Almost without moments and luck with penalties: how "Rubin" survived in Rostov

      Artiga failed to win again: how "Rubin" escaped defeat against "Rostov"

      "Omar Maldonado", defensive error

      Two hours before the game, I found myself on the main artery of Rostov – on the bridge over the Don River. It divides the city into two hemispheres – one of which is where the stadium is located. I immediately noticed a family with scarves of the local team, although for some reason they were heading in the opposite direction from the sports venue.

      At the stadium itself, it wasn't exactly packed, but it was a "working" situation from the fans' perspective – some were already waiting to pass through the security checkpoint, while others had turned their gaze to the souvenir shop. By the way, it is worth noting that, according to security estimates, 9,579 people attended the match.

      And the game promised us an interesting plot. Because both teams had something to prove. Frank Artiga even made some small changes – for example, Ivu, Sive, and Ignatiev appeared from the first minutes. And Ilya Rozhkov remained on the bench.

      "Rozhkov was out of the main group all week – he had pain in the adductor muscle area. He only participated in one training session with the main group. The day before the match, Ilya informed us that the pain had passed and he could be with the team. But given that this is a muscle injury, we understood that the player was not ready to play 90 minutes," Artiga told "TI-Sport".

      It became clear that the Spaniard was looking for options, and while these searches continue, as they say, we won't judge too harshly. But it wasn't just the coach of the Kazan team who surprised. The announcer at the stadium also surprised the arriving Kazan fans and journalists when announcing the starting lineups: Denil Maldonado suddenly became Omar, and Anderson Arroyo could confidently change his name to Cordoba. Yes, that's exactly what he was called at the arena.

      The game itself in the first half unfolded according to the classic scenario for the current "Rubin". The guests from the capital of Tatarstan managed to create any dangerous moment only in the 12th minute: Ivu intercepted the ball, entered the penalty area, and shot. The ball was softened and prevented from reaching the goal by two defenders.

      About the same amount of time later, a dangerous cross from "Rostov" from a free kick forced Evgeny Staver to either jump or definitely be on alert on the goal line. And the Kazan team conceded again in an obvious way (we've heard this somewhere before): a loss of the ball in the center, a quick pass forward from the hosts, Teslenko unsuccessfully headed it, a pass from Olusegun to Suleymanov cut Vuyachich – and poor Staver could do nothing.

      Artiga, of course, waved his hands, showing how and what to do, but the creative potential in attack in the first 45 minutes was, to put it mildly, zero.

      "Ask the coach why I play so little"

      Everything, as is often the case with "Rubin", was supposed to change in the second half. First, Rozhkov appeared instead of Nacho. Then the southerners simply gifted the Kazan team an opportunity – Vuyachich was hit in the face in the opponent's penalty area. The referee hesitated for a long time, looked at VAR, and ultimately awarded a penalty. It was confidently converted by Jacques Sive.

      "It was clear from the start that I would take the penalty – I'm a forward, and that's normal," he told journalists.

      1:1. And at that moment, on one hand, it couldn't be said that the current score was fair, on the other – well, "Rubin" had to somehow wake up. What better moment for that?

      Next, Artiga removed Bezrukov and brought on Kuznetsov, then Yukich appeared instead of Ignatiev, and Lobov replaced Arroyo. And it must be said that with Aleksandar's entry, the game transformed. However, after the match, he was not entirely satisfied.

      – With your entry, the team's attacking play improves. Are you worried that you are not starting?

      – Thank you for telling me that. I always try to show the best I can. Next time, ask the coach why this happens, Yukich told journalists.

      It should be noted that in the last 15-20 minutes, "Rubin" pressured the opponent. But they couldn't secure the victory, although Daniil Kuznetsov missed a real chance in the final seconds.

      "In the first half, "Rostov" looked stronger. We know what this team represents – they are leaders in terms of high-speed segments and won duels. And, in fact, they showed this in the first half. As for the second half – we leveled the game. In the last 20 minutes, we looked stronger. I think the match was characterized by a lot of struggle and dedication. Overall, both teams can be satisfied with this result," Artiga told journalists.

      And you know, if you listen to the Spaniard, it doesn't seem so bad. But if you watched the game, you saw the vagueness. The positions on the field seem to scream that they need strengthening. There is no attacking play. But there is hope for a bright future.

      And it is cup-related. Already on Wednesday, they will play at home against "Spartak".

      Photo: rubin-kazan.ru