World Cup

World Cup Comment: The Russians Are Coming

Goal.com takes a look at the second leg play-off clash between Slovenia and Russia on Wednesday.

Nov 17, 2009 11:15:53 AM

WCQ: Russia - Liechtenstein. Semak, V. Berezutski, Bystrov, Ignashevich

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WCQ: Russia - Liechtenstein. Semak, V. Berezutski, Bystrov, Ignashevich

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Russia

There is not a rich history between Russia and Slovenia on the football pitch, but their meetings in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers are enough to make a very interesting rivalry.

The game in Moscow was largely uneventful, and ended 1-1. Dmitry Khlestov gave Russia the lead before Aleksander Knavs equalized soon after.

But the match in Ljubljana went down as one of the most dramatic and painful games from the Russians’ point of view, and is very well remembered ahead of the second-leg fight in Maribor on Wednesday.

On a hot September night, Russia needed a win to clinch their passage to Japan and South Korea. Slovenia were also in urgent need of three points, as they struggled with Yugoslavia (which was actually Serbia and Montenegro) for the second ticket to the finals.

Milan Osterc, the tall striker who made a name for himself helping Hapoel Tel Aviv to reach UEFA Cup quarter-finals that year, scored for Slovenia on 62 minutes and sent the Ljubljana faithful into raptures. Yegor Titov, the elegant Spartak playmaker, made it 1-1, 17 minutes from time, and the game was nearing another draw.

Enter Graham Poll. The English referee is most famous for his antics at the 2006 World Cup where he amazingly handed three yellow cards to Josip Simunic in a match between Croatia and Australia, but the Russians remember him only too well for a whistle in stoppage time in Ljubljana.

Nobody on the field, even the Slovenians themselves, understood why a penalty was given – but it was. Milenko Acimovic converted it, Slovenia won 2-1, and most of the Russian players openly wept in the dressing room, feeling powerless to prevent such a terrible injustice.

Osterc even went to console his rivals, and told them they were right to feel robbed. “Sorry, no penalty” said the striker. In the end, both teams went to Japan and South Korea, and both failed there.

Slovenia, torn apart by an open conflict between coach Srecko Katanec and leading star Zlatko Zahovic, lost all of their games, against Spain, South Africa and Paraguay. Russia started brightly with a win against Tunisia, but then succumbed to Japan and Belgium and were eliminated.

Nevertheless, the pain from that Poll decision still remains. Now, ahead of the crucial game in Maribor, the Russian press is constantly writing on how “Slovenians know to work with referees before home games”.

The man in black from Norway, Terje Hauge, has turned into a mystical figure who can singlehandedly ruin the dream for Guus Hiddink’s team. The journalists checked his record, and were glad to report he seems to be a good professional. Hauge even got some plaudits for doing a great job in Rubin Kazan – Inter encounter in the Champions League this season, showing the red to the Nerazzurri’s Mario Balotelli.

But those who went further down in history, were appalled to discover Hauge sent off keeper Sergei Ovchinnikov in the Euro 2004 loss to Portugal. That piece of information alone is enough to provide many conspiracy theories, in the country where paranoia is not uncommon.

Slovenia, on the other hand, are oozing with confidence. Zahovic, now director of football at NK Maribor, advised the Russians “to play ice hockey,” and predicted the second leg will finish 3-0 to the home side.

Internet polls (not Graham Polls, mind you) show that about 75 per cent of Slovenians believe their team will get the ticket to South Africa. For an underdog who lost 2-1 in the first leg in Moscow, that optimism seems a bit excessive. That’s exactly what makes the Russians even more nervous.

Michael Yokhin, Goal.com

Can an African team win next summer's World Cup? Find out in the November issue of Goal.com Magazine.

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