RUSSIA 1-1 SOUTH KOREA
Aleksandr Kerzhakov made an immediate impact off the bench as a substitute and helped Russia escape with a draw after a horrendous blunder by goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.
Fabio Capello will probably spend tonight wondering what he's done to see his goalkeepers surrender terrible goals in World Cup openers. 4 years after Robert Green let in a howler from Clint Dempsey in England's World Cup opener, Igor Akinfeev committed a similar mistake to give South Korea a 1-0 advantage.
It occurred in the 68th minute on a long strike from Lee Keun-Ho that was directed straight at Akinfeev. A seemingly routine catch, the ball squirted through the fingers of the Russian goalkeeper and fell behind him in the net. It was a shock goal and Akinfeev was clearly distraught in the minutes following.
It was a slow game and neither team was able to build momentum as the game progressed. Both teams tried to impose their style of play on the game and neither was overly successful in doing so. The result was both teams struggling through the midfield and firing shots at goal from a distance.
With Korea looking poised to hold on to their surprising lead, it was Aleksandr Kerzhakov who brought Russia back to life. Kerzhakov was left on the bench in a stunning squad selection by Capello and impacted the game the second he hit the field. A Russian shot from distance was stopped well by Jung Sung-Ryong but the Korean clearance hit Andrei Yeshchenko and the ball fell to Kerzhakov who deftly put it past the sprawled Jung.
It was a lone bright spot for Russia who struggled throughout the game along with their Korean opponents.
Goals
Russia: Aleksandr Kerzhakov (74')
South Korea: Lee Keun-Ho (68')
Discipline
Russia: Oleg Shatov (Yellow 49')
South Korea: Son Heung-Min (Yellow 13'), Ki Sung-Yeung (Yellow 30'), Koo Ja-Cheol (Yellow 90')
Man of the Match
Son Heung-Min was given Man of the Match. Don't ask me why. His big impact on the game was an ugly yellow card and setting a record for how high a shot can possibly go. I'll give it to Kerzhakov for bailing out his goalkeeper after inexcusably being left on the bench to start. Also to anyone who watched all 90 minutes of this game.
Key Moment
Minutes after Igor Akinfeev gave up a terrible howler to Lee Keun-Ho, freshly substituted Aleksandr Kerzhakov put home a rebound from close range to tie the game up and erase the Russian deficit. It was a fitting contribution from the most clutch goalscorer on the Russian roster.
What we learned from Russia
Major questions about Igor Akinfeev after that performance. Not just the goal he allowed but he spilled at least 2 other long shots out front of goal in the leadup to that play. Normally confident and reliable it was about the worst a goalkeeper can play in a game like this and is a major concern for Russia. The other concern is personnel selection. I have my own personal reservations about Capello as an England fan but there is no reasonable explanation for why Kerzhakov and Alan Dzagoev started on the bench.
What we learned from South Korea
Had it not been for Akinfeev's blunder, it would have been 5 scoreless outings in 7 games this year for the Koreans. No finishing touch whatsoever from the Korean front players and they could not manage anything inside the Russian penalty area. They have plenty of skill and pace but don't use it effectively and could not get anything going in the offensive end. Can be thankful Russia weren't probing too far in their penalty area or they'd have lost this match.
Going Forward
Belgium and Algeria will both fancy their chances in Group H after this performance. Slow and almost painful to watch at times as both teams held together defensively and struggled to find any offensive opportunities. I'll do a standings update tomorrow night but I would lean towards Belgium and Algeria being 1-2 in this group.
