314 days – this is exactly the period that has passed since the last time we saw the Russian team in action. Unprecedented sanctions by FIFA and UEFA have deprived us of international football, and these bans are still there. But, thank God, there were teams ready to play against us. And Russia is finally back.

The match against the national team of Kyrgyzstan, which would have been considered a passing match under normal circumstances, caused a real stir. And not only in Russia, but also in the Central Asian republic – there were practically no empty seats at the stadium in Bishkek. However, the holiday for our team did not work.

The guys of Valery Karpin won, but performed worse than expected.

Unexpected onslaught

Pre-match layouts did not inspire much concern. Valery Karpin at a press conference even stated, they say, I don’t know anyone from the opponent’s team, except for the namesake of Kichin. The Yenisei defender scored against Lokomotiv in the Cup last season and became famous thanks to this. But the rest of the players of the national team of Kyrgyzstan for the Russians who came to Bishkek remained ordinary nouns.

It is not surprising that Karpin put up a very experimental composition for the first half. The match is friendly, but you don’t expect anything special from your opponent – ​​why not test the nearest reserve? Even 19-year-old Alexander Kovalenko from Samara Krylia appeared at the base, for whom the meeting became a debut as part of an adult team.

It was clear that our team was not in the best shape and played poorly. Approaches were obtained, but it was not possible to bring the matter to the final blow. Bakaev went into dribbling, Sobolev turned around well, Yezhov allowed many losses … The Kyrgyz looked more specific. It suddenly turned out that the hosts have a very decent team, whose players can by no means be called “logs”. The opposing players combined well, and in the end it paid off. Alimardon Shukurov struck from the penalty area, after which the ball hit the post, and from it it flew into the goal. Matvey Safonov could not prevent this.

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The Kirghiz were better, besides, they were supported by full stands. At some point, the pressure turned into a real onslaught, although it did not reach scoring chances. But Russia still has a higher class. 6 minutes after the missed ball, Bakaev still got his way. Another breakthrough Zenit ended in a foul in the penalty team of Kyrgyzstan. The referee did not hesitate and appointed a penalty kick, and Sobolev very confidently converted it.

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This is Asia, son!

After the break, Karpin made substitutions and released the base players. However, the situation on the field has not changed dramatically. Russia still had more possession of the ball, but could not score. Nikolai Komlichenko, who went one on one, was perhaps the sharpest moment, but could not beat the keeper Erzhan Tokotaev.

In general, it was clear that the Kyrgyz were tired. In the first half, they had a significant advantage in shots, but after the break, they almost did not hit on goal. But to give the owners their due is simply necessary: ​​they exceeded all expectations. If anyone thought that Russia would easily deal with its rival, then this was an erroneous assumption. The game showed that Kyrgyzstan is able to control the ball, run away to counterattacks, shoot on goal. This is a strong team capable of a lot. The 2019 Asian Cup, where she left the group, was proof of this.

Against the backdrop of such a match, talk that Russia could be the absolute champion in the Asian confederation begins to seem like an exaggeration. Yes, we are stronger than many teams, but not at times. So if our team decides to change part of the world to avoid international isolation, it will face some pretty serious competition. This is Asia, son!

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At the end of the meeting, Daniil Utkin nevertheless brought our team forward. The victory turned out to be the most laborious and by no means fun in terms of entertainment. It can be seen that the team has not gathered together for a long time, has not experienced real football emotions for a long time and is in a somewhat depressed state. I would like to believe that this will pass.