late show sends Rubin Kazan past Lokomotiv Moskva

The opening day showdown Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia saw between Rubin Kazan and Lokomotiv Moskva saw the defending champions defeat the capital city side 2-0 victory in a tepid affair. Along with the frozen pitch of Central Stadium and lack of full match preparedness, both sides fell short of expectations.

Rubin Kazan manager Kurban Berdyev, after a busy week that included a draw with Wolfsburg in the Europa League and the Russian Super Cup, adjusted in line-up with new-man Jordi, along with Vagiz Galiullin seeing a rare appearance. Notable play early on was rare, with a number of collisions taking its toll. Midway the half Vagiz Galiullin was forced out and Fatih Tekke was called upon. Lokomotiv striker Dramane Traore, was gifted two high probability opportunities but squandered both.

After the break, the match still lacked a cutting edge, until the final stages when Lokomotiv lost focus and allowed two late goals. With two minutes in regulation remaining, Andrei Gorbanets who had entered late for Alan Kasaev, gave Rubin the 1-0 lead as he sent a brilliant shot, with the outside of the his right foot, to the near post. As regulation time wound down Fatih Tekke surged down the right channel and sent a low cross that Aleksandr Bukharov turned in from close range to seal the 2-0 victory for Rubin Kazan.

Prepared by J. Davies
©Joga Bonito Renegade Style, a division of Renegade Style Productions, 2010.
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Rubin Kazan’s Cristian Ansaldi to join Manchester City

If rumours are accurate, Rubin Kazan’s Cristian Ansaldi is in route to English Premier League side Manchester City with a transfer fee in the range of €4.2m (£6m). Per Russian media outlet Sports-Express (Спорт-Экспресс), the twenty-three year-old left back, who as been highly sought after in the winter transfer market with Benfica, Real Zaragoza and Atlético Madrid vying for his services, will be the first major signing for new manager Roberto Mancini.

CSKA Moskva play Rubin Kazan to scoreless draw

CSKA Moskva missed a glorious chance to close the gap on Rubin Kazan in the race for the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia as they played Spartak Nalchik to a disappointing nil draw at Luzhniki Stadium.

Heading into a comfortable mid summer night match in Moscow, the Army-Men were primed with the knowledge that a win against relegation threatened Spartak Nalchik would push them to within a single point of Rubin Kazan. However as their disappointing season of peaks and valleys would attest, once again Zico’s side came up a morsel short

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CSKA Moskva defeats Rubin Kazan

With their collective backs against the wall and the campaign seemingly adrift, CSKA Moskva fought back for a much needed 2-1 win over defending champions Rubin Kazan. For the Zico-led Army-Men the win was paramount to the day as their season has been rife with disappointment and a loss would have choked out any chance of claiming the title.

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Petr Bystrov joins Rubin Kazan

Russian capped Petr Bystrov gets his chance to play in the Champions League as he has moved from FC Moscow to champions Rubin Kazan. In joining Gurban Berdiýew’s side, the twenty-nine year-old midfielder will provide solid expierience and two-way play. He is set to join the champions training camp in Belek Turkey without delay and feature in upcoming friendlies against Shanghai Shenhua and FC Nürnberg.

Jovan Tanasijevic spurns Dynamo Moscow's offer

Thirty year-old Dynamo Moscow defender Jovan Tanasijević has turned down the legendary Moscow clubs offer to extend his contract for an additional season. The Montenegro capped international is hoping for an longer term contract and is apparently entertaining advances from a number of clubs including champions Rubin Kazan.

Another perfect send-off for Rubin Kazan's Savo Milošević

In a career that has spanned sixteen years of professional Football, starting with legendary Belgrade club FK Partizan, this season has been a momentous one for Savo Milošević. Since joining Rubin Kazan he has instrumental in the clubs historic championship season and in a very special send-off Serbian national manager Radomir Antić called upon Savo one last time for the White Eagles match against Bulgaria. Not to disappoint the thirty-five year old veteran scored twice to bring his tally to thirty-seven goals in one-hundred two matches for his homeland before leaving to a hero's farewell at Stadion Crvena Zvezda. Savo returns to the pitch for Rubin Kazan this weekend against Lokomotiv Moscow in what is expected to be his farewell to the game.

a "little" advaced notice

While I warrant this might be a "little" advance notice but I wanted to remind everyone that the quarter-finals of the Russian Cup is set for April 22, 2009. The Cinderella story of the tournament has certainly been first division's FC Sibir Novosibirsk who have defeated Zenit Saint Petersburg and Krylia Sovetov Samara on the way. The quarter-final match-ups are as follows:


Lokomotiv Moscow - CSKA Moscow
Spartak Moscow - Dynamo Mosow
FC Moscow - Tom’ Tomsk
Rubin Kazan - Sibir Novosibirsk

Rubin Kazan wins Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia

Manager Kurban Berdyev had his prayers answered as Rubin Kazan have clinched the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia by defeating Saturn Moscow Oblast today 2-1. Mr. Berdyev, always to be seen with prayer beads in his hands during a match, has pulled off the impossible as he led his Tatarstan based club from mid-table last year and overwhelmed high profile clubs of Russia using a gritty tough club laced with Footballers of a stunning curriculum vitae.

While only a few in mention the leadership of a pair of Russian capped stars, Sergei Semak and Roman Sharonov, Dynamo Kyiv legend Serhiy Rebrov, Rubin veteran MacBeth and Bosnia and Herzegovina international Savo Milošević, pushed this club through the toughest of times and while the league expected them to falter, their resolve was rock-solid and the twilight of their careers will be marked with this crowning achievement. The early season addition of Turkish international and a fixture for Trabzonspor the last decade, Gökdeniz Karadeniz was instrumental to their success as well as career season for Sergei Ryzhikov and the emergence of young-gun Aleksandr Bukharov.

With Rubin needing a victory to clinch the title Saturn Moscow battened down the hatches and stood their ground in a air-tight defensive position. With fourteen minutes to go, Roman Adamov opened the scoring for Rubin but Saturn didn't back down and six minutes later Pyotr Nemov, a product of Dinamo Moscow's development system, leveled the match. However in a stunning perfunctory note to his career, thirty-five year-old Savo Milošević was the hero once again scoring with only a minute remaining to give Rubin Kazan the 2-1 lead and the victory.

Congratulations to Rubin Kazan and Kurban Berdyev on this stunning accomplishment.

Will Rubin Kazan clinch the Championship this weekend?

With four match-days left in the campaign Rubin Kazan sits on the verge of winning the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia. Excluding Zenit Saint Petersburg's victory last year, since 1992 the championship has nested in Moscow divided between Spartak Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow and CSKA Moscow. With some help from Spartak Moscow, Kurban Berdyev's squad can clinch the title with a victory over Saturn Moscow Oblast.

The race for the final European spots are tight. The two "can't miss" matches beyond Rubin's possible victory celebration is the great CSKA Moscow - Spartak Moscow battle with Spartak looking to overturn Koni's seven year domination of the rivalry and Lokomotiv Moscow's crucial match against Dynamo.

Saturday
Spartak Moscow @ CSKA Moscow
FC Khimki @ Zenit St Petersburg

Sunday
Amkar Perm' @ Luch-Energiya Vladivostok
Tom' Tomsk @ Spartak Nalchik
FC Moscow @ Terek Grozny

Monday
Shinnik Yaroslav @ Samara Kryliya Sovetov
Dinamo Moscow @ Lokomotiv Moscow

Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia - week 24

Week twenty-four of the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia completed with few surprises. The story of the weekend is surely Rubin Kazan's march towards the title seems to be a mere formality and Zenit Saint Petersburg's stunning 8-1 devastation of Luch-Energiya Vladivostok in front of their loyal followers at Petrovski Stadium

Rubin Kazan - 3
Spartak Nalchik - 0
The party has begun as Rubin Kazan is on the verge of clinching the tight. Pressing early Aleksandr Bukharov gave them the lead two minutes into the match before Serbian football legend Savo Milošević netted the first of his two goals fourteen minutes later. Spartak Nalchik was not able to mount a successful attack and nine minutes after the break Savo Milošević added his second of the match.

Dynamo Moscow - 2
Saturn Moscow - 1
The match got off with a fiery start with two penalties awarded in the first twenty minutes. Luke Wilkshire was denied by Antonin Kinsky with a brilliant start but five minutes later Saturn Moscow's Andrei Karyaka converted on a penalty to give them the lead. Dynamo, strapped with enormous injury problems had only twelve field players problems for the match, pressed seventeen year-old Aleksandr Kokorin into action. Entering the match at the break, he consistently poised problems for the Oblast defenders and with eighteen minutes left he broke free on a through ball and struck a powerful right foot shot into the net. Taking his cue with chants of "Dynamo" urging them on, Aleksandr Kerzhakov found the winner with seven minutes left.







































































































































































































































Tom' Tomsk - 0
Lokomotiv Moscow - 1
Tomsk kept a very tight reign on this match and with it looking like it was heading to a scoreless draw, Lokomotiv' Dmitri Sychev was the hero of the day, scoring with twelve minutes remaining. The victory keeps Lokomotiv's European efforts alive as they push for a UEFA Cup spot.

Spartak Moscow - 0
Samara Kryliya Sovetov - 1
In an extremely tight midfield dominated match Oleg Ivanov scored with sixteen minutes left. Meat continued to press but efforts were thwarted as Vladimir Bystrov was red-carded four minutes later. While pressing for the equalizer, Mozart was given a red card on a dubious call with two minutes remaining and the nine-man Spartak went down to defeat.

FC Moscow - 2
Shinnik Yaroslav - 1











Buoyed with confidence the Citizens defeated Shinnik with a tactically superb plan and rarely exposed themselves to an attack. Twenty two minutes into the match, Alexander Samedov gave them the lead with Hector Bracamonte doubling the margin fifteen minutes after the break. Dmitri Kudriashov scored a consolation goal for Shinnik as time ran out but it was FC Moscow's day as they were victorious 2-1.

Amkar Perm'- 0
Terek Grozny - 0
Terek Grozny reveled in the opportunity to play the "spoiler" as they held the Red-blacks to a scoreless draw. Romanian internationals Florentin Petre and Andrei Mărgăritescu led Grozny in a tactically brilliant team effort to control Amkar Perm's efforts. The draw is extremely costly to them as they tumble three points behind Dynamo at fourth.

CSKA Moscow - 2
Khimki - 1
Valery Gazzaev has Koni in perfect form as they easily handled Khimki. Russian international Aleksei Berezutski gave CSKA the lead two minutes past the half hour with the highly promising twenty year-old midfielder Pavel Mamayev doubling the score at the sixty-seven minute mark. Igor Akinfeev clean sheet was eliminated on a own goal as time expired but otherwise it was a perfect played match for CSKA Moscow.












And finally while not the "match of the weekend" this certainly raised a number of eyebrows:

Zenit St Petersburg - 8
Luch-Energiya Vladivostok - 1











Clearly this match was a "message" by Dick Advocaat and company as scorelines of this magnitude are done for a reason. Whilst Zenit's hopes for the Championship and the Russian Cup have faded and they certainly have their backs to the wall in the Champions League, they will not go quietly through this season. Ultimate leader Anatoliy Tymoschuk rose to the occasion as Fatih Tekke added three goals, Danni had two and Alejandro Dominguez,Roman Shirokov and Andrei Arshavin each added their name to the score-sheet with Vitaliy Bulyga netting the lone goal for Vladivostok in this absolute blow-out.

Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia	P	W	D	L	GS	GA	Pts
Rubin Kazan	24	15	6	3	35	16	51
CSKA Moscow	24	12	8	4	38	19	44
Dynamo Moscow	24	12	7	5	34	25	43
Amkar Perm'	24	11	7	6	24	16	40
Zenit St Petersburg	23	10	7	6	48	29	37
Kryliya Sovetov Samara	24	9	10	5	35	21	37
Spartak Moscow	24	9	9	6	36	32	36
Lokomotiv Moscow	23	9	7	7	28	26	34
FC Moscow	24	8	8	8	26	27	32
Spartak Nalchik	24	8	5	11	24	29	29
Terek Grozny	24	8	5	11	20	33	29
Tom' Tomsk	24	7	4	13	20	33	25
Saturn Moscow	23	6	7	10	21	25	25
Luch-Energiya Vladivostok	24	3	10	11	21	42	19
Khimki	24	3	8	13	25	47	17
Shinnik Yaroslav	23	3	6	14	22	37	15