Dolgoprudniy Defeat as Fans Saw It

The second bounce game of our Moscow camp ended with Lokomotiv winning against Dolgoprudniy FC with a devastating scoreline of 7:1. Even more remarkable looked the three rows of devoted supporters who filled the small stands of Lokomotiv’s reserve pitch. After the first month of summer many fans yearn for the beautiful game.

Loko set out briskly with the first shot on target fired by Ndinga as early as two minutes off. The away keeper denies the effort. Two elderly ladies among attendants talk in whisper: “I can recall coming to a match with my husband when I was younger. I knew nothing yet about football but I remember goalkeeper Yashin ever since – what saves he made!”

Dolgoprudniy’s supporting party is sitting right next to the pensioners - some ten guys dressed in their team’s blue colours. When Henty bags a brace a few minutes to the half-time mark, all they can do is hold their heads in despair. Miranchuk is praised, too, for how he has set up the goal for his team-mate from Nigeria: “Isn’t he a younger version of Messi?”

Inside the first fifteen minutes after the break, Loko go on a real scoring spree. Ndinga thumps a shot from long range right into the centre of the goal – and probably wins the most resounding cheers of the day. The sea of red-green scarves waving, fans wish they could watch the instant replay! Next in turn are Tarasov and Pejcinovic who make it 5:1 by the 58th minute. Attentive spectators note with surprise that Nemanja uses four different languages while on the pitch, depending on who he talks to at the moment: Russian, English, French and Serbian to which he occasionally switches unawares.

The stands’ closeness to the field triggers funny exchanges. There is a short pause in the game. Logashov is standing over the sideline drinking water. He hears a comment from the crowd and returns vigorously:

- Senya, how’s the pre-season training going? Is everything all right?

- Super! – Arseniy grins back and sticks up his thumb.

Some spectators try to poke fun at one of Dolgoprudniy players. The young lad comes on as sub, and those in attendance see his pink boots.

- Man, don’t you watch Euro-2016?

- I sure do.

- Don’t you know then that the world’s coolest footballers now put on different-coloured boots? You should have gone for one pink and the other chartreuse!

The European Championship is mentioned many times on the night: some people are in a hurry to get back in time to watch France and Iceland in the last eight. Spotting a red-head in the visiting ranks, a supporter shouts out: “Look, they have an Icelander on the team!”

…Substitutions earn loud applause as well. During the second half our coaches bring on many youth squad members. Dolgoprudniy goalkeeper Aleksandr Filimonov, who won the Russian title more than once and currently works as a playing coach, gets special attention from the audience.

Lokomotiv concede one goal, too, in a dead-ball situation, but the response comes right away: Barinov and Lysov strike home each. Some people at the stands have already lost count of the score. A little fan, whose name is Kolya, beams with happiness simply because “the Blues lose, and I don’t like them.” At the same time he is wondering since “it was 5 to 1 just now, and when did they score two more?”

Friendly Match

Lokomotiv - Dolgoprudniy - 7:1 (2:0)
Goals scored: Henty, 31, 37 (2:0), Ndinga, 49 (3:0), Tarasov, 55 (4:0), Pejcinovic, 57 (5:0), Barinov, 77 (6:1), Lysov, 89 (7:1).

Lokomotiv: Abaev, Logashov, Lapshov, Pejcinovic, Yanbaev, Tarasov, Ndinga, Miranchuk, Kasaev, Maicon, Henty
Substitutes used: Lobantsev, Mykhalyk, Kolomeytsev, Rakhmonov, Galanin, Barinov, Makhatadze, Galadzhan, Seraskhov, Lysov, Tugarev
Dolgoprudniy: Volkov, Bychkov, Puchkov, Fomichev, Zhytnikov, Pakhomov, Boychenko, Trinitatskiy, Rogov, Smirnov, Malaniya
3 July. Moscow. Cherkizovo.