Arsenal’s Andrei Arshavin was captain of Russia in a friendly against Argentina, who were skippered by Javier Mascherano of Liverpool.
Arshavin’s creativity lit up the first half hour and he started the move which led to the first goal, when Zyryanov found Zenit’s Semshov, who zoomed into space beyond Gabriel Heinze and fired a low right-foot shot across keeper Andujar for 1-0 after 18 minutes.
On 45, Heinze’s cross was cleared to Kun Aguero and the stocky little sharpshooter demonstrated his phenomenal technique . He killed the ball with one touch on the edge of the D and hit a cracking 20-yarder in off the post for 1-1 at half-time.
Lyon’s Lisandro Lopez, a sub, scored 31 seconds into the second half from a pass by Papa, and on the hour Napoli’s Jesus Datolo came on and fired in a scorching left-foot shot from the edge of the box for 3-1.
Then Arshavin exploded into the box on the left side and Andujar tried to dive at his feet and get the ball but Arshavin nicked it past him and tumbled. There was a tiny amount of contact but I didn’t think it was a penalty and neither did the referee.
Indeed, Andujar showed more restraint, cunning and craft than most EPL keepers would have done. He has probably spent most his career playing against very fast, nimble strikers who do what Arshavin did here : play for a penalty because the angle is unpromising.
Tottenham’s Roman Pavlyuchenko scored a consolation goal with a deflected free-kick for 3-2
Argentina have switched their crunch qualifier against Brazil from Buenos Aires to Rosario. It’s a smaller stadium and they’ll make less money. But Argentina have never lost a game in Rosario, home of Newell’s Old Boys.
At its best Argentina’s football combines combat, pace, artistry and electric movement. When they get it right, their style of football is more exciting than the football of any other team, including Brazil. How many teams go to Moscow and give Russia a goal start and come back with three spectacular goals? Without Messi.
RUSSIA : Akinfeev; Anyukov, Kolodin, Ignashevich, Yanbaev; Semak, Semshov, Zyryanov, Denisov; Arshavin; Kerzhakov
Subs: Pavlyuchenko, Dzagoev, Pogrebnyak, Berezutskiy
ARGENTINA : Andujar; Zanetti, Burdisso, Otamendi, Heinze; Mascherano, Bolatti, Maxi Rodriguez, Gutierrez; Aguero, Milito
Subs: Diaz, Papa, Lopez, Datolo, Battaglia, Lavezzi
Brazil won 1-0 in Estonia 1-0 with a goal by Luis Fabiano.
Eduardo stabbed in the second goal in Croatia’s 3-1 win over Belarus in a qualifier in Minsk. England play Croatia at Wembley on Wednesday, September 9
Sloppy mistakes by Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry gifted two goals to Holland in Amsterdam but Fabio Capello’s subs made a big difference.
Defoe scored twice, Carlton Cole was more effective that Heskey, who didn’t look fit, and James Milner made a useful debut on the left flank, replacing Ashley Young, and creating the equaliser with low cross from the bye-line. Defoe, cute and cool in the six yard box, stabbed it in. It he had missed the ball , Shaun Wright-Phillips, another sub, would have netted.
John Terry has said England can win the World Cup. Why say it? You just put yourself under even more pressure and get vilified later. I think JT is media-savvy. He wants to give the tabloids a headline. He knows exactly what he’s doing and what he’s saying.
As captain, part of his job is to keep Rio Ferdinand awake. He should be shouting at Rio to keep him awake. Even in friendly games.
There is much more to say about England but that will keep for another day.
Sad to see a nice guy like George Burley proving to be comprehensively clueless as Scotland manager. They were hammered 4-0 in Oslo by mediocre Norway. Sure, Burley doesn’t have much to work with. But Norway’s Egil Olsen doesn’t have much to work with either. Neither did Greece in 2004. It’s a team game and Scotland’s teamwork was non-existent.