Towards the Torch

It did not pass, as they say, and half a year, as we fly into the fifth round. Or rather, we drive to Novy Urengoy, where in the local "Star" "Gazprom-Yugra" is waiting for the test "Torch". This match can be called a gas derby with a stretch: still very different stories., structures and even forms of existence in clubs. And there is no need to artificially invent anything for the upcoming game, enough, what is the PARI Super League match.

The current Fakel is a serious test for any opponent. If last season was a reboot after the final breakup of the star cast (Volkov-Kliuka-Yakovlev-Bogdan) and the departure of the Italian coaches stopped at the stage “we want to claim something”, then this is a step on "we claim". And just something: young players have become a little more mature, and the team corset was pulled off by such "bisons", as Sergey Grankin and Evgeny Sivozhelez. The idea is clear: crazy potential of Babkevich, Dineikina, Dikareva & Co. needs the right impulses, guiding hand, experienced partner shoulder. Idea works.

So far, Fakel has not faced teams from the Big Four and will not soon face: game with Dynamo only in the 10th round. In the meantime, there is time for the final lapping, to enter the combat state of Babkevich. Potential, repeat, the team is very high. Not a fact, that it is fully implemented in the current season, but the project is clearly designed for a long time. In addition to everything else, Fakel has a very good head coach Roman Yakovlev, for some reason they don't talk about it much. Having worked in the same Torch with the same Italians, he brought his vision of volleyball to the team, when there is no need to go to the site, if there is no desire to play and win.

Common words, but with Yakovlev they fit very well into young heads, there is also contact with Grankin, which other coach can eat for breakfast. Generally, resources at Fakel, let's say delicately, higher than Surgut, and the favorite of the meeting seems to be obvious. But the owners still have to puff. The first victory in the championship inspired our guys, instilled confidence and made me feel the result of team efforts. It is very important.

We will enter the court with a good mental attitude, and our players had skills and experience before that. Somewhere something went wrong, there was and continues to be a process of grinding in individual command mechanisms, the binder just found some adequate rhythm, assembly points - and all this, of course, may crumble in separate playing segments. But Gazprom-Ugra showed, that can collect scattered, can endure, knows how to bite. This is what we will do in Novy Urengoy, and there as volleyball God will give.