Started Year With Victory
Lokomotiv have beaten Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors from Korea at their first training camp.
Lokomotiv have been working at the training camp in the UAE for a week already and now it was time for a friendly. The opponent was a hard one - Jeonbuk Motors from Korea have been winning their national championship for two years in a row. A friendlie is the time to experiment, and in 90 minutes almost the entire team enjoyed playing time, except for the injured footballers.
Skuletic was very active in the first minutes. He constantly threatened the goal with his attempts from outside the box and dangerous headers off corners. After quite intensive opening 10 minutes play calmed down, and the teams started to ferret out each other's soft spots.
In the middle of the first half Fernandes took the initiative, supported by the trio of Samedov, Skuletic, and Maicon. The Koreans responded with some weak crosses to the box that were easily cleared by our defenders and the keeper.
After the break only Samedov and Denisov remaied on the pitch, all others were substituted. Play became more stumbling with none of the teams able to gain control over the ball. The Korean side created their first chance on 62 minutes when a striker used Loko defenders' mistake to direct the ball at the goal. Luckily, he only hit a post.
And eventually Lokomotiv opened the score in 2016! Miranchuk initiated another attack in midfield, played with Logashov, who passed back, and finished with a spectacular shot from an acute angle. Just minutes on, Jeonbuk could have conceded another one when their keeper advanced too high up the field. Maicon noted that and lobbed the ball over the keeper. Had he only directed it a bit to the left...
The score remained 1:0 until the final whistle. The Railwaymen came out winners in their first friendly of the year.
Friendly
Lokomotiv - Jeonbuk (Korea) - 1:0 (0:0)
Goals: Miranchuk, 72 (1:0)
Lokomotiv: Guilherme (Kochenkov, 46), Corluka (Pejcinovic, 46), Durica (Mykhalyk, 46), Logashov (Makarov, 46), Denisov (Logashov, 67), Fernandes (Ndinga, 46), Sheshukov (Barinov, 46), Samedov (Maicon, 67), Tarasov (Kasaev, 46), Maicon (Miranchuk, 46), Skuletic (Kolomeytsev, 46)
Jeonbuk: Hong Jeong Nam, Kim Hyung Il, Lee Ho, Ricardo Lopes Pereira, Han Kyo Won, Kim Bo kyung, Lee Dong Gook, Seo Sang Min, Choi Chul Soon, Kim young chan, Lee Ju Yong.
Bookings: Lee Dong Gook, 22
17 January, Abu Dhabi