Penalty shootout: how Russia extorted victory over Paraguay at the Beach Soccer World Cup

The Russian national team went to the match of the second round of the group stage with Paragawai, already knowing about the outcome of the meeting between Japan and the United States.

The Americans were again able to give the favorite a fight, but they were still defeated - 3: 4.

Thus, the victory guaranteed Mikhail Likhachev's wards access to the playoffs of the home world championship.

In theory, the domestic team was obliged to achieve it.

It is enough that he is ranked fourth in the world ranking, while his opponent is ninth.

And the results of the teams at the world championships are incomparable.

The Russians climbed to the highest step of the podium twice, while the opponent reached the quarterfinals only once, and until 2013 could not qualify for the final stage at all.

However, even in the first round, Joaquin Emilio Molas' wards demonstrated that they are ready to fight anyone, almost taking points from the current semi-finalist of the Japan World Cup.

Therefore, Likhachev urged the wards to respect the third team in South America following the results of the qualifying stage.

“The fact that they lost will motivate them even more in the second round match with our team,” the specialist suggested.

Confirmed the words of the coach and the results of previous meetings with the Paraguayans at the world championships.

In 2013, the domestic team beat the debutant only in extra time thanks to a goal by Dmitry Shishin - 4: 3 and did not let the opponent enter the playoffs.

Russia eventually defended the title and won gold.

Two years later, the teams again fell into one group.

The reigning champion also experienced problems this time.

The Latin Americans quickly scored two goals and were leading in the account for most of the meeting, but in the final period they conceded three times and lost - 5: 7.

The best in the Russian team was again Shishin, who scored a hat-trick.

The first period left a rather mixed impression.

On the one hand, the hosts started the match well.

If in the confrontation with the United States they regularly missed 12 minutes at the start, this time they scored.

11 seconds was enough to open an account.

Alexey Makarov, who scored the winning goal to the Americans, took advantage of the throw from Maxim Chuzhkov and struck a magnificent blow to the far nine from the left.

It seemed that after this the opponent could “swim”, but this did not happen.

On the contrary, the guests seized the initiative, and Likhachev's wards had to act as "number two", although they did not allow their opponents to calmly start attacks.

Nevertheless, there was a feeling that the favorite is able to add and increase the advantage at any moment.

And the moments arose often.

For example, Fyodor Zemskov, after throwing a partner, miraculously did not hit his head in the near corner.

And Makarov almost scored a double with a free-kick.

The Paraguayans were saved by the barbell.

However, everything was changed by a completely unexpected goal of the goalkeeper in the middle of the period.

João Andrés Rolon fired a long-range shot and the ball ended up in the net.

The forward on duty in front of the guests bent down in time, and Chuzhkov simply did not have time to react.

So, the game went according to a completely undesirable scenario, and, looking ahead, Russia failed to win a quiet victory.

Rolon, having equalized the score, caught the courage and made several bright saves before the break.

He continued to help out in the second period.

No sooner had the teams returned to the site than Zemskov competently earned a penalty.

It was a great chance to take the national team forward again, but Fedor did not convert the nine-meter.

He struck rather weakly at a height convenient for the goalkeeper, and João Andres parried the opponent's shot in the left corner.

And soon the Latin Americans took the lead.

And again it was not without Rolon.

The goalkeeper strongly put the ball into play, and Makarov handled it extremely unsuccessfully.

In fact, the projectile bounced off the foot of the footballer directly at Milzades Medina, who took advantage of the opponent's mistake.

Only after that did the domestic team finally start.

And the goalkeeper came to the fore again.

As in the match with the USA, Chuzhkov gave up his place to Stanislav Kosharny, and this replacement fully justified itself.

In the middle of the second period, the goalkeeper struck a strong blow from his own half, and the projectile flew into the net with a rebound from the opponent's head.

One way or another, the goal was scored by the goalkeeper.

And then it was the turn to score against his field partners.

Three minutes and 42 seconds before the siren, Kirill Romanov, in an attempt to shoot through himself, actually made an assist to Boris Nikanorov, who did not miss the target from several meters and chalked up the third goal in the tournament.

In the final 12 minutes, the Russians seemed to be in control of the meeting and quietly killing time.

Rather, they had the opportunity to increase the advantage in the score, than the Paraguayans to escape.

For example, Nikanorov was close to making a double, but he hit the crossbar with his head and almost got injured.

Unfortunately, a little concentration was not enough for Likhachev's wards.

A minute and 53 seconds before the end, another Paraguayan goalkeeper Saul Rolando Gonzalez accidentally struck from his own goal, and the ball flew into the net again.

However, this time it was corrected on target by Carlos Carballo.

So Russia again had to play extra time.

It started very badly for the owners.

After only 40 seconds, the judges assigned a very controversial penalty to the gates of the national team for hitting Makarov on the opponent's head.

Nestor Ignacio Medina Chavez did not miss his chance.

But Makarov immediately corrected himself.

After playing the ball in the center of the field, he shot in the direction of the alien alignment, and a shell with a strong ricochet from the sandy slide flew into the near nine over the hands of Gonzalez and the head of the defenders.

As a result, the fate of the confrontation was decided only in a penalty shootout. And the main character in it was Kosharny. The reserve goalkeeper of the Russian national team parried the unsuccessful blow of Luis Alberto Ojeda and brought the team a hard victory. Thus, the two-time world champions still guaranteed themselves a ticket to the playoffs, but in order to take first place in the group, you need to beat Japan in the main time.