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Russia 1-0 Bulgaria: Shirokov Strike Enough For Hosts
Russia earned their first victory under new coach Dick Advocaat today.
By Clark Whitney
Russia earned a narrow 1-0 victory over Bulgaria in an international friendly in St. Petersburg. Roman Shirokov's early goal won it for the hosts, who played their first match under new coach Dick Advocaat.
Shirokov's goal, a fine volley after goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov fumbled a cross, came after just six minutes, and was all the Russians needed to secure victory. The two teams struggled to create any clear chances before the break, although Bulgaria nearly equalised on 34 minutes. Stanislav Manolev's sliding volley forced an excellent save from goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, and Russia entered the break with a slight advantage.
Russia started out the second half looking to double their advantage, but Andrei Arshavin was denied, and the visitors remained in the game. Martin Kamburov's glancing header missed wide before Akinfeev had to be quick off his line to deny substitute Dimitar Rangelov.
Still, for every opportunity Bulgaria had to equalise, Russia had a good chance to double their lead. Only heroic goalkeeping from Gabulov denied clear opportunities from Aleksei Berezutski, Roman Pavlyuchenko (twice), and Konstantin Zyryanov. Ultimately, neither side was able to score for the 84 minutes that followed the opener, and Russia held on to win.
Their victory today will be encouraging for the Russians, who failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. However, there is still plenty of room for their improvement. The Euro 2012 qualifiers begin next month, with Bulgaria taking on England, and Russia facing Macedonia.
Shirokov's goal, a fine volley after goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov fumbled a cross, came after just six minutes, and was all the Russians needed to secure victory. The two teams struggled to create any clear chances before the break, although Bulgaria nearly equalised on 34 minutes. Stanislav Manolev's sliding volley forced an excellent save from goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, and Russia entered the break with a slight advantage.
Russia started out the second half looking to double their advantage, but Andrei Arshavin was denied, and the visitors remained in the game. Martin Kamburov's glancing header missed wide before Akinfeev had to be quick off his line to deny substitute Dimitar Rangelov.
Still, for every opportunity Bulgaria had to equalise, Russia had a good chance to double their lead. Only heroic goalkeeping from Gabulov denied clear opportunities from Aleksei Berezutski, Roman Pavlyuchenko (twice), and Konstantin Zyryanov. Ultimately, neither side was able to score for the 84 minutes that followed the opener, and Russia held on to win.
Their victory today will be encouraging for the Russians, who failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. However, there is still plenty of room for their improvement. The Euro 2012 qualifiers begin next month, with Bulgaria taking on England, and Russia facing Macedonia.
Roman Shirokov's goal v Bulgaria.
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Results
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Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ashraf Nu'man Alfawaghra Midfielder Al Faisaly Amman |
4 | 1 |
|
Andreas Cornelius Striker Copenhagen |
4 | 1 |
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Mikael Forssell Striker HJK Helsinki |
3 | 1 |
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Fred Striker Fluminense |
3 | 0 |
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Felipe Caicedo Striker Lokomotiv |
3 | 0 |
