Back From Ural With Three Points

Lokomotiv won a victory over Ural in the fourth-stage match of the Russian championship.

The mood before the game in Ekaterinburg was agitated. The 10,000 all-seater SKB-Bank Arena were almost sold out in the morning of the matchday.

Railroaders’ fans - about 300 people coming from Moscow - could spend the morning before the match in the city of Sysert watching a the game of the youth squad. The place is located 50 kilometres from Yekaterinburg. A few dozens of fans went there to support our juniors.

The brand-new SKB-Bank Arena, Ural’s temporary ground for the period of Central Stadium reconstruction, opened to admit spectators only in the second Gameweek. It has natural turf and comfy seats. The only drawback is probably the fact that this pitch is situated a bit off the city centre – takes twenty minutes to get there by car. The local fans were just wonderful: as soon as Moscow team entered the field for the warm-up, it was cheered with applause from all around. Football in Yekaterinburg is a real festival!

From the very kick-off both the teams charged forward and by the middle of the first half each side had already created three or four chances. But soon the hosts would have to withdraw and play more in defence. There came Niasse and Miranchuk’s making through passes, Tarasov’s headers and Samedov and Kasaev’s most dangerous services… Soon Alexander scored an opener from a free kick some 40 meters from the goal. Samedov’s high crossing ball passed all the players and landed accurately in the right corner.

Ten minutes later Lokomotiv increased the lead. Kasaev ran to counter-attack down the wing and passed the ball to the hurtling Niasse, who shook off two defenders and shot past the goalkeeper.

In the second time the situation did not change much – Lokomotiv dominated, Ural tried to make use of counter-attacks. The hosts did not create many chances but managed to push the Railroaders back to their goal for some time. Ural’s Yerokhin was one of the most active and eventually netted the ball, following a few rebounds and tumult in the penalty box.

This filled the hosts with enthusiasm, and they kept storming the goal but our defence was effective. In the added time a substitution proved its worth: Maicon, who had come out replacing Niasse, collected Denisov’s long-forward pass and beat the rival keeper!

3:1 - Lokomotiv leave Yekaterinburg with three points!

Russian Football Championship. Gameweek 4

Ural - Lokomotiv – 1:3 (0:2)
Goals scored: Samedov, 28 (0:1), Niasse, 40 (0:2), Yerokhin, 73 (1:2), Maicon, 90+3 (1:3)

Ural: Arapov, Martynovich, Knyazev, Fontanello, Khozin, Yerokhin, Lungu (Stavpets, 59), Sapeta (Acevedo, 61), Kulakov, Yemelyanov, Manucharyan, Burmistrov (Dorozhkin, 81)
Lokomotiv: Guilherme, Shishkin, Corluka, Pejcinovic, Denisov, Tarasov, Ndinga (Mykhalyk, 84), Miranchuk, Samedov, Kasaev (Yanbaev, 90), Niasse (Maicon, 74)
Bookings: Maicon, 83. Yerokhin, 90.
Referee: Sergey Kulikov (Saransk)
August 8, Yekaterinburg, SKB-Bank Arena