Jaloliddin
11-16-2004, 07:07 PM
Scoring seven goals in one game is never easy, but it certainly helps when the opposing defence is having an off day. On Wednesday evening, the Portuguese might have said a great big thank you to Russia’s defenders after they aided and abetted precisely this achievement. Courtesy of this demolition job on Yartsev’s men (7-1), Portugal have taken a huge stride on the road to the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.
While Portugal were expected to try to use their wealth of attacking potential to steady their foundering ship, few thought the Russians would cave in so easily. The goal that opened the floodgates may have come when Deco and Pauleta (the scorer) looked suspiciously offside, but no one could ignore the monumental errors committed by the Russian defence.
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/xp/20041013/t/2658288673.jpg
Enlarge Photo (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/photos/index.html?aid=112656&d=1)
Photo Gallery (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/photos/index.html)
The fact that Cristiano Ronaldo’s cross was finished off by Pauleta (25’) was down to the Russians’ failure to clear a simple ball that rolled perilously across their goalmouth. 13 minutes later, a similar error met with the same punishment. From a Deco corner, the ball rebounded off a Russian defender to land at the feet of Pauleta. The PSG forward crossed – or was it an attempted shot? - presenting Cristiano Ronaldo with a chance he snapped up hungrily (39’).
Who will pay the price?
Now everything the Portuguese touched was turning to gold, but it was hard to understand how this Russian side could present such feeble opposition. Four days after easily dispensing with Luxembourg (4-0), Yartsev’s men took one wrong defensive option after another and were statuesque in the worst possible sense. Right at the end of the first half, when the Portuguese captain Pauleta easily sent Deco clear to fire unchallenged past Malafeev (45’), the Russian back line appeared rooted to the spot.
At the break, the Russian coach tried to introduce a little more experience into what was a fairly youthful defence (average: 24.4 years and 8 caps) by bringing on Gusev (age 27, 27 caps). But as solutions go, it rivalled a finger in the dyke, as all was about to go from bad to worse. Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to pick up the ball in midfield and run at the Russian defence before unleashing a superb strike into the top corner of the net (69’), all without the merest hint of a challenge from a defender. A similar Russian shambles ensued when the same player, in space on the right, dribbled past two defenders before slipping the ball to Deco, who in turn fed Simao. The Russian net bulged once more, and again the Russian rearguard action had been half-hearted at best (83’).
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/afp/20041013/t/1690259055.jpg
Enlarge Photo (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/photos/index.html?aid=112616&d=1)
Photo Gallery (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/photos/index.html)
The brace of goals bagged by the substitute Petit (90’ and 93’) in the dying moments of the game were a slightly surreal postscript to what was already an absolute tonking. Never in touch with the pace of the game, the Russian back line seemed to spend the entire 90 minutes watching their opponents play.
Continually standing off, it was no surprise when they were effortlessly picked off by the home side’s big guns, and if the score line seems heavy, it only reflects the errors of an intrinsically defensive system. But one surefire thing is that this rout will have significant consequences. As the dust settles on a one-sided goalfest, the real question to ask is who will pay the price for this debacle, Yartsev or his players?
While Portugal were expected to try to use their wealth of attacking potential to steady their foundering ship, few thought the Russians would cave in so easily. The goal that opened the floodgates may have come when Deco and Pauleta (the scorer) looked suspiciously offside, but no one could ignore the monumental errors committed by the Russian defence.
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/xp/20041013/t/2658288673.jpg
Enlarge Photo (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/photos/index.html?aid=112656&d=1)
Photo Gallery (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/photos/index.html)
The fact that Cristiano Ronaldo’s cross was finished off by Pauleta (25’) was down to the Russians’ failure to clear a simple ball that rolled perilously across their goalmouth. 13 minutes later, a similar error met with the same punishment. From a Deco corner, the ball rebounded off a Russian defender to land at the feet of Pauleta. The PSG forward crossed – or was it an attempted shot? - presenting Cristiano Ronaldo with a chance he snapped up hungrily (39’).
Who will pay the price?
Now everything the Portuguese touched was turning to gold, but it was hard to understand how this Russian side could present such feeble opposition. Four days after easily dispensing with Luxembourg (4-0), Yartsev’s men took one wrong defensive option after another and were statuesque in the worst possible sense. Right at the end of the first half, when the Portuguese captain Pauleta easily sent Deco clear to fire unchallenged past Malafeev (45’), the Russian back line appeared rooted to the spot.
At the break, the Russian coach tried to introduce a little more experience into what was a fairly youthful defence (average: 24.4 years and 8 caps) by bringing on Gusev (age 27, 27 caps). But as solutions go, it rivalled a finger in the dyke, as all was about to go from bad to worse. Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to pick up the ball in midfield and run at the Russian defence before unleashing a superb strike into the top corner of the net (69’), all without the merest hint of a challenge from a defender. A similar Russian shambles ensued when the same player, in space on the right, dribbled past two defenders before slipping the ball to Deco, who in turn fed Simao. The Russian net bulged once more, and again the Russian rearguard action had been half-hearted at best (83’).
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/afp/20041013/t/1690259055.jpg
Enlarge Photo (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/photos/index.html?aid=112616&d=1)
Photo Gallery (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/photos/index.html)
The brace of goals bagged by the substitute Petit (90’ and 93’) in the dying moments of the game were a slightly surreal postscript to what was already an absolute tonking. Never in touch with the pace of the game, the Russian back line seemed to spend the entire 90 minutes watching their opponents play.
Continually standing off, it was no surprise when they were effortlessly picked off by the home side’s big guns, and if the score line seems heavy, it only reflects the errors of an intrinsically defensive system. But one surefire thing is that this rout will have significant consequences. As the dust settles on a one-sided goalfest, the real question to ask is who will pay the price for this debacle, Yartsev or his players?