“VAR brings confusion”: did “Rubin” deservedly lose to “Dynamo” in front of Minnikhanov?

“Rubin” fought with “Dynamo," which has gained remarkable form since the end of summer

Three weeks without the RPL is a rather tiresome period for all fans of Russian football. From mid-September right up to the first decade of October the championship was paused in connection with international games. During this period the RPL teams gained form and tried to eliminate tactical rough edges in order to show a worthy performance in the autumn that would provide a foundation for the final matches on the eve of the winter break.

Moscow's “Dynamo” came to visit “Rubin.” Sandro Schwarz's collective is the best club of the RPL based on recent results. Before the head-to-head confrontation with the Kazan team the capital club had a winning streak of six matches. Naturally, shortly before the principled battle with CSKA, “Dynamo” very much wanted to beat “Rubin” in order to secure for itself the first place in the tournament table.

The Kazan team, in turn, also intended to fight for points in the match with the “white-blues.” The countless draws with a score of 1:1, although they did not drop “Rubin” into the second eight, nevertheless gave Frank Artiga reasons for worry.

The match of “Rubin” and “Dynamo” was attended by Rustam Minnikhanov

The Kazan team conducted a rather disjointed transfer campaign. Of the newcomers capable of directly influencing the results and the play of the team, only the forward Eddie Salcedo came to “Rubin.” It was precisely the match with “Dynamo” that saw the official debut of the Italian forward. However, Salcedo did not appear in the starting lineup; the Spanish coach left him on the substitutes' bench.

The match with “Dynamo” was attended by the Rais of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. He sat in the box together with the president of “Rubin," Marat Safiullin, and the head of VTB, Andrey Kostin.

Rustam Minnikhanov can not often be met at the matches of Tatarstan teams. As the Rais himself jokes, the matter is not always his being busy, but that he is “unlucky.” Whenever he comes to some game, the club from Kazan invariably suffers a defeat. This season Minnikhanov attended the match of the KHL regular championship “Ak Bars” — “Traktor.” In it Anvar Gatiyatulin's collective lost to the Chelyabinsk team with a score of 2:3. Yesterday's meeting of “Rubin” and “Dynamo” under the gaze of the Rais again ended in a defeat of the Kazan team — 0:1.

The match turned out to be uneventful. Both clubs did not even earn on one scored goal according to the XG system. The teams tried to show spectacular football, but the pitch at the “Ak Bars Arena” was clearly not in the best condition after the friendly match between Russia and Iran, which took place in Kazan on September 29.

Concerns about the pitch shortly before the starting whistle were expressed by the “Dynamo” forward Konstantin Tyukavin. After the end of the meeting Frank Artiga confirmed virtually the very same thought.

— The pitch resembled more an ice rink than a field for playing football, the Spaniard noted at the press conference.

“VAR brings confusion in decision-making”

“Rubin” began the match well. And in the first 30 minutes was even preferable to “Dynamo," more interesting, sharper. And, perhaps, if not for the own goal of the defender Jakhongir Urozov (30th minute) and the sending-off of Ilya Samoshnikov (37th minute), the Kazan team would have fought for victory. But after viewing VAR the chief referee of the meeting, Ivan Abrosimov, resolutely showed the “Rubin” footballer a red card.

— There was a step on the foot, but, on the other hand, on the video — there was no evil intention. A red is given when there is malicious intent. Samoshnikov did not have it. Yes, he stepped on him, but Ilya immediately tried to lift the opponent, to help, asked for forgiveness. He put his foot down and stumbled. The episode happened quickly. What is VAR — in essence, the interpretation of an episode in static form. In some photograph. Football is not static. I do not accuse the referee, but it happens that VAR brings confusion in decision-making, Artiga was indignant at the press conference.

One cannot say that Samoshnikov's sending-off became the defining episode in the match. After all, in the second half “Rubin” seriously added and was very close to at least clinging to a draw. Shorthanded, the Kazan team delivered not a few problems to the “Dynamo” defense. And with the substitutions of Ruslan Bezrukov, Ulvi Babaev and Eddie Salcedo the attacking potential of “Rubin” only grew. The feeling did not leave that the reshuffles in the lineup should have been made by the Spanish coach of the Kazan team earlier, at the beginning of the second half.

“The tournament table reflects the dynamics that are happening”

When the sending-off of the “Dynamo” defender Rubens happened in the 83rd minute, “Rubin” ignited and even more strongly increased the pressure, the onslaught in the “white-blues'" penalty area. The last fifteen minutes were generally the best in the Kazan team's performance this season. “Rubin” lost, but left a pleasant impression with its performance.

— I think the esteemed Mr. Rais, looking at today's game, feels pride for the guys. For the self-giving, the cohesion that the team showed. Today was a good match, Artiga said with vexation at the press conference.

In the next round “Rubin” will meet “Spartak” in Moscow on October 18. The situation in the table for the Kazan team is not simple. “Rubin” is in ninth place after 10 rounds with 12 points. However, the gap from the relegation playoff zone is only two points (13th is “Lokomotiv” with 10 points). “Dynamo," on the contrary, thanks to the victory over “Rubin," single-handedly topped the tournament table with 22 points, extending its streak of games with three points to six meetings.

— The tournament table reflects the dynamics that are happening. The first five teams possess great attacking potential; they have performers. We want to be sixth, we are fighting. In the next round we will play against “Spartak," and after that two home matches await us. There is also a cup match on Thursday with “Orenburg” — and for us it will be like a final. We want to move further in the Cup and fight, Frank Artiga summed up.

Russian championship. 10th round

Rubin (Kazan) — Dynamo (Moscow) — 0:1 (0:1)
October 11. “Ak Bars Arena”
0:1 — Urozov, 30 (own goal)
Rubin: Staver, Vujacic, Arroyo, Urozov, Rozhkov (Kuznetsov, 86), Samoshnikov, Lobov (Ivu, 61), Gripshi (Babaev, 77), Nacho (Bezrukov, 61), Khodzha, Sive (Salcedo, 77)
Dynamo: Lunev, Marichal, Caceres (Zaydenzal, 46), Rubens, David Ricardo, Bitello (Skopintsev, 86), Glebov, Fomin, Artur (Kazemir, 64), Tyukavin (Sergeev, 86), Gladyshev (Okishor, 64)
Warnings: Caceres (41), Nacho (55)
Sendings-off: Samoshnikov (37), Rubens (81)