|
RUSSIA - ISRAEL - 1:1 (1:0)
October 07 2006.
European Championship Qualifying Group E.
Moscow. Dinamo Stadium. 22000.
Referee: Florian Meyer (GER).
Russia: Igor Akinfeev, Vasiliy Berezutsky, Alexei Berezutsky, Alexei Smertin,
Sergei Ignashevich, Yevgeny Aldonin, Andrei Arshavin, Pavel Pogrebnyak
(Marat Izmailov, 57), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Alexander Kerzhakov, 30),
Yuri Zhirkov (Igor Semshov, 76), Alexander Anyukov.
Coach - Guus Hiddink.
Israel: Dudu Aouat, Tal Ben Haim, Shimon Gershon (Amit Ben Shushan, 46),
Omri Afek, Valeed Badeer, Idan Tal, Keisi Adoram, Yossi Benayoun (Toto
Tamuz, 75), Roberto Coleuetti, Klemi Saban (Tomer Ben Yosef, 46), Gal
Alberman.
Coach - Dror Kashtan.
Scorers: Arshavin (5), Ben Shushan (84).
Yellow Cards: Pavel Pogrebnyak (16), Klemi Saban (19), Alexander Kerzhakov
(45), Amit Ben Shushan (79), Igor Semshov (87).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Russia were left to rue missed chances after a late goal
by substitute Amit Ben Shushan rescued a point for Israel.
A fifth-minute strike by Andrei Arshavin had looked enough for the hosts
after he had picked up a pass from Pavel Pogrebniak and held off Shimon
Gershon to provide a composed left-footed finish past Dudu Awat.
But Israel hit back seven minutes from time after a mistake by defender
Vasili Berezutsky allowed Israel substitute Toto Tamuz to run in on goal.
| |
|
|
Russia's Andrey Arshavin (left) fights for the
ball with Israel's Shimon Gershon / Photo: AP
|
His shot was parried by Igor Akinfeev, but the rebound fell
kindly to Shushan, who steered the ball into the empty net.
The result will leave coach Guus Hiddink less than happy after Russia
created the majority of the chances.
Goalscorer Arshavin has undoubtedly been Hiddink's star man since the
Dutchman took over, and the Zenit St Petersburg striker could have added
to his early goal after 11 minutes when he zipped a low 20-yard free-kick
along the surface.
This time Awat was alert to the danger and did well to tip the ball wide.
The Deportivo La Coruna keeper was to have a busy first period, being
called upon on numerous occasions to stifle the threat posed by Pogrebniak.
After 15 minutes the Tom Tomsk striker struck a weak shot straight at
Awat, and four minutes before the break a 20-yard strike by Pogrebniak
hit a divot that almost caught out the Israeli custodian, who did well
to palm the ball onto the post.
The visitors, who were missing striker Yaniv Katan due to a stomach injury,
offered relatively little until their goal, but showed signs of improvement
early in the second half.
Beitar Jerusalem defender Tommer Ben Yossef, one of two substitutes introduced
by coach Dror Kashtan at half-time, struck a volley straight at Akinfeev
a minute after the restart.
But the pressure was short-lived and substitute Aleksandr Kerzhakov squandered
Russia's next chance, blasting the ball across the face of goal after
being fed inside the box by Arshavin.
But for all Russia's chances, Shushan struck seven minutes from time with
arguably Israel's first real chance, and could have grabbed a second moments
later, firing the ball over the bar from the edge of the area.
www.sportinglife.com.
October 07, 2006.
|
|
