With the Russian team there was an accident in Nizhny Novgorod

The good stuff first. We did not lose to two strong teams that are above us in the FIFA coefficients table – defeated Iran 2-0 (currently 23rd) and played a 3-3 draw with Nigeria (currently 30th). We're still in 35th place. A crushing victory over the Namibian team, located somewhere at the end of the second hundred rankings, can rather be counted as a game training, after all, waiting for a different result with teams of this level would be completely disrespectful to our national team. It is time to take stock of this first-ever extended September-October break for the international games. And the most obvious and simple of them is that we have not worsened, and perhaps even slightly improved our position in this notorious FIFA ranking, the benefit of the results of our friendly matches, the international federation, despite the sanctions imposed against our football, still takes into account.

Why does it matter? No one, not even FIFA and UEFA officials, knows when these sanctions will be lifted. There are positive developments – our youth teams are already participating in international tournaments. And when the time comes for the return of the main team, it is this coefficient that will be crucial in the draw. So with two wins and one draw, we congratulate Valery Karpin and his players.

In addition, it was again at least pleasant to see in the gates of the applicant for the title of the best goalkeeper of the world last season, goalkeeper Paris Saint-Germain Matvey Safonov. And the rest of our legionnaires in foreign clubs Alexei Batrakov, Alexander Golovin and Alexei Miranchuk. Golovin made a double in the match with Iran, Miranchuk scored the third goal in the match with Nigeria. We also saw in what good form and what fighting mood is the striker of Grozny “Akhmat” Lechi Sadulayev – a goal and an assist in the game against Nigeria, the first goal against Namibia, and this is good news for Stanislav Cherchesov, the Groznytsy now need victories.

I was also very pleased with the attendance of all three games in Kazan, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod – everywhere there was almost a sold-out stadium. At the highest level, entertainment programs of matches were thought out and executed - before the start whistle and after it, a large number of various events were prepared for fans, capable of satisfying even the most demanding taste. And for this, we can sincerely thank the RFU, and directly those of its employees who have been organizing real football holidays at national team matches for many years. Which for political reasons is detached from big football – after all, friendly matches are not the same as games in official international tournaments. Even the players of the national team honestly admit that they have long dreamed of playing in a real FIFA or UEFA competition. We want to see them in these games.

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Now everything else. A confident victory over the Nigerians with a score of 3-1, which was achieved by the 54th minute of the match in Nizhny, we eventually missed. Nigerians played tough. Sometimes it’s even rude – what only the collision of Spartak goalkeeper Alexander Maksimenko with the Nigerian striker in the 81st minute of the meeting is worth – watching the Nigerian foot fly into the face of our goalkeeper was just scary. I want to believe that everything will be fine, at least on the field Alexander with a bandaged head remained until the final whistle. And in the third missed ball in the 94th minute, it is not his fault – our defense played simply ugly, missing a quick attack of the Super Eagles. And the second goal of the Nigerians, scored in the 78th minute by Edekpolor, is also on her conscience – this team always beats to the last second of the match, even in friendly matches. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see what conclusions Karpin and his coaching staff will draw from what happened on the field and who will be called to the November camp. If by that time our team will find rivals, of course, as just to drive the ball in Moscow Novogorsk can anyone.

By the way, we have already received the first assessment of what happened on the evening of October 6 at the stadium in Nizhny from Karpin. Including learning that missed goals in the match with Nigeria was an accident. On this occasion, I even remembered a slightly rude anecdote about a young man and his girlfriend, whom he considered the best thing that happened to him in this life, but let’s return to Valery Georgievich’s speech.

At the post-match press conference, the mentor of the Russians answered the questions of the press in quite detail. In particular, he was asked to comment on the words of Nigerian head coach Eric Schell that in the second half his wards achieved success due to tactical changes in attack. Karpin categorically disagreed with his colleague, noting that the opponent simply made replacements of players and there were no serious tactical changes in this case.

Journalists were also interested in the issue of frequent appearance in the starting lineup of Viktor Melyokhin, despite the upcoming match for Rostov in a couple of days. Valery Georgievich explained this by personnel problems in the center of defense, where a number of players were injured. At the same time, the coach said that initially Melyokhin was not even planned for release from the first minutes. Evaluating three goals conceded, Karpin described the situation as an unfortunate coincidence. He called the first goal a natural consequence of what happened on the field, and the episode with the third missed ball that occurred after an error in the draw from the goal, the specialist called extremely strange.

Touching on the condition of goalkeeper Alexander Maksimenko, who received damage, the head coach reassured the fans, saying that the goalkeeper had a large dissection, but nothing serious. When asked about the lost victory in the score 3-1, Karpin adjusted the wording, saying that the team could not win because of inattention in a number of episodes, and not just failed to squeeze the opponent. At the same time, he stressed that after the second goal of the Nigerians, he did not have a premonition of trouble, since the Russian team continued to own the initiative.

In addition, the specialist spoke positively about the extended window for matches of national teams, allowing to devote more time to the training process, although he admitted that club coaches are unlikely to share this view.

At the end of the press conference, Valery Karpin spoke about a series of matches against teams from Africa. Games with teams like Nigeria are of great interest and provide useful information, he said. However, he stated the fact of limited choice of opponents in the current conditions, which is why the team has to play with African, Asian and Latin American teams, doing the best possible in this situation.

See the photo gallery on the topic

The team played its first autumn matches. Whether there will be others, we will know soon. In the meantime, we are waiting for the 10th round of our dear, beloved Russian Premier League.