7 round RPL. Railway workers “moved” the team from Orenburg 5:1

Future first-graders led the teams onto the field, and the schoolchildren’s choir sang one of the most famous sports songs during the break of the match, Ignatiev figured out a hat-trick in 11 minutes, and Loko shipped a basket of balls to Orenburg – these are the results of the match in Cherkizovo.

RPL. 7th round. Cherkizovo. Lokomotiv 5:1 Orenburg. Goals: Ignatiev, 8, 11, 19, Kerk, 56, Miranchuk, 90 + 4 – Sychevoi, 14

Probably no one expected such a frisky start. By the 20th minute of the match, the hosts had practically decided the question of the winners of the game – the score was 3:1, as a vivid confirmation of this. First, the 23-year-old center forward Ivan Ignatiev “uncovered the cannon”, who converted a one-on-one exit with guest goalkeeper Goshev. After a couple of minutes, the same Ignatiev closed Nair Tiknizyan’s cross, beautifully putting the ball into the guest net.

Then it was the turn of the guests. Literally a minute after the second scoring by the railroad workers, Orenburg forward Vladimir Sychevoi “flashed” Loko goalkeeper Daniil Khudyakov from an acute angle. And then again Ignatiev – on the 19th minute Ivan put a “three”, realizing another exit to the goal of the guests after the effective removal of his own goalkeeper Khudyakov.

Either a week-long quarantine at the base in Bakovka helped the German coaches “get through” to the players, or the railroad workers themselves “reached the point of no return,” but it was Orenburg that fell under the furiously rushing Lokomotiv. Five rounds without victories, incomprehensible personnel decisions, indistinct coaching concept of the duo of German helmsmen, and as a result, the Moscow club found itself in a dangerous zone. But there was a “conservation” in Bakovka – and there are two victories in a row.

And how timely for the locomotives, Ivan Ignatiev “shot”, in whom few believed. “Only compliments to the team, this is a collective merit. Ivan Ignatiev is a player with great potential, today he showed what he is capable of. It’s nice to win and score three points,” Muscovites head coach Josef Zinbauer said after the match.

Yes, Orenburg played extremely poorly in defense. The defenders “slept”, and the goalkeeper could help out a couple of times. But these are Orenburg’s problems, and Loko, let’s hope, “rises from the ashes.”

The second half was an empty formality. The defeat of Orenburg was completed by Girano Kerk, who converted one of the three created chances, and Anton Miranchuk, who converted a rather controversial penalty, already in stoppage time.

As for Orenburg, Marcel Lichka’s desire to play attacking football pleases. But the newcomer to the FNL simply does not have a resource for this, in my humble opinion. The Orenburgers opened up in the match with Lokomotiv and received a bag of balls, of which they already have 17 in seven rounds – the worst result among all RPL teams.

The second major victory in a row allowed the railway workers to rise to 8th place: 3:0 with Khimki and 5:1 with Orenburg. We are waiting for Loko to meet with more skillful teams.

To the question of the correspondent of our publication about whether the coach thought to change the goalkeeper after three goals conceded, the head helmsman of Orenburg, Marcel Lichka, answered in detail: “All goals are fatal mistakes of the central defenders. The difference was in the game and was in the work of the defenders of the two teams. We needed to play a little easier. The result is fair. Thoughts to change the goalkeeper was not. When the score is 1:3, you have to win back, so I removed the defender. We wanted to play easier, faster. We need a good balance between defense and moments when we have a loss of the ball. You have to learn how to do it.”

My question to the winning coach was: “You are obviously happy with the result. Are you satisfied with the game today? And do you plan to close the team in Bakovka in the future?”.

Josef Zinnbauer answered even more extensively than his colleague-rival: “Yes, I am pleased with both the result and the game itself. Today, all the players showed themselves great – from the goalkeeper to the forwards, the whole team. This is teamwork, we have a lot of things to do in the near future. The next game is coming soon. Speaking of the opponent, with all due respect to Orenburg, today was simply not their day. The next opponent will also be serious, we will prepare for it. It will be a completely different match. Regarding Bakovka, we will not close the team at the base. The main thing is the concentration that the guys show during the training microcycle. And so, when you win, everyone is happy: the players, the fans, and the coaches. During our work, as coaches, we are constantly arguing with each other, trying to find some solutions, and disputes can be quite heated. But solutions are born, and it’s great when they work, when everyone sees it. When there is general support, it is always easier. Now all that’s left is to get ready. Thanks again to the guys for this week: it was felt that in training the team lived for football and there was strength in their legs and in their heads.

Vladimir Sabadash.

Photo – Evgeny Makeev.