The third round of the XXIV tournament "Never-fading Stars" took place on March 20 at the Spartak Arena and was dedicated to the memory of the Honored Master of Sports Valentin Kozmich Ivanov.
1) Dynamo – Spartak – 0:0
2) Dynamo – RFU – 0:0
3) Dynamo – CSKA – 1:1 (Dubrovin)
4) Dynamo – Council of Veterans – 1:0 (Dubrovin)
5) Dynamo – Lokomotiv – 0:0
1st match. The game was equal in possession of the ball, although Dynamo had a clear advantage in corners: five against one. Of the events on the field, two could be noted: a Spartak player's blow to the post and a yellow card to Erik Yakhimovich for a dangerous game with a high-raised foot.
Yuri Baskakov (referee): Judging the match was not difficult, there were almost no violations. But the warning to Yakhimovich was asking for, because he almost kicked his opponent's head. In my practice, the first time I got a yellow card in a veterans tournament.
2nd match. The RFU team is the most uncomfortable opponent lately. So this time it was not possible to make scoring combinations. The opponent could have scored once, but Victor Riveiro deflected a strong blow in a selfless throw.
Vladimir Kozlov: Without Panteleimonov, the attack does not work. I think so. He always creates an aggravation at the opponents' goal, he pumps up the pace, and today their goalkeeper is bored.
3rd match. Vladimir Skokov did everything to make the goal happen, and Stanislav Dubrovin closed his shot. Dynamo had a constant advantage in the game, but suddenly the opponent managed a clear three-pass, and the score was even.
Mikhail Maryushkin: I was sure we would win, but I didn't guess. The game was ours, and there were opportunities to increase the score. Self-confidence failed, apparently so.
4th match. The game went like a swing. And then Alexey Kutsenko showed himself. First, he dragged the ball along the right flank and gave an amazing pass to Stanislav Dubrovin, who scored a goal. A little later, Alexey himself closed the transfer across the entire field from Erik Yakhimovich, but the ball slightly diverged from the far post.
Alexey Kutsenko: What a great pass Eric gave me! And I saw that the goalkeeper was out of the game, not even looking at me. Probably looking for someone I can pass the ball to. I've been punching since the summer. If I had scored, it would have been nice.
The 5th match. As it turned out later, the teams played first place. The players felt the importance of the match, and no one wanted to take risks, that's why football turned out to be bland.
Vladimir Dolbonosov: Look how the teams' strengths have matched up: there is a one-point difference between first and fifth place. This is good for football, rivalry is increasing, interest is increasing. Dynamo retains the lead for another month, but the gap from the pursuers is small.
The Dynamo team consists of Victor Riveiro (goalkeeper), Eric Yakhimovich (captain), Alexey Kutsenko, Andrey Novgorodov, Nikolai Smirnov, Vladimir Skokov, Dmitry Karablin, Stanislav Dubrovin, Alexey Mironov, Alexey Kozlov.
In reserve: Mikhail Maryushkin.
Team Leader: Vladimir Dolbonosov
Dynamo veterans supported their native club: Mikhail Skokov, Viktor Losev, Vladimir Kozlov, Sergey Kozlov, Alexander Rakitsky, Alexey Prudnikov, Andrey Smetanin.
The places of the teams and the best players of the March round:
1) Lokomotiv – 11 points (Andrey Lebedev)
2) Dynamo – 11 (Alexey Kutsenko)
3) Council of Veterans – 10 (Oleg Okorokov)
4) RFU – 10 (Karen Beglaryan)
5) Spartak – 10 (Konstantin Golovskoy)
6) CSKA – 8 (Dmitry Karsakov)
Nikita Simonyan's Cup as the most productive team went to Spartak, who scored 3 goals.
The position of the teams after three rounds:
1) Dynamo – 35 points (one first place)
2) Spartak – 32
3) RFU – 31 (one first place)
4) Lokomotiv – 28 (one first place)
5) Council of Veterans (former Torpedo) – 28
6) CSKA – 26
On this day Alexey Pavlovich Prudnikov turned 65 years old. Before the start of the games, the players of all the teams on the line applauded the smiling hero of the day. Alexander Mirzoyan presented a certificate of honor from the RFU, and Vladimir Dolbonosov handed over a large package of gifts from the management of Dynamo FC.
Alexey Prudnikov: I have been connected with football all my life and it's a sin for me to complain. And Dynamo is the number one club for me.
The host of the fourth round, the Lokomotiv team, invites rivals to the Sapsan Arena stadium on Thursday, April 24, at 13:30.