1armedboxer

Saratov Gazyet
The June Round-Up

Sokol Saratov welcomed Kaliningrad side Baltika to the Lokomotiv Stadium in good spirits following their trouncing of Lisma in their previous game. They had every right to feel confident of themselves as Jan Slahor scored a first half brace – the first a corker from the corner of the penalty area – to put the home side in complete control. Twelve minutes into the second half Slahor finished his hat-trick with a sublime lob over Pshukov in the away goal before Emin Agaev was sent off for a professional foul with twenty minutes left. In the final period of the game a rampant Saratov added two more through Roman Oreschuk to send Baltika on the 2000km journey home with their tales between their legs.

Sokol Saratov 5 (Slahor 17, 33, 57, Oreschuk 75, 82)
Baltika 0 (Agaev s/o 68)

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Fifteen goals in three games had given Saratov the confidence they needed to push for promotion. Going into the match against KamAZ only a point off the top spot and with a greatly superior goal difference, Mikhail Razhazan again fielded a three-man strike partnership of Jan Slahor, Roman Oreschuk and Petr Katchouro. It was Oreschuk who opened the scoring 16 minutes in with an accurate finish from an Alexandr Zhidkov cross. He should have got his second on the hour, rounding the keeper only to see his left foot effort hit the side netting. With twenty minutes remaining Anatoly Baklanov hit the bar with a long range effort, and Sokol were made to rue their missed chances when Roman Bas’kov placed the ball beyond Platon Zakharchuk as Kam hit the home side with a textbook late counter attack.

Sokol Saratov 1 (Oreschuk 16)
KamAZ Naberezhnye Chelny 1 (Bas’kov 85)

1armedboxer

Saratov Gazyet
The July Round-Up

Dinamo Makhachkala 2 (Spalevic 1, Akaev 17)
Sokol Saratov 0 (Zhidkov 79)

Dinamo Bryansk 2 (Pyatbratov 36, Iljin pen 68)
Sokol Saratov 0

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Having failed to score in over 250 minutes of football, Sokol Saratov were in danger of losing touch with the First Division front-runners. A bad time then for runaway leaders Anzhi to visit the Lokomotiv Stadium. By half time Gadji Bamatov had set the league-leaders on the road to victory with two gloriously taken goals. Mikhail Razhazan looked on in stunned silence as his team collapsed. What he said at half time must have been severe, however, as Jan Slahor pulled a goal back for the home side within a minute of the restart. When Roman Oreschuk equalised three minutes later Razhazan moved for the first time, punching the air and demanding that his side kept its concentration. He need not have worried. With the game heading for an entertaining but unhelpful 2-2 draw, Oreschuk took the bull by the horns, bagging two in the final ten minutes to complete the comeback and hand his side three much-deserved points.

Sokol Saratov 4 (Slahor 46, Oreschuk 49, 83, 86)
Anzhi 2 (Bamatov 19, 44)

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Saratov Gazyet
Sunday 18th July, 2004

Razhazan Unveils Shuneiko Signing

Sokol Saratov manager Mikhail Razhazan today announced that he has clinched the signing of Belorussian central defender Vladimir Shuneiko from Orel for £24k. Needing to strengthen the backline if his team is to push for a promotion place, Razhazan told the assembled press that this was a sign that the Board of Directors saw that the job he is doing as creditable. “I’ve got the backing,” claimed the team’s Head Coach. “Now all I have to do is push the lads into top gear.”

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With confidence apparently refreshed Mikhail Razhazan looked to the visit of lowly Arsenal Tula in the hope of securely another vital three points. With new signing Vladimir Shuneiko in at the back, the fans hopes of curing the defensive frailties of the first half of the season were raised. It took just five minutes for Jan Slahor to curl a delightful shot into the near top corner of the Tula goal and settle home nerves. Half an hour later the Slovakian turned neatly onto a Roman Oreschuk cross to crash the ball into the roof of the net and when Sergey Phillipenkov shoved Sergey Gorlukovich in the area, Oreschuk buried his side’s third of the half. Saratov came out for the second period looking ready to tear the opposition to pieces. Slahor was unlucky that his wonderful run didn’t end in the finish it so deserved, and Oreschuk saw an effort turned over magnificently by the keeper. There efforts proved in vain however, and Tula scored a late consolation to end the game 3-1.

Sokol Saratov 3 (Slahor 6, 33, Oreschuk pen 45)
Arsenal Tula 1 Klimov 93)

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Saratov Gazyet
Wednesday 21st July, 2004

Razhazan Raids Orel Again

Saratov boss Mikhail Razhazan today announced that he had again been to Orel in the transfer market, this time coming away with young attacking midfielder Alexey Zlydnev. Addressing the local media, Razhazan told those present that he is close to the squad he wants to take Sokol to the Premier Division.

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Saratov Gazyet
Friday 23rd July, 2004

Razhazan Empties Piggy-Bank

Sokol Saratov Head Coach Mikhail Razhazan today rounded off a frantic week in the transfer market, landing Ukrainian midfielder Eugeny Lutsenko from Dinamo Moscow. The deal, thought to be for around £80k, apparently clears the manager’s transfer funds for the season. Having already signed both Vladimir Shuneiko and Alexey Zlydnev in the previous seven days, Razhazan has obviously been busy doing all he can to push for a top two spot and a place in next year’s Premier Division.

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Mikhail Razhazan held back from thrusting news signings Alexey Zlydnev and Eugeny Lutsenko into the starting line-up for the visit of Khimki this afternoon. Sticking to the midfield that helped defeat Tula 3-1 in their last match, Razhazan instead named them amongst the substitutes. He was forced to change his plans on the hour however, as having created little he threw on both midfielders and ten minutes later sacrificed Volodymyr Bondarenko to add Petr Katchouro to the attack. Katchouro wasted the only chance that his side managed to produce, however, as Khimki shut up shop to secure a point.

Sokol Saratov 0
Khimki 0

1armedboxer

Saratov Gazyet
July continued
The August Round-Up

Sokol Saratov 1 (Oreschuk 33)
Terek 1 (Fed’kov 45)

Lokomotiv Chita 1 (Alkhimov 18; Belichenko missed pen 28)
Sokol Saratov 3 (Bliznyuk 2, Katchouro 4, Slahor 90; Zakharchuk s/o 28)

Neftekhimik 2 (Saphet 43, Budylin 54)
Sokol Saratov 1 (Slahor 62)

Sokol Saratov 1 (Adjindjal 85)
Metallurg Lipetsk 0

Chernomorets 1 (Oleinik 22)
Sokol Saratov 2 (Slahor 43, 60)

Sokol Saratov 3 (Shuneiko 37, Oreschuk 72, 81)
Urulan 0

Spartak Nalchik 0
Sokol Saratov 3 (Katchouro 6, 59, Oreschuk 73)

Sokol Saratov 7 (Lutsenko 45, Gorlukovich 48, Al-Taravna 50, 69, Slahor 67, 88, Katchouro 83; Stepanyan s/o 80)
Metallurg-Kuzbass 0 (Yegunov s/o 65)

September 2004
Russian Cup 5th Round
Sokol Saratov 2 (Zlydnev 9, Lutsenko pen 19)
Orel 0

Tom 3 (Monaryov 2, Tyurin og 75, Kozlov 90)
Sokol Saratov 3 (Zlydnev 14, 28, Katchouro 65)

1armedboxer

Saratov Gazyet
September

Mikhail Rozhazan took his side to Orel still rocked from watching his side throw away a game that they have by the scruff of the neck in Tom. His mood was not helped by Sergey Khimich’s 8th minutes pile driver, although the knowledge that his Saratov side had beaten today’s opponents in the cup a week before must have settled his nerves a little. It would have come as no surprise, then, when inspirational signing Alexey Zlydnev curled in from 25 yards just ten minutes later. When Roman Oreschuk gave his side the lead five minutes later with a smart finish from 10 yards and then saw Petr Katchouro latch onto a marvellous Zlydnev through ball to make it 3-1, Razhazan would have been forgiven for breathing an audible sigh of relief. When Taras Shelest pulled one back for the home side and Zlydnev was forced off at half time, the volatile Razhazan was soon barking orders at his charges once more. The second half was all action. Oreschuk drew a couple of marvellous saves from the home keeper and Orel missed a hatful of chances before Eugeny Losev equalised. Sokol had thrown away a two-goal lead for the second game running and when Alexandr Antipenko smashed wildly over from eight yards Razhazan decided that changes were needed. Giving the reins to Eugeny Lutsenko in midfield he demanded more effort from his players and forced the game to Orel once more. His changes were met with an instant response as Alexandr Cherkes expertly played in Katchouro to give Sokol the lead again. Lutsenko, the master puppeteer then went to work, creating first for Oreschuk to tap in and then for Vladimir Shuneiko to power a header beyond the keeper from a corner. Saratov looked home and dry, and when Cherkes released Katchouro from inside his own half the striker ran a full fifty yards before crashing the ball into the roof of the net for his hat-trick.

Orel 3 (Khimich 7, Shelest 42, Losev 56)
Sokol Saratov 7 (Zlydnev 17, Oreschuk 22, 66, Katchouro 27, 62, 85, Shuneiko 69)

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On the back of a highly impressive second half display in Orel, Luch made the trip south west from the Urals to the Volga. In a game that the home side should have put beyond all doubt before half time, it took a Volodymyr Bondarenko header from 20 yards, his first goal in the blue of Saratov, to secure the points for Sokol.

Sokol Saratov 1 (Bondarenko 66; Katchouro missed pen 34)
Luch 0 (Djachkov s/o 34, Goncharov s/o 85)

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Building up a head of steam once more Sokol Saratov met SKA Khabarovsk at the Lokomotiv Stadium knowing that a win could take them into the promotion spots. Khabarovsk, the draw specialists of the league with 14 single-pointers from 43 games could hope for little more than a solitary point and set out their stall accordingly. Their game plan was ruined before the twenty minute mark was up however, as Roman Oreschuk capitalised on chaos in the away defence to round the keeper and grab his 23rd goal of the campaign. Sokol pushed forward to kill the game off but were frustrated in their efforts by dogged SKA defending until second half injury time when Petr Katchouro clipped in a neat shot from an Alexandr Zlydnev pass to give Mikhail Razhazan three valuable points on his birthday.

Sokol Saratov 2 (Oreschuk 19, Katchouro 91)
SKA Khabarovsk 0

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Toward the end of the month Mikhail Razhazan took his side to Izhevsk to play Gazovik-Gazprom in a relative derby at only 500km away. With the win over Khabarovsk having taken the Blues into second place, the away game ahead against a team level on points and only two places behind would surely prove a crucial one come the end of the season. With Gaz-Gaz manager Taras Trizna declaring the match a must-win for both sides the pressure was on to get a result. Alexandr Zlydnev had the first opportunity on ten minutes, but he snatched at his shot somewhat and saw it fly well wide of the target. Against the run of play Ognjen Paripavic opened the scoring for the home side 25 minutes in, but they failed to extend their lead ten minutes later when Igor Dubrovskikh saw his penalty saved by Platon Zakharchuk on the stroke of half time. Gaz-Gaz came out fighting however, and were soon rewarded when Mikhail Nikitin took advantage of panic in the away defence to score. Five minutes later the contest was over as Dubrovskikh made a better attempt from the spot than his earlier effort to make it 3-0. More damaging perhaps than the defeat however, was the late booking to Albert Borzenkov, who was subsequently suspended for the visit of Lisma. A further seven players are also on a final booking warning before suspension sets in.

Gaz-Gaz 3 (Paripavic 26, Nikitn 60, Dubrovskikh pen 65; Dubroskikh missed pen 45)
Sokol Saratov 0

1armedboxer

Saratov Gazyet
The October Round-Up

Lisma’s trip to the Volga was never going to be a comfortable trip for the Saransk side. Having scored fewer goals than any team outside of the five relegation spots they faced a team in Sokol that was at times ruthlessly brutal in front of goal. Crushed at home 6-1 in early June by Saratov their game plan began to unravel as early as the twentieth minute when midfield maestro Alexey Zlydnev rounded Mikhail Volodin to put away his fifth goal of the season. Before half time Roman Oreschuk lashed in his 25th of the campaign from the most unlikely of angles. If the limited travelling support suspected that the contest was over by half time, then that proved the least of their worries. Seconds after the restart Petr Katchouro placed in a third after being set free by Eugeny Lutsenko, who then drilled home a penalty after Katshouro had been fouled in the box by Alexandr Belozerov, who was subsequently sent off. Down to ten men the away side caved in completely. Katchouro, Zlydnev and Oreschuk helped themselves to seconds before the latter made it eight from fifteen yards when Katchouro played him through. The away side didn’t leave empty-handed however, as Alexandr Yeschenko bundled the ball in from close range well into injury time.

Sokol Saratov 8 (Zlydnev 19, 83, Oreschuk 27, 65, 87, Katchouro 45, 57, Lutsenko pen 51)
Lisma 1 (Yeschenko 90; Belozerov s/o 50)

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Following their record-beating 8-1 mauling of Lisma, Sokol travelled across Eastern Europe to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad to face Baltika. The home side had much the better of the first half but were made to rue missed opportunities when Jan Slahor reacted quickest to Roman Oreschuk’s shot rebounding off the bar to slip in the opening goal of the game. Ten minutes after the interval Volodymyr Bondarenko saw his free-kick deflect wickedly off the opposition wall and nestle in the bottom corner of the Baltika net. On 64 minutes, however, Bondarenko received his marching orders for a seemingly innocuous trip on Daniel Georgiev. It seemed that the home side would get back into the game. That reckoned without Slahor who rifled in his second with fifteen minutes left and then found Roman Oreschuk in space to seal the victory.

Baltika 0
Sokol Saratov 4 (Slahor 43, 75, Bondarenko 54, Oreschuk 84; Bondarenko s/o 59)

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Going into the last five games with injuries and suspensions having sprung from nowhere, Mikhail Razhazan was forced to cease his tactical tinkering and play safe. Alexey Zlydnev found himself in a flat three across centre midfield whilst veteran defender Sergey Gorlukovich was recalled to strengthen the back line for the visit of Dinamo Makhachkala. Twenty minutes in Jan Slahor missed a glorious opportunity after a magnificent run past three defenders and five minutes later Platon Zakharchuk was forced into a smart save low at his near post. Nerves began to show and chances went begging, but none as clear-cut as Petr Katchouro’s effort in the 96th minute. Relased by the excellent Zlydnev, the Belorussian spotted the keeper well off his line but his lob was tame and Man of the Match Airat Karimov got back easily to save.

Sokol Saratov 0
Dinamo Makhachkala 0

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Russian Cup 6th Round 1st Leg

Mikhail Razhazan faced his former club for the first time since leaving in the Russian Cup 6th Round 1st Leg. His team took a shock lead 7 minutes in when Petr Katchouro slotted home form the spot after Rolan Gusev had pushed Maxim Tyurin in the box. It didn’t last long however, as Dmitiry Kirichenko hit a goal either side of half time and then laid in Daniel Carvalho to make it 3-1

Sokol Saratov 1 (Katchouro pen 7)
CSKA Moscow 3 (Kirichenko 25, 48, Carvalho 51)

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Sokol Saratov brushed Dinamo Bryansk aside as the Russian First Division reached fever pitch. Roman Oreschuk beat Dmitiry Alexeev from ten yards after a magnificent pass by Beslan Adjindjal, who staked his claim for a more prominent role at the club. Sokol played over an hour against ten men after Maxym Beletskyi was sent off after 28 minutes and sealed the win through Oreschuk before the hour as he headed in an Adjindjal corner to make it 2-0.

Sokol Saratov 2 Oreschuk 12, 51)
Dinamo Bryansk 0 (Beletskyi s/o 28)

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With Terek already in the clear three teams went into the last three games looking to fill the second promotion spot. Sokol Saratov began week 40 in 2nd place with a vastly superior goal difference over Gazovik-Gazprom Izhevsk, while Anzhi Makhachkala trailed by a point. Gaz-Gaz went to Lipetsk to face lowly Metallurg whilst Anzhi hosted Sokol seeking to avenge the 4-2 defeat in July.

Volodymyr Bondarenko went close for Sokol inside the first two minutes and Jan Slahor saw his shot come back off the advancing keeper a few minutes later. Saratov had begun smartly and were obviously under orders to ditch Anzhi from the promotion pack. Alexey Zlydnev once more looked to pull the strings with an impressive first half display, but Gaz-Gaz would have been far happier with 0-0 at half time had Lipetsk not held them to 1-1 at the break. Mikhail Razhazan made two changes at half time, rearranging his under-performing defence and bringing on Dmitry Khlestov and Eugeny Lutsenko for Albert Borzenkov and the injured Volodymyr Bondarenko. The second half began as the first had finished, with Sokol pushing for a breakthrough. Beslan Adjindjal went close on the hour, and five minutes later Alexey Zlydnev struck a post from distance. A minute later it was beginning to look like Sokol would never break the deadlock as Petr Katchouro, released on the counter by Dmitry Bugakov pulled his shot wide with only the keeper to beat. With twenty minutes on a ticking clock, however, Adjindjal released Jan Slahor with a clever header and the striker angled the ball coolly into the bottom corner past the advancing Sergey Armishev to score his 20th and Sokol’s 100th of the season. Five minutes later Eugeny Lutsenko slid Katchouro in and the Belorussian made no mistake from eight yards, sealing the points. However, with Gaz-Gaz winning at Lipetsk, promotion went to the final two games as Sokol travel to Naberezhnye Chelny to play bottom-placed KamAZ whilst Gaz-Gaz travel to Khimki. Anzhi, all but out of the race, race Baltika at home.

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Sokol Saratov travelled to the Caucasus to play KamAZ knowing that defeat would end their promotion hopes. The pressure showed early on as they conceded the momentum to the home side. It took twenty-five minutes Alexey Zlydnev to play Jan Slahor in for their first chance of the match, but the striker skied his effort. On half time a quick Beslan Adjidjal free kick found its way to Volodymyr Bondarenko but the midfielder’s long-range shot flew wide. The home side threatened in the second half and but for a great performance by Platon Zakharchuk in the Sokol goal they could easily have stolen the match. But just before the hour a fantastic passing move by Saratov caused disarray in the home ranks and Slahor capitalised. --- Five minutes later an Adjindjal shot struck the post as Sokol looked to kill the game off. With news coming thorugh that Gaz-Gaz were a goal down in Khimki, the away side were given fresh impetus and Slahor made it 2-0 minutes later. But if Saratov needed a reminder that they were still playing First Division football then Vladimir Bairamov provided it with a quarter of the game remaining, catching Sokol on the counter to pull a goal back. With ten minutes to spare, however, a huge clearance by Maxim Tyurin found Petr Katchouro in acres of space and the Belorussian did not fail. Zlydnev rounded off the scoring in injury time, feinting one way before rolling the ball the other and beyond the despairing dive of the keeper.

KamAZ 1 (Bairamov 69)
Sokol Saratov 4 (Slahor 55, 66, Katchouro 81, Zlydnev 90)

Khimki 2 (Ivanov 28, Zabotin 77)
Gaz-Gaz 0

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Sokol Saratov went into their final game of the season at Tula knowing that a point would propel them into the Premier Division. With Gaz-Gaz facing a tricky home game against fifth-placed Uralan, it looked likely that Mikhail Razhazan’s side would win promotion. With a full strength squad other than the suspension of Sergey Gorlukovich, Razhazan went into the game confident of taking something from it. Realistically even defeat would not prevent Sokol’s elevation to the nation’s top level as they began the match thirty goals ahead of Gaz-Gaz and their fans were in fine voice by lunchtime.

Radio Saratov will be broadcasting the match in its entirety this evening. Kick off is at 6pm.

1armedboxer

Radio Saratov
Saturday 6th November, 2004
3pm

Oleg Kuznetsov: Good afternoon listeners and welcome to the final league game of the season here at the Central Stadium, Tula, where Arsenal Tula meet Sokol Saratov. I’m joined by Vasili Rats. Apologies for our late arrival - there has been a late pitch inspection prior to the match and the referee, Mr Klyuchnikov, has pronounced it fit to play on. Tula begin the match kicking from right to left in the yellow strip, Sokol in their customary blue.

Arsenal Tula Kharchik, Orlov, Sadaja, Nedorezov, Katinsus, Yashin, Phillipenkov, Amidzic, Koromuvshkin, Klimov, Djurkovic

Sokol Saratov Zakharchuk, Bugakov, Cherkes, Khlestov, Ionov, Shuneiko, Bondarenko, Adjindjal, Zlydnev, Oreschuk, Katchouro

1armedboxer

Radio Saratov
Saturday 6th November, 2004

3.05pm

Oreschuk booked for diving. Game has begun in a lively fashion.

1armedboxer

Radio Saratov
Saturday 6th November, 2004

3.13pm

Oreschuk, clean through, dwells on the ball in the area and is dispossessed by Orlov.

1armedboxer

Radio Saratov
Saturday 6th November, 2004

3.14pm

GOAL!

Following a poorly-cleared corner, Sergey Yashin turns 25 yards out and floats the ball into the top corner beyond Zakharchuk.

1armedboxer

Radio Saratov
Saturday 6th November, 2004

3.19pm

Mikhail Razhazan, troubled by Oreschuk’s fortune in staying on the pitch after a second dive, substitutes his striker for Jan Slahor as well as taking off Ionov for Maxim Tyurin.