Thanks to the help of Vladimir Romanov we can offer to you a special report from the match of round 19 between CSKA and Arbat Moscow. Enjoy it!

RUSSIAN SUPERLEAGUE

ROUND 19

A gift to the president

One more Super-League derby CSKA vs Arbat brought the Red Army team four points (one draw and one victory with total goal difference 7-4). If in the first match CSKA players saved the game having minimized and then deleted Arbat score advantage, in the other one they were faster and more aggressive, really stronger that let them obtained the 15th victory in the national Championship.

On April 25th most aspects of the game reminded CSKA latest unlucky matches. The first half made spectators falling asleep. Slow movement on the ground from both sides, few goal occasions did not impress the public. The defenders were as attentive as possible, everybody took care of a ball close to his own goalkeeper and rare attacks ended with weak, miserable shots.
After 10 minutes interval had finished the teams woke up. Pula, Arbat Brazilian international, opened a score. Then Miroshnichenko doubled guests' advantage. The second goal for Arbat took place after the bad mistake made by Somkhishvili. CSKA head coach Alexander Babkin put Georgy to the bench. Instead of him Kovalev, CSKA Ukrainian international, appeared on the field. Further events proved that Babkin was right.
CSKA revived and took the initiative into its hands. Later it brought an effect: Arsh and Kovalev scored curious goals. Arsh stood in the keeper area with his back towards the net, turned around, made a slight kick, the ball jumped through Reraldi¢s legs and touched the net. Kovalev, member of the Ukrainian national team, scored from a longer distance. He stood back to the net too. He did not see Reraldi and could not analyze his position. However, Artem scored: the ball jumped close to the goal line, touched the post and crossed the line – 2:2.
Then both teams had some goal occasions. Without taking into consideration Arefiev personal ride at the last seconds of the match, it can be said – CSKA was closer to a victory. Generally the final result looked rather logical. There was a meeting of equal sides.



Alexander Babkin (CSKA head coach):
In the first half of the game Arbat played better than us, to be more precise its players moved faster. When your team lost in movement it is rather difficult to win. Why did we run slowly looking like a frozen team? Maybe it depends on CSKA last matches against Spartak. Those games were tight and aggressive from both sides. As for the current match I should recognize that we had much luck. We were losing but resurrecting and neutralized some Arbat players for a little time. As a result we reached a draw though needed a victory. Four seconds before the end Maltsev made an awful mistake. Arefiev ran towards our goal. As you remember he was eye-to-eye to Tolstikhin but didn’t score. We didn’t lose. So, I am satisfied with the total result.

On April 26th CSKA decided to win at any cost. Red-blue guys desired to make their President happy on the eve of his birthday. So, the match started with strong attacks of the hosts of the ground. CSKA first line Antipov brothers-Chugunov-Maltsev smashed Arbat zone defense. Logically, there was a goal scored by S. Antipov. Then CSKA advantage seemed more obvious. Two smart shots by red-blue captain Kopeikin born two goals. Arbat answered at the end of the first half with one mortal shot from 10 metres. That was Luizinho, one of three Arbat Brazilian internationals, who did not fail the first double-penalty but lost the next one – Tolstikhin “read a ball direction”.
The second half left no doubt in CSKA victory. The arguments of the Red Army cost more than attempts of Arbat to make a draw. 10 minutes and a half left to the end of the game when Arbat tried to create little sensation – to score three goals thanks to five field players on the ground. Partly such a global task was done – Daniel Mendes left Tolstikhin no chance to catch a ball. Some more time passed. And A. Antipov put an end to Arbat hopes for salvation. His wonderful shot was unbelievable. Levin, Arbat goalkeeper, just crossed his hands out of despair. At the end of the game both sides tried to score again. CSKA players had more goal occasions but rough play of the opponents did not let them turn a just victory into a total Arbat defeat.

Alexander Babkin (CSKA head coach):
We wanted to congratulate Oleg Bubyrenko, CSKA President with his 45th birthday. We were not to look for a special gift. Everything was clear: we must win and take three points. We did it! Lately we have missed goals first. Up to this day it has been a damned tradition to be after opponents, to run after them in search of a draw. We have saved some points. But there were not any moments of glory. Just imaginations of hard work with poor results. Today the things have change. Probably, it is an exception to the rules. At last a match went on according to our plan. We tried to press the opponents along the whole defensive line and, of course, “to steal balls from them”, to hold our contra-attacks with a final blow. So, we reached the aim because all our instructions were carried out.



STATISTIC REVIEW

April, 25

CSKA Moscow – Arbat Moscow 2-2 (0-0)

Moscow, USK CSKA

Attendance: 1000

Referees: A. Lapin (Ufa), V. Surguchev (Rostov-na-Donu)

CSKA: Tolstikhin – Kopeikin, Kovalev, Chugunov, Arsh, S. Antipov, A. Antipov, Sergueev, Somkhishvili, Maltsev

ARBAT: Reraldi – Khamidulin, Sultanov, Tochilin, Arefiev, Monakhov, Luizinho, Titenkov, Miroshnichenko, Pula.

Goals: 0:1 Pula (21), 0:2 Miroshnichenko (27), 1:2 Arsh (29), 2:2 Kovalev (33)

Fouls: 4-2 ; 2-4

Yellow cards: Maltsev – Tochilin



April, 26

CSKA, Moscow – Arbat, Moscow 5-2 (3-1)

Referees: V. Surguchev, A. Lapin

CSKA: Tolstikhin – Kopeikin, Kovalev, Chugunov, Arsh, S. Antipov, A. Antipov, Sergueev, Somkhishvili, Maltsev

ARBAT: Levin – Khamidulin, Sultanov, Arefiev, Monakhov, Daniel, Luizinho, Titenkov, Sevostianov, Pula

Goals: 1:0 S. Antipov (1), 2:0 Kopeikin (15), 3:0 Kopeikin (18), 3:1 Luizinho (19, 10m), 4:1 A. Antipov (26), 4:2 Daniel (30), 5:2 A. Antipov (35)

Fouls: 7-4 – 2-5

Yellow cards: S. Antipov, Sergueev, Kopeikin – Sultanov, Pula
Red card: Pula




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com