Attacking verve of Slovakia lays bare dull nature of Russia's football
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Updated 15/06/2016 at 20:19 GMT
Russia are on the cusp of elimination from Euro 2016 and they will not be missed for a number of reasons, writes Miguel Delaney.
Slovakia's midfielder Marek Hamsik celebrates his goal during the Euro 2016 group B football match between Russia and Slovakia at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, near Lille, on June 15, 2016
Image credit: AFP
Russia are now on the brink of elimination from Euro 2016 and while many will primarily be delighted with that because of the disgraceful scenes in Marseille, the dull nature of their football is just another reason why the tournament would not lose much by losing Leonid Slutsky’s side.
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Slovakia by contrast showed a bit of spark and attacking verve in their 2-1 win over the Russians in Lille and looked like there might be more to come. After the game, though, there was a real sense that Marik Hamsik had already properly arrived at an international tournament. His goal and performance - and potential interest from clubs beyond Napoli - were the only other subjects to really be discussed, other of course than all the controversy surrounding Russia.
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Slovakia's midfielder Vladimir Weiss celebrates with team mates during the Euro 2016 group B football match between Russia and Slovakia at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, near Lille on June 15, 2016
Image credit: AFP
In the stadium itself, there were mercifully no repeats of the trouble that followed the final whistle in their 1-1 draw with England, and there was no real tension around the ground to match that in Lille city centre. Russian and Slovakian fans mixed well, even if there often appeared something of a chasm between their teams.
Slovakia initially threatened to give Slutsky’s side the hammering that England should have. There was that much of a difference. Russia just looked so poor and slow in the first half, with Slovakia’s superior pace and vibrancy cutting them apart.
The opening goal was a case in point - Vladimir Weiss tore down the left and cut in to finish with ease. It was if he was just playing the game at a different speed to Slutsky’s glacial-slow defenders. Shortly afterwards, the forward played a short corner to Hamsik, who lashed the ball into the top corner of Igor Akinfeev’s goal with the ball pleasingly flying in off the post.
It was a perfect strike of the ball, one of the goals of the tournament so far, with the 28-year-old also announcing himself as potentially one of the players of the tournament.
It was some way for such a vaunted star to finally score his first major competition goal and his manager Jan Kozak was afterwards all too willing to talk up a move to a bigger club, with a surprising candour.
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Euro 2016 - 5 things: Russia stumble against Slovakia
"He is ready for a really big club,” the coach said, stating that Hamsik “deserves a bigger club for his performances than Napoli.”
His performance for Slovakia here certainly deserved the win. Hamsik did so much more than just score, initially passing to Weiss for the opening goal, and so often embarrassing Russian defenders with exquisite touches. It just looked a player performing at his top level, even if it does raise questions about the trajectory of his career.
Hamsik - like Gareth Bale and so many others - is another of those players whose international career has been constrained by the size of his country, and the difficulty they face in qualifying regularly means he has to seize such chances when they come along. He was quietly impressive in Slovakia’s run to the World Cup last 16 in 2010 at the age of 22, but he was utterly brilliant here.
That is perhaps one reason why Kozak was talking up a move to a bigger club - especially since it sometimes seems that Hamsik’s performances for Napoli don’t get the attention they should elsewhere - but it wasn’t like the player was taking his manager’s lead.
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Slovakia's Marek Hamsik celebrates after scoring their second goal
Image credit: Reuters
For his part, Hamsik himself said: “Hopefully my future will still be at Napoli.”
His immediate international future looks likely to still be in France, as a win gives Slovakia a fine chance of making the last 16 here.
They did almost squander that, though, by naturally getting nervous in the second half and increasingly retreating.
“We were just sitting deep and defending all the time,” Hamsik admitted. “Luckily, we managed to hold onto the result.”
Luck didn’t have that much to do with it, however, as Russia didn’t really have the creativity or energy to trouble them. For about half an hour of the second half, the game just consisted of Russia swinging unimaginative crosses into the box that Matus Kozacik so easily plucked out of the air.
Denis Glushakov did eventually make one count, and Slovakia brought even more numbers back but Russia just didn’t have enough to punish it.
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Russia's midfielder Denis Glushakov (L) runs to celebrates his goal during the Euro 2016 group B football match between Russia and Slovakia at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, near Lille, on June 15, 2016
Image credit: AFP
The ball did break to Artem Dzyuba at the edge of the box, but he delayed and delayed his shot until the opportunity was gone.
His hesitation and lack of speed summed up so many of Russia’s problems on the pitch. Another issue summed up many of the problems off it.
By that point, a flare had been lit in the Russian end, and Slutsky was asked about it.
“I didn’t see it,” he said. “I was totally concentrated on the game and watching the events on the pitch.”
It was pointed out to him again that it did happen, and that it could yet bring more problems for Russia.
“I didn’t see it,” he repeated, unwilling to engage the issue.
This tournament will not see too much more of Russia, if they don’t properly engage against Wales. They need to change their game and fast, but don’t necessarily have the energy - or quality - to do it.
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