Akinfeev eager to earn redemption with Russia
MOSCOW — Igor Akinfeev, Russia’s elder statesman and top goalkeeper of his generation will be seeking redemption when he plays at home in what could be his last World Cup.
The Moscow native is the venerable captain of a ragtag team decimated by injuries and looking for guidance ahead of the June 14 kickoff.
The engaging 31-year-old with a winning smile has emerged as the calming presence Russia will need for a long run in the tournament.
Akinfeev has backstopped Moscow’s once middling CSKA club to six league championships, as well as a UEFA Cup trophy in 2005.
His commanding presence saved Russia from added humiliation in a 3-0 World Cup warmup loss to Brazil on Friday.
And his cat-like reflexes have added confidence to a group that has little experience of going up against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
But Akinfeev is still haunted by a speculative shot that softly hit his palms and slowly arched in over his head in Russia’s 2014 World Cup opener against South Korea.
Akinfeev admitted a full year later the goal was not something he “will ever be able to explain”.
The demoralizing fumble set the tone for a miserable tournament for Russia as it crashed out without winning a game.
Akinfeev will now look to exorcise his demons and push Russia deep into this year’s edition of the showpiece against all odds.
“Years ago, I said he could end up being the number one goalkeeper in the world,” said former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.
“Yes, he always made little mistakes, but I think he still has time to write his name into history.”
Scoreboard Special place
Goalkeepers have long occupied a special place in Russian hearts.
The Soviet Union’s Lev Yashin is regarded as one of the greatest shot-stoppers to play the game.
Rinat Dasayev was the only Russian included by Pele in the FIFA 100 when the world soccer governing body celebrated its centennial in 2004.
To this day, their legacy lives on in schoolyards across the country as kids pretend to be one of the two when they stand in goal.
Yet Akinfeev was not just dreaming but actually playing for CSKA’s youth team at the age of 4.
He even had trouble in school because he shunned other sports for fear of getting hurt and ruining his career.
“I can only thank my teachers for not kicking me out,” he joked in a 2009 book.
Akinfeev stayed fit and helped CSKA win the junior title in 2002.
He was promoted to the main squad the next season and immediately won the league.
The progression from there seemed obvious.
Akinfeev became the youngest national team goalkeeper at the age of 18 and piqued the interest of Arsenal three years later, but a ruptured cruciate knee ligament dashed his dream of going to England and turned him into one of the modern era’s rare one-club players.
His 555 appearances for CSKA and 103 caps for Russia have convinced coach Stanislav Cherchesov that Akinfeev is the man to lead Russia this summer.
Akinfeev made a handful of admirable saves in the 3-0 friendly loss to Brazil on Friday and was named the team’s man of the match by Moscow’s Sport Express newspaper.
Brazil coach Tite described him as a “high-quality player” who stood out.
Akinfeev was rested for Tuesday’s match against France after doing enough to suggest that his 2014 nightmare is behind him.
He also knows that the smallest blunder in the two remaining warm-ups against Austria and Turkey will see his critics pounce.
“Either he will produce a highlight reel moment in goal, or he will become an internet meme for the ages,” read an article on the Business Insider website.