Our team broke the resistance of Lokomotiv Moscow in a penalty shootout.
On Tuesday, March 14, Akron Football Club continued to write history in the second most important Russian football tournament. After a brilliant victory over Moscow “Torpedo” (2:0) at the first stage of the quarterfinal of the FONBET Way of Regions of the Russian Cup, our team was tested by other guests from the capital – the nine-time winner of the Russian Cup “Lokomotiv” – in the second stage of the quarterfinal stage. At stake was reaching the semi-finals of the tournament, in the struggle for which in the Cup, in addition to Akron, representing the First League, only clubs from the elite division remained. Togliatti, before the meeting with the “railroad” remained the only club that had never conceded in the current Cup draw, were preparing to update their achievement with the crowded stands of the Kristall stadium in Zhigulevsk – 2997 spectators – an attendance record for four years!
Despite the different status of rivals, Akron did not hesitate in the first minutes and showed aggressive football, which resulted in a goal for the home team in the 14th minute. Konstantin Savichev advanced with the ball on his right flank, crossed it into the penalty area, where Sergey Makarov sent the ball past the goalkeeper right up to the post. The frisky start was then backed up by the same confident game from the “red-blacks” with a high pace until the break. In the second half of the meeting, Lokomotiv made changes in the composition and rebuilding on the field, due to which the Muscovites managed to create many acute situations at the gates of Sergei Volkov. There was a post after a shot by Sergey Pinyaev, and saves by the goalkeeper, and the clearance of the ball by Khodzhaniyazov almost from the empty goal line, but Akron also tried to respond and consolidate the advantage, but conceded in the 75th minute after rebounding and an accurate tight shot from Francois Camano. However, before the end of the regular time of the match, Togliatti had a great opportunity to resolve all questions about the winner, but Khudyakov parried Apekov’s shot and two finishing moves from Pavel Shakuro after another brilliant cross from Konstantin Savichev.
At the penalty shoot-out, Akron received additional support from the fans, who, standing up and incessantly, turned on their favorites. Already on the first blow of the series, our team took the lead after Volkov’s save during Rifat Zhemaletdinov’s shot. A series of five shots was not enough for the teams to determine the winner: Loko’s goalkeeper also made one save after Ruslan Apekov’s shot. It took three additional shots to determine the winner, on the last of which Ivan Kuzmichev, the defender of the “railwaymen”, faltered, breaking past near the post. The stands and the team rejoiced, all participants and spectators of the match received incredible emotions. On March 17, the draw for the first stage of the semi-finals of the Path of Regions Path of the Regions FONBET Cup of Russia will take place, in which Akron can play with the winners of other matches of the second stage of the quarter-finals of the Path of Regions. Live Match TV will determine the semi-final pairs and the venue of the match.
Alexey Vlasov, General Director of FC Akron: “The emotions after the victory can hardly be compared with anything. We are very happy and proud of the team that showed its level. Everyone in Akron knew about it, and now the guys showed it to the whole country, which was watching the game with Lokomotiv.
MATCH PROTOCOL: Akron (Togliatti) – Lokomotiv (Moscow) 1:1 (1:0) 7:6 in the penalty
Goals: 1:0 Makarov (14), 1:1 Camano (75)
Penalty: 1:0 Savichev, 1:0 Zhemaletdinov (goalkeeper), 2:0 Sasin, 2:1 Pinyaev, 3:1 Eldarushev, 3:2 Kamano, 3:2 Apekov (goalkeeper), 3:3 Nenakhov, 4 :3 Chudin, 4:4 Rakov, 5:4 Palienko, 5:5 Shchetinin, 6:5 Makarov, 6:6 Konti, 7:6 Khodzhaniyazov, 7:6 Kuzmichev (past).
Akron (Togliatti): Volkov, Zuev, Khodzhaniyazov, Savichev, Shakuro, Makarov, Pesegov (Sasin, 77), Palienko, Azarov (Apekov, 63), Chudin, Ponce (Eldarushev, 77)
Lokomotiv (Moscow): Khudyakov, Konti, Smolnikov (Nenakhov, 76), Tiknizyan, Kuzmichev, Barinov, Glushenkov (Kamano, 46), Miranchuk (Zhemaletdinov, 46), Pinyaev, Karpukas (Schetinin, 61), Ignatiev (Rakov, 61)
Yellow cards: Konti (32), Karpukas (48), Kuzmichev (55), Palienko (56), Ponce (67), Pinyaev (85)
Referee: Chistyakov (Azov)
March 14th. Zhigulevsk. Stadium “Crystal”. 2997 fans.
