The start of the Russian national team at the European Championship resulted in a disaster. Weakened by the injuries of the leading players, the Belgians dealt with her very easily in St. Petersburg. Kommersant correspondents watched how the Russians lost – 0: 3 – to the favorites of Group B Alexey Dospekhov and Evgeny Fedyakov.
At this European Championship, communication between its participants and those who cover the championship is minimized. But right before the match, Belgian TV crews approached the coach of the Russian rivals, Roberto Martinez, and he did not refuse to talk to them. No, or rather, he seems to have wanted to say something to the camera himself. Martinez, of course, wished Christian Eriksen health, who fainted a couple of hours ago in a match between the Danes and Finns and survived, it seems, only thanks to the professionalism of the doctors who worked on him, and confirmed: yes, there are players in the Belgium national team, Eriksen’s well-known friends, and It’s not easy for them now … And one could guess who he means: Romelu Lukaku played with him at Inter, Jan Vertongen and Toby Alderweireld at Tottenham. They have already entered the field of the St. Petersburg arena to kneel before the rally in the central circle with their partners. This is what many teams are now believed to be doing in solidarity with anti-discrimination fighters. But not Russian. Her fans whistled to the Belgians and applauded those who did not kneel.
In the game, the Russian national team, too, seemed to be not going to kneel. For several minutes this match made one think not about the power of the Belgian national team, not about its recent convincing victories over the hosts of the game in qualifying for this championship, but about the fact that it missed the injured Kevin De Bruyne and Axel Witsel at the start of the tournament, about how that Eden Hazard is not in good shape today and remained on the bench, that, in the end, that the misfortune with Eriksen could really unsettle some of her players a little. I caught a glimpse of pleasant things for anyone who worries about the Russian team. The ball is more often in the Belgian half. Yuri Tielemansu, who, in the absence of Azar, De Bruyne and Witsel, must set the rhythm for his team, the game vector, is tormented in search of a comfortable position, uselessly moving back and forth across the lawn. And here is the acceleration of Artyom Dziuba, which veteran Jan Vertongen barely manages to catch.
Oh, for sure – the Belgians also have elderly protection! And the Russian national team loves situations when you can run away.
The idyll was dying quickly. This pass did not bode well for the Russian team. Yes, he, strictly speaking, was unsuccessful, this pass from Dries Mertens – directly to Andrei Semenov, who blocked Lukaku. But Semyonov’s actions were confirmation of the correctness of those famously versed in football European experts who, talking about the differences between this Russian national team and the Russian national team, which reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup three years ago, said that if it had clearly lost something since then, then a fortress in the central defense zone – together with Sergei Ignashevich, who ended his career. In general, Semyonov stumbled, got entangled in his own legs, and the ball went to Lukaku. The grandiose scorer, of course, shot the goalkeeper Anton Shunin and ran to the camera near the sideline. Those who were near her perfectly heard what shouted Lukaku: “Chris! Chris! I love you!” He really did not forget about his friend from Denmark for a second.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akL3USQaBBw
The stands, about half filled in accordance with the anti-coronavirus regulations, were just awake and sighed. Maybe, however, still believing that everything will work out.
And the Russian national team strengthened their faith a little. Alexander Golovin gave a corner very well, and Mario Fernandez, having crushed the defenders in a jump, hit his head very well. Well, that is, right into the hands of Thibaut Courtois, but it was still a chance. True, immediately Semenov almost made another fatal mistake – in a simple transfer across the field. Lukaku dashed through the center, but Georgy Jikia, who at the last moment averted the threat, also rushed after him. And then Leander Dendonker, completing the still continuing Belgian attack, fired wide of the gate.
Faith in the ability of Russian footballers was slowly weakening.
The segment of liveliness did not turn into a trend. And then the second Belgian goal has matured – the name is no longer the Russian defender, but the Russian goalkeeper.
It was preceded by a clash between the heads of Timothy Castan and Daler Kuzyaev. Both left the field. Kuzyaev was replaced by one of the heroes of the World Cup – Denis Cheryshev: he had to be removed from the field in the middle of the second half – the midfielder remained invisible, having touched the ball nine times. Castagne replaced Tom Meunier, who soon felt that a simple canopy from the left flank could bring him something. He was right. Shunin dealt with this canopy amazingly badly, throwing the ball straight to Meunier.
And we imagined how hard it is now for these people, who have overcome all the many obstacles associated with anti-coronavirus measures, in order to come to cheer for the Russian national team.
They, understandably, are looking for reasons for optimism – and understandably, they do not find one. Where is the Russian pressure? Where are Dziuba’s new breakthroughs and new discounts? No, there was one, after the standard, but too inaccurate … And Yuri Zhirkov was also injured. And Yannick Carrasco also cheated the defenders in the penalty area and almost scored the third goal …
And we imagined how good it felt to overcome even more obstacles a group of people in Belgian T-shirts outside the Russian goal. They probably expected a problem start from their weakened national team. And it turned out so easy. Everything was done in the first half. The second is almost a formality. You just need to not be fake.
The Belgians were not fake. The Russian national team tried to break the idea of the alignment, but its outbursts were rare and they did not pull on such that the Belgians were blinded. The feeling that the opponents had everything under control did not disappear anywhere. Neither replacement – the appearance of Alexei Miranchuk, young Igor Diveev, very young Maxim Mukhin, nor the menacing shouts of coach Stanislav Cherchesov, raging near the edge, were unable to weaken this control even a little. They did not even help to avoid a major defeat, although the Belgian national team did not particularly strive for it – the long-mined reserve was enough. In the end, Lukaku, after passing Meunier, again dashed off with a mighty rhinoceros to the Russian gates and again hit them.
So after the first round of the group stage, the Russian national team turned out to be an outsider in its quartet. However, in the next match, she will have to deal with a simpler opponent than the leader of the International Football Federation (FIFA). On Wednesday, in St. Petersburg, the Russian team will host the Finns, who defeated (1: 0) the Danes.
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