19 May 2010
RPL Review: Match Week 11
By Alex Jackson
The suits at the Russian Football Union have organised a 7-week summer break for the RPL, so that consternation is not caused by trying to follow the domestic fixtures and keep tabs on the World Cup – shame that Russia won’t be there, then.
RUBIN KAZAN 0 – 1 CSKA MOSCOW
While it may have been ex-Liverpool winger, Mark Gonzalez’s goal that decided the outcome of this match, the plaudits have been going to Alan Dzagoev for his part in bringing the Ruby’s unbeaten start to an end.
The young man from Beslan was instrumental in the top-of-the-table clash and it was his delicious one-two with Guilherme and consequent square pass to Gonzalez that engineered the opportunity that the Chile international tucked away after 39mins.
As had been the case before the goal, both sides continued to trade chances after the break, though Rubin still struggled to create too many of real note and CSKA were happy – and able – to see the rest of the game out.
TOM TOMSK 1 – 0 SPARTAK NALCHIK
Tomsk’s strong start to the season continues while the campaign’s early pace-setters, Nalchik, stuttered again after losing to Zenit last week.
The Siberians started on the front foot and were the first 45’s dominant force. Nalchik, meanwhile, still looked jaded from their tonking at the Petrovsky last week and would have been happy with a half-time score of nil-nil.
Deadlock was finally broken by Sergey Kornilenko’s un-erring penalty kick on 66mins, after Artem Dzyuba was felled , notching a third in three for the big Belarusian striker.
LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW 2 – 0 AMKAR PERM
Again, the home side was dominant in this fixture. Lokomotiv easily out-played their opponents and, for once, put their few chances away.
Loko’s strikers have been below par this term. Luckily, they landed a real gem in Olexandr Aliev when he signed from Dynamo Kiev over the winter. And, like so often this season, he got things going by netting with a trademark, unstoppable, free-kick that made the net billow after 17mins.
Alan Gatagov and Dmitry Sychev were also on-song for the hosts, and it was the latter who created the second goal: A well-executed one-two with Renat Yanbaev down the left resulted in Sychev picking out Maicon in the box to open his account for the Red-Greens with 11mins remaining.
DYNAMO MOSCOW 2 – 1 ALANIA VLADIKAVKAZ
After the heady-heights of last week, a cynic might say he saw this result coming. Either way, Alania were disappointing.
Despite creating some great chances, they came after Kirill Kombarov had already put the Blue-Whites in the lead, Andrey Voronin’s good work down the left channel culminated in picking out Dmitry Kombarov who squared the ball to his brother to score after 19mins.
And it was K.Kombarov who again popped up to volley home a Vladimir Granat cross after 49mins to put the contest to bed.
With that brace, new Dynamo manager Miodrag Bozovic registered his first win.
TEREK GROZNY 2 – 0 SATURN MOSCOW
Here, Saturn really started much the brighter of the two sides, creating most of the notable chances in the opening exchanges but, crucially, to no avail.
It was Terek, somewhat against the run of play, who seized the lead via Mauricio on 19mins, turning in Shamil Lakhiyalov’s header from Blagoy Georgiev’s corner.
The Chechens were stirred by that goal and created a flurry of chances before the halftime break.
That sense of dominance continued soon after the teams returned, with Hector Braccamonte finding the net just seven minutes after the restart with a header.
Afterwards, Terek controlled the match with only Vitaliy Chilyushkin, Saturn’s goalkeeper, coming out of this game with credibility.
KRYLYA SOVETOV SAMARA 1 – 2 FC ROSTOV
Around 20,000 people turned out for this game – really highlighting the stature of the Smaran club and, indeed, the scale of the problem that has led a team of such largesse to the brink it now finds itself – but most will have gone home disappointed. Again.
Roman Adamov put Rostov ahead after Samara had, perhaps, had the better of the first 21mins. A neat passing move through the middle of the pitch culminated in Adamov drilling the ball low off the inside of the near post to score.
Any resolve Krylya may have had was dissolved just one minute into the second 45 as Adamov notched his second of the day by controlling Grmich’s raking pass from the right side before knocking the ball past the onrushing keeper and into the net.
The RPL now goes into a seven week summer break with Zenit sitting pretty atop the table with 24 points. Next is CSKA, on 23 points but having played a game more.
Rubin and Nalchik are in third and fourth respectively, the former on 20 points and the latter on 19. Again, both sides have played one game more than Zenit.
At the bottom, Saturn and Sibir are both on just seven points, though Sibir have played one game fewer than Krylya, who hover above the relegation berths with eight points.
