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RUSSIAN CLUBS FAIL IN EUROPA LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
The hopes of Russian football fans came to a
bitter conclusion Thursday as each of the three sides in Europa League
fell out of the playoff round, Sport Express correspondent John Davies
reports.
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Dynamo goalkeeper Vladimir Gabulov's disappointment
Photo SPORT EXPRESS
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While there naturally
is an enormous sense of disappointment, if a silver lining can be found
on a rather dark day it is that each club as they gained immeasurable
experience on the European stage. That of-course is a large "if"
and the task now will be build upon these experiences and plow forward
in their respective domestic campaigns.
Amkar 1 Fulham 0
Far and away the most reaffirming performance of the day was reserved
for Amkar Perm who, after falling 3-1 to Fulham, returned home with a
superb 1-0 victory in front of their voracious supporters. Despite their
triumphant play the English side advances with the aggregate total but
Perm manager Dimitar Dimitrov can hold his head high as his club dominated
the match.
Clinging to their opening leg victory, Fulham stacked and packed the midfield
and rarely threatened. From the opening whistle Georgiy Peev and Vitaliy
Grishin pushed forward relentlessly, with Jean Carlos and Martin Kushev
drawing hushes from the crowd as their efforts fell short before the break.
Continuing on the assault Amkar was a constant threat after the restart
but the final touch to break through the sturdy defenders was missing.
Searching for the right mix Dimitar Dimitrov summoned Nikolay Zhilyaev
and Edin Junuzovic into the match after the hour but still the visitor's
tactical plan resisted Perm's noble advances. As regulation time ticked
down, Perm rose with the full voice of their supporters behind them to
take the lead as Georgiy Peev's pin-point cross from the right was headed
in by veteran Martin Kushev. Surging forward with intent Perm narrowly
missed the all-important second goal in added-time as Edin Junuzovic provided
Nikolay Zhilyaev the ball on left side of the box but his effort from
seven metres drifted agonizingly over the cross.
Dynamo Moskva 1 CSKA Sofia 2
After playing CSKA Sofia to a scoreless draw, Dynamo Moskva were in perfect
position to advance as the deciding leg journeyed to temporary home in
Khimki but left on the wrong side of the scoreline with a 2-1 defeat.
Tactically Luboslav Penev adjusted his visiting CSKA Sofia lineup with
Marquinhos, Ivan Stoyanov and the highly promising teen-aged striker Spas
Delev inserted into the starting eleven while to the surprise of many
Andrey Kobelev called upon Luis Aguiar for Aleksandr Kokorin as Dynamo
went forward with a single striker.
Just over nine minutes into the match Dynamo surged forward with an flourishing
go-ahead goal as Leandro Fernandez played a long ball from his own head
that Luke Wilkshire volleyed brilliantly down the right channel to a surging
Kirill Kombarov. Calmly approaching the byline the twenty-two year-old
veteran provided Aleksandr Kerzhakov a surgically precise cross into the
box that the Russian international confidently headed-in to give Dynamo
the 1-0 lead. Jubilation turned to sorrow for the Muscovites four minutes
later as CSKA Sofia squared the match. Coming off a quick counter Yordan
Todorov outraced Leandro Fernandez down the right flank before crossing
to a diving Spas Delev to head in from ten metres. The Bulgarians goal
seemed to be a dagger through Dynamo's heart as they lacked the confidence
to rebound and whether it fatigue from a heavy workload of recent matches
or simple resolve, what started out with such promise turned sour. Ten
minutes after the break CSKA Sofia found the winning strike as a cross
from the left into the box was headed-in by Ivan Ivanov, who rose over
Marcin Kowalczyk. Without further mark the match concluded in CSKA Sofia's
favour 2-1.
Zenit Saint Petersburg 1 Nacional da Madeira 1
If there was a shock conclusion of the day, that notation was likely reserved
for Zenit Saint Petersburg who saw their dreams of advancing end with
Nacional's Ruben Micael strike at the eighty-ninth minute that brought
the match to a 1-1 draw. His goal provided Nacional da Madeira the 5-4
aggregate lead that otherwise would have seen Zenit advance via the "away
goal" margin.
After dropping the opening leg 4-3 there was no doubt Zenit would have
to face a tough defending plan by the visitors. Three minutes past the
hour Kim Dong Jin's corner was powerfully headed in Fatih Tekke to give
Zenit the 1-0 lead. However Petrovsky Stadium was bathed in disappointment
as Nacional squared the match as regulation wound down in what can only
be described as an abomination in defending. In the Zenit end Leandro
Salino received a simple thrown-in and without a significant challenge
he advanced to his left before crossing into the box. Getting behind Aleksandr
Anyukov, Ruben Micael nodded the ball into the net past on-rushing Zenit
'keeper Kamil Contofalsky to square the match and end Saint Petersburg's
European efforts.
Sport
Express Daily, 28 Aug 2009
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