positional game in the other half was upset with him at once. It remained to rely on "standards." Rodolfo became too addicted to their rallies, having gulped good luck in the last match with Rubin. Here, after breaking through one of the corners from Loskov to the crossbar, the central defender seemed to have finally believed that his main purpose on this day was to equalize the score, and not at all prevent its doubling. The Brazilian began to engage in his direct duties according to the residual principle.
And this turned into a series of dangerous counter-attacks of CSKA.
If Wagner Love’s action, seconds after the break, could be attributed to the chronic “first-minute” failure to assemble the locomotive defense (Yakupovich parried beautifully), then all of its serial misadventures in the final half-hour of the game were the logical consequence of tactical anarchy, which started the guests.
It remained only to be surprised that, when CSKA appeared in its native element, it took too long to adjust to the morals of the entrance courtyard in someone else's penalty area. Wagner Love scored the second goal after a pass-throw of Zhirkov through half the field behind Fininho and Efimova (ay, Rodolfo!) - with a generous second attempt after a goalkeeper's save.
Gazzaev, who proudly stepped into the border of the technical zone, was irresistibly bursting in the smile of a triumphant. A couple of hours ago, someone believed that he was inferior to Byshovets at least in cunning ...
Sergey NOVIKOV
CSKA - LOCOMOTIVE - 2: 0 (1: 0)
Goals: 1: 0 - Ramon (1), 2: 0 - Wagner Love (83).
CSKA: Akinfeev, Shemberas, Ignashevich, Ramon (Taranov, 59), Krasic (Gusev, 66), Aldonin, Zhirkov, Rakhimich, Grigoriev, Jo, Wagner Love (V. Berezutsky, 87).
LOCOMOTIVE: Yakupovich, Rodolfo, Spakhich (Korchagin, 50), Ivanovich, Efimov, Izmailov (Kochish, 46), Loskov, Fininho, Gurenko, Bilyaletdinov, Sychev.
Warnings: Spahich (25), Zhirkov (27), Grigoryev (45), Fininho (90).
March 31. BSA "Luzhniki". 4 p.m.
Judge: Eric Bramhar (Holland).