CSKA Moscow head coach Dmitry Igdisamov has taken full responsibility after his side suffered a 1-0 defeat against Akron in the second round of the FONBET Russian Cup RPL Path group stage.
Speaking to Match TV after the match, Igdisamov frankly admitted that the first half did not go as planned. He stated that the blame rested on his shoulders and acknowledged that he needed to prepare the squad better for the encounter.
The manager added that CSKA needed to capitalize on their dominance during the game, expressing frustration that the ball once again failed to go into the opposition net.
Red card and VAR decision
CSKA failed to score despite playing with a numerical advantage for more than half an hour. Akron forward Kevin Arevalo, who scored the only goal of the match, was sent off in the 57th minute to leave the visiting team down to ten men.
The host side appeared to have salvaged a point in the 87th minute when midfielder Matvey Kislyak scored. However, his goal was overturned for offside following a video review.
Attacking struggles and tactical focus
Igdisamov highlighted persistent issues in the team's positional play in attack, which he said they are working hard to rectify. He explained that CSKA currently lacks players who can beat defenders from a standing start in one on one situations.
The head coach observed that positional attacking is the most difficult aspect of football to master. He noted that the coaching staff had deliberately focused on organizing the defense during initial preparations.
Russian Cup group stage results
The outcome leaves CSKA with mixed fortunes in the early stages of the competition. The Moscow club opened their Russian Cup campaign by defeating Lokomotiv Moscow on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regular time.
Akron secured their first victory in Group D with the win. The side had started their group stage campaign with a heavy 4-0 defeat against Rostov.
