The match between Russia and Sweden in the League of Nations began an hour later than the rest of the games on Thursday. This was due to the error of the Union of the European Football Associations (UEFA), who appointed the time of the games. They did not take into account that Kaliningrad and the European part of Russia, where the national team usually plays, are in different time zones. The error was detected a week before the match, and the time for the starting whistle at the Kaliningrad stadium was decided not to change.
Both opponents played only one match with Turkey in the League of Nations. The Russians achieved victory, while the Swedes lost the advantage by two goals and were defeated. Another failure could cost them dearly - the lack of points at the end of two rounds almost guarantees a flight to a weaker division. And Stanislav Cherchesov's charges had a good chance to strengthen their leadership in the group.
The starting lineup of the Russian national team broke the record for the number of naturalized players. Because of the injury of Andrei Lunov, Marinato Guilherme was guaranteed a place at the gate. In defense, Georgy Jikia was joined by Roman Neustedter, Konstantin Rausch and Mario Fernandez. Two players from Brazil and Germany each - such a Russian team has not yet been.
In the remaining lines there were only homegrown players. Yuri Gazinsky and Roman Zobnin came out in the support zone, on the right flank of the midfield - the hero of a friendly match with the Czech Republic Alexei Ionov. The rest of the positions were taken by the stars of the World Championships, beloved by the fans - Alexander Golovin, Denis Cheryshev and Artem Dzyuba.
Kick-off was tough enough - Neustedter ripped off the counterattack, and Dziuba shot down Andres Grankvist, who played five years in Russia for Krasnodar. Gazinsky, however, did not immediately show such militancy. Already in the fifth minute, his mistake led to the fact that Guilherme had to enter the game. Brazilian goalkeeper coped with the first two and a half years of testing in the match against Russia.
This unpleasant moment had a positive effect on the discipline in the team - the home team regained control of the ball. However, the initiative was like the Russians did not need. In the first half-time, the ball rarely reached another half of the field, and even less often - to some of the attacking players. The most active in the attack showed Mario Fernandez and Alexei Ionov. The midfielder earned the first corner for the national team at the front of goal, ended with a distant and inaccurate shot by Rausch. The Swedes instantly responded with the same standard that Michael Lustig ended up more dangerously.
At the 30th minute, the crowded stands of Kaliningrad had a reason to make some noise. Dziuba threw the projectile Cherysheva under attack, and the Valencia midfielder immediately kissed the ball. Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen did not have a chance to beat off, but the author of one of the best goals of the World Cup did not hit the goal himself. This moment became the most dangerous for Cherchesov’s charges in the first half, although Cheryshev and Dzyuba began to play more often on the point of attack.
On the part of the Swedes, the danger continued to emanate from the drawing of standards. Shortly before the break, Markus Berg unexpectedly found himself alone with Guilherme - Russian defenders thought the attacker was offside. However, the game continued, and the Swede struck near the bar.
In the second half, the guests increased their pace, which they managed to bring down only by tough meetings. Gazinsky and Jikia almost simultaneously received yellow cards for their violations. The game really evened out after that, but was extremely simplified on both sides. Such a cautious match could take a worthy place in the playoffs of the World Cup, especially since both teams know how to play there. But in this meeting there was no extra time and the draw became more and more real with every minute.
Cheryshev, although he continued to zealously hit the goal of others, but the Russians didn’t have a single blow to the target until Daler Kuzyaev’s exit. He replaced Ionov in the 76th minute, taking a position on the right flank of the midfield. Player “Zenith” immediately struck beautifully under the crossbar, and Olsen miraculously got the flying ball.
The last ten minutes of the match, the Russians spent in a foreign penalty, but the two-man Granquist endured the ball after each throw, then Dziuba was offside. To help the team, instead of Cheryshev, Anton Zabolotny came out, remembered only by an inaccurate Paz Dzyube. The final assault did not bring success, and the match ended in a goalless draw. For Guilherme, such a result was a reason for pride - he entered the Lev Yashin Club as a goalkeeper, who held a hundred “dry” matches for the Russian teams. But the national team is now just one point ahead of Turkey, with which it will hold the next match of the League of Nations in Sochi on October 14.