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Article from www.ujpl.com.ur


Uralica

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Reviews of Saturday's Second-Round Matches

Antero Hentunen

First of all, I'd like to thank the UJPL for letting me publish this article on their site, which is basically a score sheet plus my own thoughts on each match. I compiled this after watching highlights of each second round match.

(1) SiPS 7:0 Torpedo Yugrakar - This time they actually dressed almost all their first-choice team. Torpedo Yugrakar played a bit negitavely and still got whooped. If they had played like Gornyak Kachkanar did, they would be well into double digits.

Atlantis Pääjärvi 0:2 Dinamo Osa - This came down to who had the better 'keeper in the end.

FK Bolak Ukhta 2:1 FK Langepas (AET) - Goes to show you that one piddling little foul can cause you the entire match.

FK Vereshchagino 1:3 CSKVC Syktyvkar - 10/expected. I'm actually rather surprised Vereshchagino scored at all. But hey, a softie when you've already won hurts only the goalkeeper's ego.

FK Kudymkar 2:0 Neftçi Ägerce - good show by FK Kudymkar. They knew they had to play a more balanced game against those sneaky Oilers, so they did precisely that, and reaped the rewards.

Spartak-II Ukhta 2:1 FK Serov (AET) - FK Serov ran outta gas. 'Nuff said. Still, Spartak-II can't keep going to extra time or they'll burn themselves out in the future.

ZB Severodvinsk 1:3 KM Orozai - that scoring punch we keep hearing about finally came into full play here. ZB was good to keep it close for most of the match, but they gave up perhaps a minute too soon.

Metallurg Nytva 1:4 (32) Isoustiukin Pallokerho - IPK showing that they might just be able to make a run for the Bolakliiga this season. Can't blame the IPK 'keeper for letting in that one goal though - it was a superb redirection of a free kick that caught everyone going the wrong way.

(17) FK Inta 1:0 Sortavalan JK - I won't mince words; Inta got lucky. If not for the fact that a Sortavalan player got sent off and the 'keeper got fooled by a bad bounce even then, this could have turned out quite differently. I see Inta losing against Gazovik unless they smarten up.

Gazovik Urengoy 2:1 Fakel-Log United - I really liked Gazovik's work ethic in this one. Even after giving up the opening goal, they pushed harder and harder, and the team from Uralica's Shortest Highway just imploded from all the Urengoy pressure in the end. Could see these guys beating Inta, amazingly enough.

Severstal Cherepovets 3:1 Apatit Hiipinä - Severstal won't be in the Kolmonen for long with the way they've been playing. Only team I could see beating them in the division is Sheksna.

FK Torjal 1:3 Jokerit Suojärvi - now we know which of the two extra-timers had the harder opponent. Jokerit played their butts off out there.

Transit Vojatsu 2:0 Dinamo Kostamuksha - I actually kinda expected this. For a Nelonen team to beat a Kakkonen team and lose to another Nelonen team the next team would be kinda... odd. These guys are going places, though.

Trátyi TK-B 2(3):2(5) Mennonites FC Pazhga - Epic epic EPIC! This was one of the most exciting football matches I've ever seen in Uralica. The teams were so evenly matched that one save literally won them the game. Balthasar Grimm is my hero, making the game-winning save.

FK Gremyachinsk 2:1 Dentex Izhevsk (AET) - Dentex may make toothpaste and toothbrushes, but the only thing that got cleaned in this match was their collective clock. They had this one wrapped up, but a dumb foul allowed Gremyachinsk to equalise, then they got caught napping in extra time.

Peltinischer Sport Verein 3(7):3(6) (16)FK Syktyvkar - they may not have had a great season in the B-liiga last year, but FK Syktyvkar isn't that bad a team, and they didn't play bad football. Here's the clincher though - PSV was better, if only slightly. Another epic match for the books.

(9)Dinamo Vologda 5:1 FK Krasnovishersk - Come on, who didn't see this coming?

Titan V'naya Salda 4:0 FK Troitsko-Pechorsk - this, on the other hand, came out of left field. FKTP looked incredibly sloppy and amateurish down there, while Titan came ready to play their hearts out and beat the tar out of them.

Vogvozdino Town 3:2 Veliski FK (AET) - everyone's talking about Khalmer-Yu Town being the feel-good dark horse of this thing, but what about Vogvozdino? The junction town of two thousand people between Syktyvkar and Emva is putting together their own Cinderella run! This is quite the upset!

Rapid Kuálõk 3:1 FK Kungur - ahh yes, the team from the town whose name no one from outside of Uralica can pronounce properly. :P Start learning how to centralise your As and unround your Os, people. Rapid is here to stay! They've been on a tear of late.

Rossia Krasnokamsk 4:2 Veliskin Palloklubi - looks like Rossia is playing their football this season as if they have something to prove. And they do, really. They have to prove that they can make it back into the Ykkönen for next season.

Luch Murmansk 2:1 Gornyak Usinsk - gotta give Gornyak credit for not quitting until the final whistle went, but Luch was too good in the back.

FK Yulser-Ola 2:1 Dinamo-II Arkhangel'sk - 'twas a good run for Dinamo's reserve, but all good things must come to an end. One thing's for sure though, the future is looking ever brighter for the "Sinichornyye," in spite of their reserve team's exit. FK Yulser-Ola had to dig really deep to get that second goal.

Spartak Kovdor 0:2 (24) Öskölömen Palloklubi - ÖPK did well to get goals by perhaps one of the most negative teams in Uralica. Spartak needs to work on its offence, and needs to do so SOON.

(25) Bumazhnik Solikamsk 3:1 Hungaria Juganvar - Bumazhnik struggled a little in the first half, but got a second wind and blasted two quick ones in to start the second half, demoralising Hungaria. They need more consistency, though.

Taiga Shchelyayur 3:2 UPHG Mozhga (AET) - another win for Shchelyayur? Not bad for a bunch of guys from the middle of nowhere! Seriously, it seems the most remote teams play with the most heart and determination.

Patschker SpVgg 4:1 FK Zura - need any proof that Zura lucked out against Transit Kuálõk? Well, they played at about the same level here, and they got flattened by the "Sod-Housers" of Patschker Spielvereinigung.

Transit Gryazovets 0:3 Spartak Kirov - Spartak hasn't really had any real competition yet, outscoring their opponents 7-0 over the first two matches. Not bad at all for a new team.

Obyugra FK 3:1 FK Verkhny Tagil - they had a little bit of a scare in the second half, but Obyugra pulled itself together for a decent win over a moderately-talented team.

Inter Enso 3:2 Mashinostroitel Severodvinsk (AET) - holy upset, Batman! Inter Enso has had a tough draw so far and has still managed to make it through two rounds. Let's keep our eyes on them, especially striker Andrey Voloshinin.

Darya Orichi 3:1 FK Ordjanbuje - and the moral of this story is? Experience wins matches!

Transit Omutninsk 2:4 (8)Spartak Ukhta - The score might not do justice to how much trouble Spartak had with Transit in this one. Trud Orlov was a walk in the park compared to these guys.

(5) Mashinostroitel Kirov 6:0 Kortkeros Town - Not many people can get the ball past Yev Kudymov, and no one has in the 'Kilpi yet.

FK Kotlas-II 1:3 Dinamo Petroskoi - It's not like they were playing a massively good academy system :P Dinamo had little trouble with FK Kotlas' lacklustre reserve squad.

FK Tsiglomen' 3:2 Yugra Surgut (AET) - if you don't know where Tsiglomen' is yet, look it up. Once part of Arkhangel'sk, it is the oft-neglected third major settlement in the Arkhangel'sk-Severodvinsk Combined Seaport. Well, oft-neglected until now. :P Their football team is pretty darned good, fighting from whistle to whistle.

GazEx Kamensk 2:3 Magyar LK - I was rather disappointed with the level of play the "Magyar Saints" brought to the pitch in this one. GazEx wasn't as good as the close score might suggest. A bit of a howler, really.

Fortuna Nizhny Tagil 4:0 Northbank United - the FK Novy Urengoy near-loss was a wakeup call for Fortuna, who went all-out on Northbank (who aren't that bad for a Nelonen team) and got the kind of results that the best unseeded team should be getting.

Retrofitnik Asbest 3:1 Zheleznik Segezha - Fitting that a team nicknamed the "Earthquakes" should defeat a team called the "Railworkers." Bad puns aside, Retrofitnik brought their game up a notch to win. They won't be easy to beat.

Krug FK Kudymkar 2:3 Metallurg Kamensk (AET) - Metallurg knew they had to improve to beat Krug, so they spent extra time in training. It paid off in the end as they had that extra bit of stamina to carry them to victory.

KSFK Glazov 0:2 (28)CSKA Syktyvkar - for some reason, CSKA hasn't really impressed me thus far. It's almost as if they're holding back. Still, they were better here than they were in that snooze-fest they played against FK Novodvinsk.

(21)FK Ukhta 3:2 Novo FK Novocheboksarsk (AET) - Not so much a case of Ukhta playing poorly as it was of Novo playing their very best football. The only problem here was, they overexerted themselves in regulation, leaving themselves dead-tired by the time extra time came around.

Torpedo Ezhva 1:2 RKC Petroskoi - I feel bad for Ezhva. This match should have gone to a shootout really, but the ball took a funny hop off the ground off a free kick and the Ezhva 'keeper wasn't quick enough to keep it out. RKC's manager came out and said his team had gotten a lucky break there, because it was otherwise a very even, open contest, with both goalkeepers otherwise performing very well.

Zenit Nevyansk 2:0 Khimik Saransk - Zenit's proven to be one of the most balanced teams in the Kolmonen, and it shows in their meticulous but not quite negative defensive play. Khimik just didn't have it in them, although they still tried somewhat.

Unix Vereshchagino 0:5 Sever Murmansk - even though I know the answer from a pragmatics point of view, from a footballing view, it has to be asked - WHY THE HELL ARE SEVER ONLY IN THE KAKKONEN?? For crying out loud, they're playing B-liiga-level football!

Russki FK 3:4 Dinamo Kharovsk (AET) - You could tell how much Dinamo wanted to win this. When the match was over, half the team was on the ground, panting, with huge smiles on their faces. They literally left everything out on the pitch, and a beautiful, highlight-reel transition play led to the winning goal.

Juuria JK 2:0 SSP Syktyvkar - SSP stank in this one. There is no way to sugar-coat it. Every last shot of theirs missed the net completely.

FK Novaja Zemlja 1:0 FanKom Alapayevsk - small score doesn't always mean boring. Both goalkeepers were tested, and it took an insanely accurate free kick to get the Islanders the win.

Spartak Ivdel 0:7 (12) Zavod Ural Solikamsk - ZavU must like cup competitions. Seriously, they do better in the 'Kilpi than in any other competition. And this was no different, complete with Fedor Poustovoitov and Miron Smertin both getting hat-tricks.

(13)FK Vorkuta 3:0 Lokomotiv Izhevsk - FK Vorkuta is easily one of the most underrated teams in the Bolakliiga. They might not have star power, but their team game is to die for.

UralAsbest Asbest 1:2 Mansi SKFK (AET) - great match for the fans. It had lots of shots, three highlight-reel-worthy goals, and a dramatic finish which saw an honest-to-God ethnic Mansi bag a magnificent winning goal off a seemingly harmless free kick. Should have gone to a shootout, but hey, that's football!

FK Vorkuta-II 2:1 Udmurt Balezino - like I said, underrated. This extends to their reserve team as well.

Spartak Krasavino 0:3 YugraMash Kogalym - holy embarrassing, Batman! After upsetting Delin Izhevsk, they completely implode. That said, YugraMash did beat Majak Punaturjin.

Mari FK 2:0 Gornyak Severouralsk - much more definitive a win than their nailbiter against Torpedo Agryz. They dominated from whistle to whistle.

CSKVC-II Kirov 2:4 MFK Viche Alan - no, the "M" doesn't stand for "Mari" even thought the city name is indeed Mari. That said, Kirov's air force's reserve team was never really in this match, although they scored to make it 3-1 and 4-2. MFKVA were just too strong.

Olimp Ürzhüm 1:2 FK Yugrakar - I have to say, I'm rather disappointed with Olimp. They go from winning a match 6-2 to losing in one round. A hairbrained play by Ferenc Kurti late in the match didn't exactly help matters.

FK Yashkur-Bodya 1:7 (20)CSKVC Kirov - This is the case of the annoying red spider (FKYB) who gets squished by the foot of a giant (CSKVCK) but manages to get in a bite that creates a slight discomfort in the process. They didn't really stand much chance against one of the hardest-working teams in the upper levels. Ex-SiPS striker Seppo Alkkis played well, grabbing two goals and an assist.

(29)Mashinostroitel Aleksandrovsk 5:0 Dinur Pervouralsk - The team formerly known as Aleks has yet to concede a goal, and not because of the incompetence of the opposition, but because 21-year-old Alexi Vahamäki has been nothing short of a monster in goal. Plus his long-distance goal kicks and punts have made life generally miserable for the opposition.

Mordovia Lashma 1:3 Volga Cheboksary - an utterly dimwitted header by left back Donat Konstantinov to put the ball in his own net sealed what could have been a dramatic and close match.

Zheshart FK 2:1 Tekstilshchik Kirov - I thought Zheshart would wipe the floor with Tek'chik, but an unfortunate outbreak of the flu two days earlier meant that half the team was actually sick. The fact that they even decided to play at all is a miracle, much less the fact they won. Gennadiy Turpanov is insane though - he was hospitalised after the match for dehydration, after scoring both Zheshart's goals.

SPKFK Salyakharad 1:4 Ural Yekaterinburg - Ural will be in the Bolakliiga. It's only a matter of when. :P

CSKA Ukhta 2:1 Spartak Urai - Another case of, "we gave it our all, but they were just too good." Poor Urai.

FK Dobryanka 0:3 Sysola Syktyvkar - not really surprising. Dobryanka only won 1-0 against a far easier opponent, so Sysola just clobbered them.

Mezen' FK 2:1 Triumph Yalchiki - Mezen' were very determined to win this one.

Yaranich Yaransk 0:6 (4)Dinamo Arkhangel'sk

- absolutely, positively, NO chance of Yaranich winning this match. And from what I saw, Dinamo let up on them after they scored the fifth goal, or else the score would have been way higher. Outclassed in every way imaginable. Hell, Ipati Izotov was a spectator. Quite literally.

(3)Dinamo Kirov 7:0 FK Kondupohju - two easy teams back-to-back. Khavkuk Shlomov actually sat this out after scoring a ridiculous eight against FK Artyomovsky in the first round, and they still won by a country mile.

Transit Murashi 3:2 Sukhona Sokol - another close battle for Transit, but they managed to make it to the third round through grit. Their physical football isn't particularly palatable to all, which they found out when they got a couple foreign friendlies, leaving both teams whining that they were playing dirty.

Progress Inta 2:0 Serebrennik Koryazhma - Progress had seen Serebrennik's offensive style on tape after their own match against Torpedo Cherepovets ended, so they decided to play a more defensive style. It worked.

Montsan Palloklubi 2010 3:2 FK Sarapul - classic. This was yet another case of two teams that were very evenly matched, and it was unfortunate for FK Sarapul that this didn't go to extra time. The winning goal was scored just as the ref was getting ready to blow for full-time, when a defender went for a clearance and had the ball knocked away from him by an MPK-10 forward, who passed it back to a midfielder who lobbed the goalkeeper.

Tekstilshchik Igra 1:3 Spartak Aunus - Tek'chik was tired. Spartak Aunus wasn't. 'Nuff said.

Gornyak Mirnyy 1:3 Sokol Sernur - this was simply a case of Sokol being the better team.

North College Segezha 2:1 PFK Kirovo-Chepetsk - Was actually mostly NC Segezha in this game in terms of good plays, just that PFKKC had a good goalkeeper. If NCS' goalkeeper faced as many shots as his opposite number, Kirovo-Chepetsk woulda won.

FK Kostomuksha 0:2 (30) Usovuoren JK

- UJK was being dangerously nonchalant about this match, at least as far as offence goes. If they went into a match even against a Kakkonen team with that kind of attitude, they'd be dead in the water.

But let's be honest. FK Kostomuksha isn't really that good a team in the big picture.

(19) Transit Sosnogorsk 4:0 Torpedo Glazov - No real surprise here. Udmurtia-II had Kakkonen-level talent, enough to give a team fresh out of the Ykkönen a real scare, but Torpedo Glazov played like amateurs by comparison.

Khalmer-Yu Town 5:1 Kompak Pervomaysky - the risk you run by accepting a walkover is that you will come into a game cold, and Kompak did precisely that. Khalmer-Yu, on the other hand, continue their Cinderella run, although their next opponents could just as easily put an end to it.

Sheksna Cherepovets 3:0 FK Syktyvkar-II - Sheksna's really been playing well of late, and I think that they will definitely challenge for promotion this season. They certainly did a good job of showing where FK Syktyvkar's weaknesses lie at the youth level.

FK Cheboksary 2:4 Kirssin Palloseura - so I herd you liek the "Mud KiPS." (No baloney, that's their nickname :P) They certainly like to score goals, although their defence needs a bit of work. Their 'keeper was left hung out to dry on both goals. Fortunately for them, FK Cheboksary's offence is mediocre.

Karjala JK Viipuri 1:2 Kedr Novouralsk (AET) - Kedr earned this one with blood, sweat, and tears, quite literally. They would go for balls that some footballers wouldn't touch for fear of hurting themselves. They had to used two substitutions just for injuries. They even managed getting a Karjala JK player (one of the few foreigners that play their game in Uralica) sent off for a studs-up challenge. But when Ruslan Germanov headed the ball into the net in the mid-stages of the half, it all became worth it.

Jupiter Yarkosky 0:1 Burevestnik Izhevsk - quite possibly the most BORING match I've ever watched in Uralica. Seriously, that's not football. That's what you'd expect from chess. And if I wanted to watch a chess match, I'd go to the Uralic Cultural Centre. Thankfully, this didn't go all the way to a shootout. I think the stands would empty if that were the case. Honestly, when your home fans are booing you and calling for your sacking, you know you're in trouble. Tommi Myllys, do yourself a favour. Resign. NOW.

Uva Hotspur 1:2 Chŏvash Ulatŏr - although there were only the three goals, there were tons of chances at both ends, but solid performances from the goalkeepers kept this pretty much level until around the 85th minute, when "VashU" sprung its star forward on a breakaway that ended with him rounding the 'keeper. Full marks to both clubs for effort, but the away side was just a teensy bit better in the end.

Vienankemin JK 0:2 (14)FK Kotlas - FK Kotlas has yet to allow a goal, but surprisingly for a B-Liiga team, they themselves have only scored five in two matches. I have to wonder if this will bite them in the butt when they play someone with some actual substance.

(11)Metafraks Gubakha 3:1 Dinamo Kirovo-Chepetsk - another B-Liiga team I'm starting to get concerned about. That said, Metafraks is currently slightly injury-ridden, so they have an excuse. They still played decent football in the end.

Metallurg Dvurechensk 0:4 Rapid Konosha - yet another lower-level dark horse is Rapid Konosha. They have outscored their opposition 7-0 over the last two matches, with their next opponent being Metafraks Gubakha, who seem to not be quite playing at B-Liiga form at the moment. Could they spring the next upset? Their chances are better than one might think.

Udmurt FK 2:1 Zenit Yekaterinburg - Zenit went down 2-0 early, tried to come back, and almost succeeded, but had a goal disallowed. Upon further review it was determined the call was legit and the result was upheld. It was a fun match, though. I didn't actually watch them all, but I did watch this one. Udmurt did get a little lucky in the end with the offside call though.

Sokolski Sportklub 0:2 Octane Perm' - Octane lived up to their name in this match, even though they only scored twice. They had 70% of the possession and created a lot of good chances, and if not for Sokol's good goalkeeping the score could easily have been three times that. Sokol did get seven shots in as well, but Octane's goalkeeper was up to the task. One thing I like about these guys is that they are very consistent, they calm themselves before each match, and they like to have fun. What point is there playing footy if you aren't gonna have fun doing it?

Spartak Nyagan 3:2 Dynamo Öskölömi (AET) - Spartak Nyagan have won the last two games through pure fitness. Honestly, not many teams at their tier-level of the UJPL can pull off back-to-back AET matches (they beat free-falling Arsenal Syktyvkar 4-3) and still have much gas left in the tank, but honestly, these guys were back in training earlier today and looked only slightly fatigued.

Severomineralnik Apatity 1:3 PFK Yoshkar-Ola - I have to admit I was a little disappointed with Severomineralnik after this one. I went to their first-rounder against Luch Zyukaika, and this team, for its defensive glitches, showed promise of having a real chance offensively. But against Promyshlennik (that's what the "P" stands for in PFK), they were all but shut down, and by the time they scored their only goal, it was the 80th minute and the match was pretty much over.

Transit Talitsa 1:2 Peltinischer FC (AET) - I've heard reports of this being one for the ages, and quite frankly, I believe it. You've got a bunch of footy-mad Germans on one side and a good bunch of kids on the other. Both teams left it all out there, and it took an extremely well-placed corner kick to set up the winning goal in the second half of extra time. I watched the highlights of this one and was quite impressed.

FK Krasnoufimsk 1:5 TvinkiZavod Chaykovsky - The "Twinkie Tigers" might have a cutesy-poo nickname based on a pastry snack and a certain alliance's ruler, but trust me, they are the real deal. After their shock win over 22nd-seeded Spartak Yoshkar-Ola in a penalty shootout, they came back and absolutely flattened Krasnoufimsk. The TZC 'keeper let in a soft one late, but his reaction to this was a chuckle, because he knew his team had won. I could see these guys in the bigs in three seasons or so.

(27)Turan Ukhta 3:2 Karelia Petroskoi - Ykkönen club Turan Ukhta got a scare from Karelia Petroskoi, a Kolmonen side with a head of steam and a ton of determination, which made for some epic football. If Karelia Petroskoi doesn't get out of the Kolmonen this season, I'd be kinda disappointed. They really came to play, and it's too bad they lost in a sense. But Turan was able to hold them off with some key defensive plays late in the game.

UralMash Punaturjin 3:1 Start Malmyzh - Since Majak disappointed, UralMash decided it was their bounden duty to carry the torch for the city of Punaturjin, and they did a pretty darned good job of it, especially after a slow start against PZ Perm. Malmyzh were caught a little off guard by a much more determined UralMash, and found themselves down 2-0 within 25 minutes. It just snowballed from there.

Viktoria Sortavala 1:3 Murman Severomorsk - For a team that was only founded two months ago as a general sports club, Murman is turning a lot of heads with some very sensible play. Viktoria was a tougher team to crack than their first-round opponents, but after that second goal, you pretty much knew Murman was going to win. Viktoria just didn't have it in them.

Neftekhimik Parma 0:2 FK Berezniki - could have just as easily been 5-0 for FK Berezniki, but for some pretty good goalkeeping from Luka Ustinov, Neftekhimik's ethnic-Komi goalkeeper. The rest of the team, on the other hand, kinda sucked against newly-promoted FK Berezniki, who play in the Ykkönen this season.

Sapmi FK Montsa 0:1 Viipurin Palloseura - this match was rather boring, to be honest. Neither team wanted to make a mistake, and they did play well-organised, but the lack of shots made this an epic snoozefest. VPS outshot Sapmi 3-2, and the goal was kinda scrappy.

Mashinostroitel Cherepovets 0:2 Stolitsa Yoshkar-Ola - Further proof that Stolitsa Yoshkar-Ola deserved to be moved up to Kakkonen came in the form of this very well-played match. Mashinostroitel wasn't bad per se, but they just couldn't beat Csaba Szalay, who stopped all eight of the shots he faced.

Dinamo Usinsk 2:3 FK Saransk (AET) - very close match here in the end, in spite of FK Saransk's quick start. I wouldn't say Saransk blew this one by giving up a 2-0 lead since it was so close in terms of skill level and possession. Usinsk actually had the slight upper hand in possession, not even by a percent.

FK Kilmez 1:4 (6)Amkar Perm' - Kilmez brought their A-game for this one. Naturally, for one of only two teams in the UJPL system that was in the Old Russian Premier League (Ural Yekaterinburg being the other), it wasn't anywhere near good enough. But Amkar came right out and said they actually broke a sweat in this match, as opposed to the first-round drubbing they handed FK Murashi. Actually, it was a classy move by Amkar to give Matvey Chaykovsky the match ball after the final whistle - he got Kilmez their only goal and hit the inside of the left post a second time. Keep your eyes out for him. He's gonna be good.

(7)Kirovin JK 5:0 FK Beryozovka - no surprises here, really. Tapani Karjalainen had a hat trick.

Ural Irbit 1:2 Metallurg Chusovoi - This was so close. It took a highlight-reel goal from Metallurg left-flanker Mainio Harjanne late in the game (as in, second-half injury time late :P) to seal this deal. Seriously, I don't think anyone expected him to curl a corner kick right into the net, even Mainio Harjanne himself!

Traktor Berezniki 1:3 Gornyak Perm' - Gornyak may be in the Kolmonen now, but they're playing Ykkönen-level football, at least in the offence. Their defence still needs a little work, but it was better than it was in their 4-2 win over Olimpia Kirovo-Chepetsk's reserves.

Parus Izhevsk 1:2 FK Naryan-Mar - FK Naryan-Mar is playing with a chip on its shoulder, and has gutted out two very physical victories. This one didn't go to extra time mainly because of the very strong second half the "Ptarmigans" had.

Krylyja Uralikov 3:2 FK Karhumägi - It seems KUFK isn't playing up to scratch this round. Honestly, they were lucky to get the win here. More defensive errors than one could shake a stick at.

Energiya Sheksna 1:3 Metallurg Omutninsk - All the close chances actually went in this time. The score doesn't do justice to how dull this game really was, with Energiya playing very defensive football for the first half and the first part of the second half, yet Metallurg were still able to bag three even though they only managed five shots on goal. Which means one of two things - either Energiya's 'keeper sucks, or Metallurg's offence is better than they let on in their opening match.

Ural Vuktyl 1:4 Dinamo-II Kirov - It will take a GOOD team to beat Dinamo Kirov's reserves. They have some players on that team that are already ready to make the jump to the main roster, and Ural Vuktyl should count themselves lucky that they even got a goal.

FK Oktyabrskiy 1:4 (26)Pechorski SK - Pechorski SK, who nearly made it into the B-liiga for this season, were smart to let up a little when they had Oktyabrskiy beat 4-0 by the early stages of the second half. They're gonna need the extra juice on Wednesday when they play Dinamo Kirov's reserves.

(23)Lokomotiv Kotlas 2:3 UralElektroMed V'naya Pyshma (AET) - in spite of their seeding, the rather incompetent Lokomotiv Kotlas will need to make a few changes if they're to stay in the Ykkönen after getting massacred in the B-Liiga both last season and the season before. I mean come on, they struggled with TWO teams that were three divisions lower than they were! And UralElektroMed really isn't that spectacular.

Metallurg Yoshkar-Ola 1:2 Avtodor Yekaterinburg (AET) - I actually watched this match in full, and ended up not regretting it. It was very exciting with both side having chances numbering in double digits. I kinda felt bad for Metallurg, because they played really well, and hit the crossbar in second-half stoppage time, nearly scoring. Avtodor earned the win, though.

SpVgg Ubb 3:0 Volga Yulser-Ola - a combination of collapse from Volga and continued greatness from Ubb resulted in basically a fly-through for the Mennoland-based team. I could honestly see them making the Round of 16 the way they're playing.

FK Balezino 2:1 Jälgpallklubi Trakt - this result is currently under review due to a handball controversy in the late stages, and to be fair to the referee, given the crowd that was around the goal at the time, I don't blame him for not seeing it. Kudos to JK Trakt for "doing it right," though, and going through all the proper channels of appeal. If it does go to replay though, I hope both teams play better. I got the sense that at least JK Trakt wasn't firing on all cylinders in this one.

Liv JK 3:1 Sokol Medvedevo - not surprised this was more clear cut. I saw a friendly between the two teams Liv has beaten thus far, and Transit Votka was indeed the better team. What I am surprised about is that Sokol Medvedevo actually scored.

Torpedo Yekaterinburg 2:3 Nenets FK - Nenets FK wasn't playing poorly per se, they just caught a team that was almost as good as they were. But apparently living up in the frozen tundra gives the "Arctic Terns" the extra drive to win matches. And that last goal by Uuro Karttunen was an absolute beauty.

Dinamo Berezniki 3:1 Spartak Plesetsk - Dinamo Berezniki had a little more trouble with Spartak Plesetsk than they did with Luch Zarechnyy, but that wasn't saying too much. The Chuvash side did get a decent goal against them, mind you. But it was business as usual.

FK Louhi 1:7 (10)Telekom Pazhga - Diedrik Siemens is by far the best flanking mid in Uralica, and he showed why again in this game. He only had a single assist in the 9-1 romp over Dinamo-II Vologda but chalked five up here, and had at least a small part in every goal. He can make plays, and he can also finish them - he scored a goal as well. I expect big things from the 'Kom this season.

(15)FK Kirov 3:1 Sapmi FK Käddluhtt - This is FK Kirov in form I've never seen them in before. In spite of letting in a goal, with the speed and accuracy of the high shot, there was no way Marko Aikio could have stopped it. But FK Kirov played fantastic football out there.

Energiya Kez 2:4 FK Votka - Kez gave Votka some trouble in this all-Udmurt battle, at least in the first half. But in the second half, I dunno what the manager said in the half-time team talk, but it lit a rocket under their butts and they got two quick ones to win. They need to be more consistent or the higher-ranked teams will easily beat them.

CSKA Vorkuta 1:2 Neftekhimik Onega - Talk about a roller-coaster ride! CSKA actually had a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half! But Neftekhimik dug deep and fought back, with Tuomo Nieminen scoring both goals in the comeback win for that side. Nice stuff.

Kannas FK Viipuri 0(5):0(4) Sapmi Murmansk - this match nearly put me to sleep. Quite literally.

Pshenitsa Kudymkar 1:2 Akademklub Arkhangel'sk (AET) - Akademklub stole this one. Outshot and outplayed, it was a brilliant goalkeeping effort by Sergey Rodionov that kept them afloat, and later, let them win this one, since they were outshot 15-6.

FK Vytegra 3:0 Dvina Novodvinsk - Vytegra appears to be going places, led by striker Rustam Chesnokov and goalkeeper Andrey Gordiyev. They haven't allowed a goal yet, and are playing at a pretty solid level of football. Can they take the next step, though?

FK Sheksna 1:2 Mashinostroitel-II Kirov - Mashinostroitel's reserves are okay, but they had to work for this one against a determined FK Sheksna. Don't confuse that team with Sheksna Cherepovets though. Last time FK Sheksna and Sheksna Cherepovets met, the latter won 4-0.

Gornyak Kachkanar 0:9 (19)Trátyi TK - I don't think words could possibly describe how poorly Gornyak played on their own pitch. Seriously, if TraTK were even close to being serious about this, they'd've won by at least fifteen.

(30)Khimik Koryazhma 3:0 Rubin Yadrin - Khimik decided to step up their defence for this game, but they really didn't need to since Rubin Yadrin were lucky just to get out of the first round with that lacklustre offence of theirs.

SiPS-Reservit 3:1 FK Rodniki - Rodniki went with the same formula that got them their 1-0 win over Torpedo Konosha, but they got blown away by the speed of the SiPS reserves, including Oleg Vodovozov and Ahti Rautamäki, both of whom have first-team contracts but have yet to've played for the big squad. Speaking of Rautamäki, he scored the insurance goal late in the match.

Salon Vologda 0:2 FK Sindor - Sindor may play a more defensive game than some teams, but they do have some scoring punch as well, and both came to bear in this very balanced-looking game. Salon didn't stand a chance.

Yagry FK 0:5 Mordovia Saransk - Mordovia smells blood by the looks of it. They want to do things this season, and if they keep putting together matches like these, they'll do it. Georgi Khrushchyov is a beast up front.

Eesti JK 3:0 Lokomotiv Paranga - Looks like Paranga got out of the wrong side of the bed on game day. Their players were nowhere near as focussed as they were when they beat STM Medvedevo. But Eesti seems to be putting together good strings of performances, with a pre-Kilpi friendly win against UJK and now two wins in the 'Kilpi, outscoring their opposition 6-1.

Mashinist Chusovoi 1:4 Energiya Chaykovsky - Mashinist looked very tired out there today, and Energiya took full advantage, leading 3-0 after the first half. Shouldn't have been up all night partying! :P

Fakel Kuyeda 2(7):2(6) FK Syktyvda - a real battle for the ages. Both teams held the lead once, with Syktyvda (who are based in Vilgort, a suburb of Syktyvkar) having to score the equaliser. It must have been devastating for Dmitry Berezin to hit the goal post on his shot. Poor guy.

Dinamo-GPS Murmansk 0:8 (2)Udmurtiya Izhevsk - If Udmurtiya goes out early like they did last year, there're gonna be a lot of upset people in Izhevsk. Golubovsky has been a playmaking machine, bagging 10 assists in only 2 games.

POST-SCRIPT NOTE: FK Balezino striker Markus Cheveldayoff came forward and said the ball did indeed hit his hand, and as a result the original 2-1 result was thrown out. Since Balezino "did not want to hold up the works," they refused a replay, meaning JK Trakt was awarded a forfeit victory on Monday. However, just before the time of publishing, JK Trakt had lost to SpVgg Ubb.

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