Translated material
Hand of Moscow
Spartak took the lead from Zenit
The next round of the Russian Championship was supposed to reveal the main favorite in the race for gold and, possibly, remove one of the teams from the list of contenders. Lokomotiv turned out to be a loser, suffering their sixth defeat in the championship. And the table was topped by Spartak in a head-to-head match, reminding Zenit of its capital complex.In football St. Petersburg they like to talk about the invisible “hand of Moscow”, which year after year pulls Zenit away from first place in the standings. In the last match with Spartak, St. Petersburg fans finally saw this hand - in the 84th minute, Bazhenov used it to send the third goal into the visitors' goal. But even head coach Dick Advocaat had enough determination after the match to admit that the problem was not in this hand and not in the referee, who did not see this hand. “The judge was very good,” the Dutchman briefly and without a hint of a smile described the work of Alexander Gonchar and closed the topic.
This game will be discussed for quite a long time even without a lawyer. Moreover, the background to Gonchar’s appointment to the Spartak – Zenit match is quite interesting. At first it was planned that foreign teams would work at this game, as well as at the meeting between Lokomotiv and CSKA. Domestic judges were offended and indignant, threatening that in this case letters would be sent to all judicial panels of other countries asking not to send arbitrators to Russia. As a last resort, the judiciary talked about a possible strike. After a meeting between RFU President Vitaly Mutko and Russian referees, where the possibility of such a development of events was again voiced, the already made decision to invite foreign teams was abandoned.
If Gonchar had completed his mission perfectly and after the match not a single question had arisen for him, they would not have remembered foreign referees for a long time. But questions arose, although all the controversial decisions did not affect the fairness of the outcome. And it was not for nothing that Advocaat refused to discuss the refereeing - he himself had too many of his own mistakes in this match to remember others.
First of all, Zenit lost the flanks to Spartak for the fourth match in a row. It is clear that the St. Petersburg team always plays without wing midfielders, covering these areas with forwards and defenders. Once again, this plan did not work against the “red-whites”. A classic attack from the left flank with an equally banal high pass ended with Pavlyuchenko's traditional header - 1:0. In the first half, by the way, similar attacks were repeated more than once from both the left and right flanks. And again, none of the guests covered the outside midfielders - Zenit's forwards had no time for this, and the defenders simply did not have time.
This is how the first half would have ended with an unconditional victory for Spartak, if not for the mistake made by its goalkeeper Pletikosa: the Croatian did not take the ball too sharply, and Arshavin immediately took advantage of his slight relaxation. In recent matches, the Zenit striker plays at full strength for only two minutes - the 45th and 90th. This was enough to defeat Rostov. It didn’t work out with Spartak.
Goals scored just before the break often change the pattern of the match beyond recognition. But this was clearly not the case. Moreover, the jokers of both teams - Bystrov and Pogrebnyak - have not yet spoken. The first, however, soon recalled his difficult relationship with Zenit. Almost his only dangerous action during the match - a slalom pass into the penalty area - ended with Malafeev's "foul of the last hope". Gonchar's verdict - expulsion and penalty at the same time for Zenit became fatal.
After Pavlyuchenko's accurate shot from the 11-meter mark, Advocaat had only Pogrebnyak to rely on. He, like Bystrov and Zenit, has his own account with Spartak. And the striker almost equalized it: having created a chance for himself, Pogrebnyak missed it himself, sending the ball past the goal of Pletikosa, who came out to meet him. Advocaat's joker didn't play this time.
If the match had ended with this dangerous moment, it would have become one of the best in the current championship. But the ball, corrected by Bazhenov into the goal with his hand in the 84th minute, made us talk not about the game, but about Zenit and about the complex relationship between the clubs and Russian referees.
The second match of the 17th round, which it was planned to call foreigners to referee, Nikolaev worked without any complaints. Lokomotiv should have no complaints: CSKA, with the returning Brazilians, has once again become a team that is generally respected and feared. The leading role was given to the winner of the America's Cup in the Brazilian national team, Vagner Love, and he did not disappoint. His first goal at the end of the half turned out to be very South American - the business trip to Venezuela was not in vain. The second one also left no doubt that Wagner’s technique was all right.
Lokomotiv was unable to win back two goals, although Ivanovich’s shot under the crossbar left a chance for at least a draw. But even Peter Odemwingie, who made his debut in Russia in a match against the club whose school he studied at, did not help Loko get points: Byshovets’ team is almost officially out of the race for gold.
Results of the 17th round matches. "Dynamo" - "Amkar" - 0:0, "Spartak" - "Zenit" - 3:1 ( Pavlyuchenko 28, 62 from pen., Bazhenov 83 - Arshavin 45), "Saturn" - " Tom" - 0:0, "Moscow" - "Wings of the Soviets" - 3:1 ( Adamov 6 from pen., Adamov 64, Barrientos 84 - Shevchenko 2 ), "Rostov" - "Luch-Energia" -- 1:1 ( Kalachev 75 - Tikhonovetsky 12 ). Lokomotiv - CSKA - 1:2 ( Ivanovich 59 - Vagner Love 45, 48 ). The match "Spartak" - "Kuban" ended after the signing of the number.