Home alone

Of all the idols of St. Petersburg, only Kerzhakov shot

The Russian national team, having casually defeated the Andorran team 4:0 in St. Petersburg, is now heading for Zagreb, where it will continue to prepare for the most important qualifying match for the 2008 European Championship at this stage with the leader of Group “E” Croatia. But in St. Petersburg they were very happy about the usual routine victory over a football dwarf. The former idol of the northern capital, Alexander Kerzhakov, returned to the Petrovsky stadium and reminded his hometown of himself with a hat-trick.

On the eve of the meeting, Andorran head coach David Rodrigo, having lost nine players from the main squad due to injuries, or, as someone from the Russian team delegation joked, half of the country’s capable male population, was not discouraged. Flatly refusing to discuss the civilian professions of his players, Rodrigo said that he would be satisfied with a draw or victory in the upcoming meeting, and promised to field four or three strikers. At the same time, the visiting coach decided not to specify that all forwards, except one, would not cross the center line into the other half of the field - even a team like the Andorran national team should have tactical surprises.

Guus Hiddink decided to do without personnel revolutions, and the composition of the Russian team turned out to be largely predictable. The main roles in it in the match with Andorra were given to flank midfielders Bystrov and Zhirkov and two forwards - Arshavin and Kerzhakov. The first two were supposed to stretch the visitors' overcrowded defense, freeing up zones for the forwards.

Hiddink's coaching idea didn't work - it just didn't have time. By the 15th minute, the hosts were already leading with a score of 2:0, and the guests actually scored both goals themselves. At first, one of the most experienced players of the Andorran national team, goalkeeper Alvarez, a stockbroker by primary profession, did not share something with the defender. Alexander Kerzhakov took advantage of the general confusion and, picking up the ball, threw it over the goalkeeper. A few minutes later, another Andorran defense player made a mistake, and Kerzhakov, after Zhirkov’s long pass, threw the ball over Alvarez for the second time, and the second goal forced the Petrovsky stands to recognize their former idol.

And before the match, Kerzhakov and St. Petersburg had a difficult relationship. The Sevilla forward could not forget for a long time that the city did not say goodbye to him very kindly before he left for Spain. In St. Petersburg they did not want to forgive Kerzhakov that he did not win the UEFA Cup at Zenit. The last chapter of disagreements between Zenit and its former forward is connected with the same trophy: Kerzhakov did not want to take the cup to St. Petersburg until he was asked to do so. The club stated that the initiative should come from the player himself, and made it clear that they would soon bring the UEFA Cup themselves and without Kerzhakov’s help, and as their own trophy.

After Kerzhakov’s second goal against Andorra, all minor grievances began to be forgotten, and after the third they became a thing of the past. The striker, having sent the ball into the goal after Zyryanov’s hit, earned the full forgiveness of the stands, and the fans saw off Kerzhakov leaving the field with a standing ovation. “Petrovsky” recognized his former idol. Moreover, the current ones were not particularly impressive: Zyryanov played reliably and usefully, but not too brightly, Malafeev was bored, and each of his six touches of the ball in the entire ninety minutes was greeted by the stands with delight, Anyukov, who came on as a substitute, was pale and inconspicuous, and the main hope Zenit fans now seem to be irritating even Guus Hiddink, national team captain Arshavin.

In one episode, the leader of the national team, finding himself with the ball two meters from an empty goal, did not simply send it into the net, but tried to do it with a foppish heel kick. The highest paid player in Russia did not have enough equipment - the moment was missed. “Some players couldn’t score from three meters, and I didn’t like it,” Hiddink, usually loyal to his players and to Arshavin, allowed himself to criticize at a press conference. “I think the reason is lack of concentration.” “What a concentration there is. Before, he simply didn’t want to play, but now he can’t,” muttered one of the locals in the hall.

Nevertheless, Hiddink said that he would not deprive Arshavin of the captain's armband. Maybe he heard the Zenit midfielder say that he was glad to exchange his hat-trick in the match with Andorra for a goal against Croatia.

But in defense, everything was fine with concentration. The defenders extremely rarely allowed themselves to join the attacks, and Malafeev only once had to more or less enter the game - to play on the way out after an unaddressed cross. “The goalkeeper had nothing to do, he was just bored, the opponent did not create a single chance,” Hiddink was pleased with the absence of even a hint of a dangerous moment at the goal of the Russian team. Before the match against Croatia, it seemed that this was the most important thing for him.

Andrey VDOVIN, St. Petersburg