Transformation in the second half and Ermakov's double in three minutes: how the Russian youth team defeated the team of Belarus

According to the precepts of Karpin

In recent years, the Russian youth football team, led by Mikhail Galaktionov, has tried several tactical schemes.

Various variants of the 4-5-1 formation were also used: both with a more pronounced pair of defensive midfielders and in line, there were also experiments with three central defenders.

In September 2021, the mentor hoped to keep Spain in this way, but in the end the match ended in a defeat with a score of 1:4.

In an away friendly meeting with the Belarusian national team, the choice was stopped at Liverpool 4-3-3, the very one to which Valery Karpin transferred the main team immediately after his arrival.

And under the current conditions, it seems like a logical solution.

So the players will gradually adapt to this formation, which will subsequently facilitate their transition to another level.

As for the choice of the starting lineup, Galaktionov relied on bundles of players who had experience playing together in clubs.

On the left flank, Rostovites Yegor Shchetinin and Andrey Langovich helped each other, and Dynamo players Konstantin Tyukavin and Yaroslav Gladyshev came out in the attack.

And although it was the representatives of the white and blue who organized the first goal against the opponent, it cannot be said that this idea worked 100%.

Especially considering what happened after the break.

Two different halves

In the first half of the meeting held in Borisov in the game of the Russian national team, there was an unusually lot of marriage, however, it is rather difficult to criticize her for this.

First of all, this is due to the lack of understanding between the players, many of whom played together for the first time.

Shchetinin, who took on the role of playmaker, and Tyukavin, who tried on the captain's armband, stood out against the general background.

And this is not surprising, because, unlike partners, Konstantin has repeatedly been included in the adult team and even spent 15 minutes in the 2022 World Cup qualifying match with Cyprus.

The rest didn't look nearly as impressive.

The laterals practically did not help the development of attacks, Kirill Kravtsov and Artyom Sokolov did not always cope with control in the center, Egor Prutsev, who played the role of a left winger, made a lot of mistakes, and Gladyshev, although often found himself in the opponent’s penalty area,

was not always quick.

It was this that largely prevented him from hitting the gates of Andrei Kudravets for the second time.

Although the goalkeeper himself made a wonderful save.

Against this background, the performance in the second half was much more meaningful, although the segment began with a missed goal.

And it also became a consequence of the lack of teamwork.

Dynamo central defender Oleksandr Kutitskiy, who came out after the break, did not have time for his shift and did not keep up with Yuly Kuznetsov's dash into the penalty area, allowing him to “shoot” Stanislav Agkatsev without hindrance.

True, the mistakes in defense ended there - largely due to the total dominance of the guests.

The Russians finally took the initiative to their own hands and scored five goals in a row.

Great trio of forwards and deep support

In fact, the key was the appearance on the field of five new players.

With the release of Daniil Denisov, the right flank finally fully earned, Artyom Karpukas not only cemented the center of the field, but also became one of the main designers of attacks, and the trio of forwards began to break the defense of the Belarusian team.

Vladislav Yakovlev and Konstantin Shiltsov repeatedly made raids into the penalty area from the touchlines, and Vladislav Shitov opened up great in the center.

And the hosts, who gradually delayed the replacements, began not to keep up with the fast attacking players of the Russian national team.

As a result, Shitov and Yakovlev scored once, and in both cases Denisov acted as an assistant.

Moreover, Shitov could have scored a double, but the Belarusian defender Aleksey Firsov deprived him of this opportunity, who cut the ball into his own net.

Moreover, Yakovlev gave a pass to him, once again leaving the extreme defender out of work.

Ermakov's miracle goal

The list of the main creators of the crushing victory over Belarus did not end there.

Nikita Ermakov appeared on the field of the City Stadium in Borisov a little later than most of the partners and remained in their shadow for a long time, but in three minutes he became one of the main stars of the match.

First, he joined the attack with a second pace and shot irresistibly into the corner, and then became the author of a real masterpiece.

The CSKA midfielder received the ball not far from the penalty area and scored a double with a magnificent long-range shot.

Having conceded five goals, the hosts finally wilted and eventually allowed the Russians to take over with a tennis score, contributing to the emergence of a curious tradition.

In September 2021, the domestic youth team also hit the opponent's goal six times.

True, then the meeting was held as part of the qualifying tournament for the European Championship, and the Maltese team became the victim (6:0).