FC Krasnodar – Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (
Goal: Eninho, 75.
FC Krasnodar (
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Jeonju, South Korea): Kwon Sun-tae, Kim Hyung-il (Kim Kee-hee, 46), Choi Bo-kyung (Cho Sung-hwan, 46), Kim Young-chan (Kwon Kyung-won, 46), Choi Chi-won (Lee Jae-Sung, 46), Jung Hoon, Lee Kyu-ro (Eninho, 46), Lee Jae-myung (Leonardo, 46), Moon Sang-yun (Edu, 46), Lee Sang-hyup (Hong Jeong-nam, 46), Lee Sang-hyup (Lee Dong-gook, 46).
Yellow cards: Jung Hoon, 42 (foul play).
Referees: Al-Sami, Al-Bloushi, Al-Abdassalam (all
29 January. UAE.
The first matches of the pre-season training camps are experimental labs for the coaches to test their line-ups. Nevertheless, in a game vs. South Korean champion Oleg Kononov not merely tried all the healthy players at his disposal, but he also made a test for a new formation where energetic Joãozinho would receive the whole left flank as his domain, from one corner flag to another. It is hard to judge though how well the best dispatcher of the Bulls proved himself in this new position on the basis of the first half only. Joãozinho the defender did not see a lot of work and he was confident at managing it; however Joãozinho the attacking winger kept moving forward with a huge caution as if being afraid to get occupied too much with his usual creative work and fail in coming back in time.
Anyway, even lacking active support on behalf of its No. 22, FC Krasnodar before the half-time looked not so bad in attack if one also takes into account the starting period of the training and its stress affecting the way the team played. Meanwhile, the trio of creative halfbacks Izmailov–Shirokov-Mamayev with a short and medium pass would sometimes draw the most intricate combination patterns on the pitch so the Korean defenders had their thoughts whirled around. It’s a pity Wánderson and Laborde, who were the most prominent ones at the spearpoint of FC Krasnodar’s attacks, did not understand completely their partners or lacked some quality performance in finishing. The Colombian player, in truth, was able to speed up some of the most splendid attacks the way he can do it, but he was also the one failing at the best scoring chance in the first 45 minutes: after a trademark classy piercing pass by Shirokov Ricardo practically emerged one-on-one with the keeper and made a powerful shot next to the first goalpost missing the top corner of the Kwon Sun-tae’s domain.
That is to say, the Russian triumvirate in the middle of the black-green in time, when the players reach the best team cohesion and pick the better physical conditions, promises to become a supper effective and efficient power to use. And there will also be Gazinskiy joining them, since he missed the match with Jeonbuk due to a minor injury. Even young Lanin in his position of the defensive halfback did not wreck the game taking the balls away easily from the opponents and delivering them to his senior partners. That was his only contribution for the time being. Well, he still has a long road ahead!
As for the Asian players, before the half-time they would not get entrenched, too, disturbing Sinitsyn a few time with their shots. Only a single shot turned out to be a dangerous one, though, when on the 33rd minute Lee Sang-hyup made a sighted cut over the advancing goalkeeper and missed just a bit.
For the second half Jeonbuk fielded 9 fresh outfield players including three Brazilians who represent the principal creative power of the Korean champion. FC Krasnodar boss Oleg Kononov made only 5 substitutions during the half-time interval, while the remaining rotations were made by him around the 60th minute.
Hyundai was able to speed up quicker then the Bulls, so the first minutes after the game resumed saw Kavlinov, who took the No. 1 post, getting involved in the game five times. One cannot say he really saved the team from a goal, but he was always active and alert. Soon
It seemed the match was rolling to a goalless draw, but with a quarter of hour still to be played a wonder shot was made by Korean player from
The reminder of the match was spent by the Bulls next to the opposite goal, and sometimes their attacks assumed a character of a lengthy assault. However Bystrov with Ari being sick and absent and Wánderson substituted felt uncomfortable in his position of centre-forward. When in the second half Joãozinho after returning to his more habitual role brought Bystrov to rendezvous with an empty goal Omani refs observed Brazilian in offside position. FC Krasnodar had only one solid chance to escape the defeat. Half a minute to a final whistle, Adzhindzhal found Joãozinho in front with a calculated pass, but the “engine” of FC Krasnodar lacked some accuracy shooting the ball wide.
In the end the Bulls lost their starting sparring match, thought the team hardly deserved such an outcome judging by the way they played. Anyway, the training camp has just started, there will be a sufficient number of friendly games and the victories are sure to come. Even more so, during the preparatory period the wins aren’t that important, but finding one’s game and confidence is.
