Super was only Mario

When the Russians are silent, the Brazilian scores: Fernandez saved the national team from the zero draw with Kazakhstan

The match in Kalinigrad was supposed to look like a continuation of the enchanting events of the weekend, along which Khabib Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi frightenedly strangled the next victim in the person of American Dustin Porrier, and the new star of the Russian tennis Daniil Medvedev in New York in the final of the opening championship of the United States gave battle to Rafael Nadalya himself. The football sign of Monday was less bright-Russia against Kazakhstan, but the qualifying meeting of Euro 2020 predicted at least the burning extravaganza, starting from the cheerful game of the national team in Glasgow.

I was among the few skeptics that did not wait for the continuation of the banquet - moreover, the national team, according to my feelings, was supposed to cover a hangover syndrome. Because in the stage of gaining the game of teams from confidence in their own abilities to self -confidence - only one step, and the spirit of the winners will not be fixed in a year. All the same, it will be thrown in one direction or the other than the opponent can always use, even such as the national team of Kazakhstan. Which, incidentally, at the starting meeting of the qualification tournament shipped three dry goals to the same Scots and, before meeting in Kaliningrad, retained the chances of competing for the second ticket to the final round. That is, de jure was a direct competitor to the Russian national team.

They played in Kaliningrad in one of the most mysterious arenas, erected to last year's world championship on the Oktyabrsky Island, where nothing could be built from the time of Prussians. But there are no such fortresses that ours cannot take: a grandiose building with a sin erected in half, the mundial matches were successful. And no one knows what to do with this legacy. For the Baltika team, you need an arena ten times less, it is not enough to maintain it in a full working condition (problems with the soil have not disappeared), and one national team will not be enough for all the unclaimed arenas. In Kaliningrad, a match of the Russian -School of Nations has already been held in Kaliningrad, which ended not very good for the Russians a zero draw, now they were waiting for the holiday.

They could not wait. No, the surroundings were appropriate to expectations, the full house spoke best about the attitude to the national team, the team, as it was able, tried to answer.

Exactly what - how could I. There was no trace of so delighted fans and specialists in the second half of Friday meeting at Hampden Park.

The wards of Stanislav Cherchesov seemed to do the right thing, carefully performed the installation of the head coach, trying to somehow shake the echeloned defense, but decisively nothing came even with the approaches to the penalty Kazakhstanis, not to mention the burn points. Later, Cherchesov, without blinking an eye, will say that the team held the match “Five points”, that in the networks it will be together with a sarcastic laughter. There is no one to say that they did not play, but three points are three points, but such a “self -flagellation” is not in trend.

Of course, there are objective reasons: there really was too few time to restore, and the guests showed an exceptionally competent game, albeit imprisoned mainly on defense. But it was evident that Mikhal Bolek and his headquarters thoroughly dismantled the tactics of the Russians, was tightly covered by Artem Dziubu, and no matter how the captain tried to catch on the ball or to benefit with the benefit of the fight in the air, his efforts were in vain.

Of the reasons for the subjective: the decision of the head coach instead of Kudryashov, Zobnin and Ionov, for the sake of strengthening the attacking potential, include Akhmetov, Anton Miranchuk and Cheryshev, simultaneously transferring Zhirkov into a protective line.

It turned out neither two nor one and a half: the changes added not speed, but fuss, but effective interaction in the final phase of the attack disappeared completely.

In the second half of the meeting, there was a reverse replacement of “three by three”, Zhirkov returned to midfield, the pressure on the gates of the Nonogodov intensified, but the stadium still did not start the game of the hosts, but the calls of Cherchesov. Having made reverse replacements, the head coach indirectly admitted that the initial plan was unsuccessful, and the behavior of Stanislav Salamovich on the edge spoke of obvious displeasure of what was happening - irritation was extreme.

So everything would end, and maybe worse - the Kazakhstanis ran into dangerous counterattacks several times, and now their plan seemed more realistic and more feasible. But here, finally, the native of the last minutes turned out to be impressive, and the long -awaited result was made by four: in a tough struggle with the defenders, Yuri Zhirkov, who made a canopy in the penalty area, Alexander Golovin, who distracted the attention of the defenders with Artem Dziuba and his head under the left -handed hand of Mario Fernandez. More than a year ago, the naturalized Brazilian almost became the hero of the dramatic ending of the quarterfinals with the Croatian national team, and now save the Russian team - it turned out. Together with the compensated time, nothing remained before the final whistle, and Fernandez, of course, got the most congratulations.

Against the backdrop of an inexpressive confrontation in Kaliningrad, the Belgians - the Belgians - at home beautifully and demonstratively laid out recent applicants for the second position - the Scots. It was a game performed by the top-collecting, looking at which it was only possible to envy. Yes, the lag of Russians from the Belgian team in the point of expression is small, but in the game these are teams from different leagues, therefore, I would not hurry to give advances. The second place from the Russians can only go away theoretically, the early exit to the final part of Euro 2020 can provide victories in the next two matches, but there will still be a run-in Belgium, and there it will be necessary to think about other rivals of about the same level.

And in Kaliningrad, let the arena “rehabilitated”, the team will not return soon. Both Moscow and Peter are in line. They also want to be happy.