The uncertain status of the second most prestigious tournament in Russian football is a little worrying - whether it is a measure of the effectiveness of pre-season training, or a pass to the UEFA Cup. In any case, each participant in the finals had a significant incentive to win this tournament - that Byshovets and Slutsky did not hold serious club trophies in their hands before.
An accurate illustration of the first twenty minutes of the game was Leonid Slutsky's wiggle in the coaching position - restrained but nervous. Luzhnikov's fused lawn did not allow players to launch quick attacks by gluing the game to the center of the field. Flying between the penalties, the Lokomotiv players tamed the ball faster, scoring twice in five minutes - albeit from an offside position. Both single shots were preceded by reasonable constructive actions - a tricky draw of a free kick and an artillery pass by Efimov. A little later, another Loko player flashed with the art of transmission, whose status did not imply the organization of attacks - Gurenko gave Sychev a dangerous chance to punch his head.
However, the “non-core” attacks of “Loco” ended immediately after the only scoring opportunity of “Moscow”. Paz Kuzmina squandered the oncoming Adam, and the answer to the “townspeople” undertook to design the already creative part of the midfield of the railwaymen. In the second part of the first half, Lokomotiv presented combinations for a small football allowance. “Two” of Samedov and Sychev, Samedov’s canopy on Ivanovich’s head, Bilyaletdinov’s pirouette and pushing Ivanovich point blank, Kontsedalov’s long-range shot and his passing the ball to Sychev, who missed from seven meters. If the Byshovets team had extracted at least a couple of goals from these moments, the cup could be carried into the locker room with Baskakov's intermission whistle.
Slutsky’s locking mechanisms and heat doomed the match to extra time
Leaving the action of “Loco” pragmatism during the break took control of Slutsky. Afternoon heat smashed Semak, it seems, even before the starting whistle, and Ivanov who appeared instead managed to hold the carousel of the opponent’s attacks. And the flank players of “Moscow” in the second half began to “dry” the game more than the Moscow sun - Bystrov paid off the attacking fuse of Ivanovich, Barrientos stopped letting Bilyaletdinov into the center. Having killed the initiative of “Locomotive”, “Moscow” outlined its hopes - standard provisions, long-range strikes and other opportunities. And the locking mechanisms of Slutsky, coupled with helpful heat, doomed the match to extra time.
Faced with the “Italian” option in the second half, the wards of Byshovets were clearly in a hurry to abandon their intention to play the first number. In the picket fence erected at the gates of Zhevnov, it was not necessary to look for a loophole, but it was worth arming itself with a battering ram. However, the appearance of Harry O'Connor did not become a metaphor for a wall-hung weapon - at first the Scot only wandered along the front line, trying in vain to pick up the balls. At the end of the second half, the sudden bustle in the penalty area of “Moscow” could well have been born out of Sychev's goal, but Zhevnov made the guarantee of zeros on the scoreboard again.
The heat that did not obey Baskakov’s stopwatch turned into torture even a break after an hour and a half played. And finally she designated the decisive factor in the struggle for the product from Goose-Crystal, physical readiness. It turned out that the innovator Slutsky, who had provided a good form for Moscow in the starting rounds, lost to the old-school adherent Byshovets at a long distance. Samadov’s crazy jerk halfway was not supported by game intelligence, but a similar length race on the edge of Sychev turned into an assist from O'Connor. It is noteworthy that in a successful attack, the entire defense of Moscow was mistaken without exception - Nababkin lost in speed to Sychev, Godunok and Kuzmin did not divide O'Connor, and Yop completely watched the goal from the side.
The cup went to Lokomotiv with a good game, but in agony
Slutsky’s last hope was associated with Barrientos as a playmaker. Pete fled, passed, beat and fell - but best of all he succeeded in the last action. Dreams about the UEFA Cup did not awaken the Catalan character in the “townspeople”, which allowed Espanyol to reach the penalty shoot-out. In the end, the eleven-meter would have become a monstrous injustice for at least the children who made a marathon standing watch at the trophy with the courage of the Kremlin sentries. The final whistle was almost ignored by the players - the end of the temperature torture compensated for the emotions laid down in the final match. The first Russian Byshovets trophy went to his team with a good game, but in agony - and it may turn out that such a formula best describes the fate of Lokomotiv in the championship.
Moscow - Lokomotiv - 0: 1 (0: 0, 0: 0, 0: 1 - extra time)
Goal: 0: 1 - O'Connor (103).
MOSCOW : Zhevnov - Nababkin, Yop, Godunok - Rebezh (Golubov, 106), Semak (Ivanov, 46), Kuzmin - Barrientos, Bystrov - Bracamonte (Chizhek, 77), Adamov. NZ : Kozko, Gubnik, Epuryanu, Golyshev. Trainer: Slutsky.
LOCOMOTIVE : Yakupovich - Ivanovich, Efimov, Rodolfo, Spakhich - Gurenko - Samedov (Fininho, 110), Loskov, Bilyaletdinov, Kontsedalov (O'Connor, 62) - Sychev. NZ : Ryzhikov, Had, Sennikov, Traore, Kuznetsov. Trainer: Byshovets.
Warnings : Barrientos, 52. Yop, 92. Efimov, 100. Loskov, 102.
May 27th . BSA "Luzhniki". 2 p.m.
Judge : Yuri Baskakov.