|
RUSSIA WELCOMES SLOVENIA TO LUZHNIKI TONIGHT
Following the loss to Germany and ultimate second
place finish in Group play, Russia is forced to earn its way to the 2010
World Cup through a two-match playoff round against Slovenia.
Beginning this Saturday evening in Moscow at Luzhniki Stadium, with the
second leg on 18 November in Maribor, Russia faces a tantalizing test
against a well disciplined up and coming side.
Though many will consider Russia has drawn the easiest test of the playoff
sides, this match has all the makings of "David versus Goliath"
and one that cannot be overlooked. Since taking over Slovenia, manager
Matjaz Kek has led his side to a quick charge up FIFA's rankings to forty-ninth
in the world.
With a well-organized tactical plan that has only conceded four goals
in the ten qualifying matches, the confident Slovenians line-up includes
Tom Tomsk's Aleksander Radosavljevic and the always dangerous striking
combination of Milivoje Novakovic of FC Koln and VfL Bochum's Zlatko Dedic.
Though the results of Russia's most recent contest against Slovenia, a
September 2001 2-1 defeat in Ljubljana, will have no impact on Saturday
evenings affair at Luzhniki Stadium, the visitors near perfect defensive
play will wreak havoc on 's tactical plan.
To complicate matters for the Russian hosts, offensive spark-plug Yuriy
Zhirkov is far from one-hundred per-cent recovered and could be forced
to sit out. Speaking to Sports Express, the former CSKA play-maker noted
how his knee injury flared up following practice at Luzhniki earlier in
the week and the final decision will come down to he responds to practice
on Wednesday and Thursday, today's and tomorrow's trainings will show
whether I can participate in the weekend's match.
Should he be forced out Russia could be forced to juggle its line-up by
deploying Konstantin Zyryanov or Diniyar Bilyaletdinov at left-back and
adjusting the mid-field accordingly.
The mid-field is Russia's great concern and against the rock-solid Slovenian
4-4-2 formation, Guus Hiddink will need greater service from the likes
of Sergey Semak, Igor Denisov and Igor Semshov.
Still the managers greatest concern revolves around out-of-form strikers
Pavel Pogrebnyak and Roman Pavlyuchenko, who have not fared well since
moving from Russia. The final decision is a perplexing one as it could
see Andrey Arshavin paired in support of Dmitriy Sychev up-top though
this equally creates a number of tactical concerns as the Lokomotiv striker
tends to play more behind the ball, an advantage to the Slovenians and
tip the scales back towards selecting Pavel Pogrebnyak into the striker
role.
That decision aside whoever is summoned into the Russian starting eleven
the key will be converting on rare scoring opportunities as the Slovenian's
are likely to have a stern tactical plan that maintains their superb defending
form.
As noted by Roman Pavlyuchenko in an exclusive Sports-Express interview,
Russia needs a sound margin at home before the return engagement in Maribor,
less the promise of the Euro 2008 performance could turn into a nightmare
for World Cup qualifying.
Prepared by John Davies
Sport
Express Daily, 14 Nov 2009
|
|
