February 23, 2021
The top flight of football in Moldova resumed last weekend after a winter break of nearly three months with the two outstanding fixtures from earlier rounds being played. Today was the start of Round 22 of the championship.
There are 10 sides in the Moldova Divizia Nationala, who play each other 4 times for a 36 match season. Sheriff Tiraspol, in the unrecognised breakaway state of Transnistria have won 18 of the last 20 Moldovan championships, and look on course to win it again this season. However, FC Petrocub have kept up the chase and remain in position to capitalise in the unlikely event that Sheriff have a bad patch, lying 9 points behind the leaders, and 8 points clear of third placed Milsami-Orhei.
Petrocub are the only side to have beaten Sheriff so far this season, a 1-0 home win at the start of November, although they were well beaten 1-4 in Tiraspol in August. Their only other defeat was at home to Milsami-Orhei ( 1-2 ) in September, and since then they are unbeaten in 11 games.
I have often been intrigued by the name Petrocub but have never figured out exactly what a petrocub is. Hopefully it is something cute and cuddly !
Hincesti is a town with a population of approximately 20,000 and is situated 30km south-west of the capital Chisnau. Petrocub have never won the league title, but have finished third in each of the last three seasons. This enabled them to play in the Europa League, but they lost all three ties they played – to NS Osijek of Croatia, AEK Larnaca and Serbians TCS Backa Topola. They did win the 2019/20 Moldovan Cup, beating Sfintul Gheorghe in a penalty shoot-out after a 0-0 draw.
The Petrocub squad is stacked with Moldovan internationals, with 5 called up for the Nations League matches last November, namely, defenders Ion Jardan ( 32 caps ), and Stefan Efros ( 4 caps ), plus midfielders Sergiu Platica ( 21 caps ), Iaser Turcan ( 5 caps ) and Dan Taras ( 4 caps ). However, Taras moved to Sfintul Gheorghe last week.
Three other Petrocub players have been called up in the last 12 months – defender Peter Racu ( 50 caps ), midfielder Andrei Cojocari ( 39 caps ) and forward Vladimir Ambros ( 12 caps ). Ambros had 10 goals to-date and was the second highest scorer in the league. Platica had found the net 7 times and Jardan 6.
Lozova is a village 50 km west of Chisinau but as their ground does not meet the requirements for the top flight in Moldova, FC Codru had been playing in Ghidighici, 40 km away. Although nearly all matches in Moldova this season have been played behind closed doors, 6 home Codru matches did have spectators, with an average of 225. However, today’s match was played in Vadul Lui Voda on an artificial pitch beyond closed doors.
This is FC Codru’s second season in the Divizia Nationala, having finished rock bottom in 2019 with just 5 points from 28 games ( and no wins ) but were spared relegation by the decision to expand the number of clubs in the top Division.
Things didn’t start any better in the 2020/21 season, opening with 9 consecutive defeats before mustering two home draws. 7 more defeats followed, and then a 0-0 home draw with Sfintul Gheorghe, before the historic day on November 24th when FC Floresti were vanquished 2-1. The last match before the winter break was at home to Sheriff, who needed a goal in the 94th minute to overcome the league back-markers 2-1.
FC Codru were 4 points behind 9th placed Zimbru Chisinau, and after the improved displays at the back-end of 2020 will be hopeful of at least avoiding automatic relegation and face the relegation play-off or better.
Codru were busy in the winter break signing virtually a whole new side of young players, and only two players from their last match against Sheriff were in the starting line-up today, namely keeper Vladislav Butec and centre-back Ion Sandu. Nicolae Munteanu was signed on loan from Petrocub, but unlike the English Premier League, was permitted to play against his parent club. Four of Codru’s five foreign players left the club during the break, although Russian midfielder Artem Pestryakov named on the bench today.
Albanian midfielder Aleksandr Dhamo was Codru’s joint top scorer along with forward Ion Lacusta, both with 2 each, but neither are still with the club.
In contrast, Petrocub made just two changes from their last game in November, with Alexandru Bejan and Andrei Cojocari coming into the side, and all 11 of their starting players were Moldovan.
Today’s kick-off was 12.30 local time ( 10.30 UK ) and like all Divizia Nationala matches was streamed on the FMF TV YouTube channel. It was a bright day, with temperatures forecasted to be reaching 12 degrees by early afternoon.
Bet365 made Petrocub overwhelming favourites at 1/10 on, with Codru 11/1 rank outsiders. The draw was a lengthy 7/1.
Codru wore their customary all green strip, with Petrocub in their normal all black. Whilst struggling Codru had a shirt sponsor, successful Petrocub did not !
The visitors got off to an ideal start in the 7th minute. After Gulceac was fouled just outside the penalty area, Ambros stepped up to send his kick over the defensive wall. Although Codru keeper Butec got his right hand to the ball, he couldn’t keep it out of the net. Two minutes later, Codru conceded another free-kick in a similar distance, this time for a handball, but Cojocari put the ball into the opposite side of the goal for 2-0 to Petrocub.
Petrocub could have had a penalty in the 12th minute when Gulceac appeared to have been pulled back, but the forward went down far too easily and the referee waived play on. It didn’t matter too much though as Petrocub went further ahead in the 15th minute, a cross from the right by Jardan was met at the far post by Bejan, ghosting in to finish for 3-0.
Petrocub continued to create an avalanche of chances. Gulceac saw an effort blocked by the Codru keeper, a goal-bound effort from Jardan hit his own player, and Turcan was twice denied, once by a finger-tip save, and the other time screwing his shot wide of the post.
Codru won a corner in the 22nd minute but the one-way procession quickly resumed. The 4th goal eventually arrived in the 34th minute from the penalty spot. Turcan was fouled by Mincev after a piece of trickery, and Ambros drilled the spot-kick to the keeper’s right.
Codru had a momentary period of respite when they won a free-kick just outside the Petrocub area, but Renita’s delivery went harmlessly over the bar, and in the 39th minute, Petrocub keeper Avram was forced to punch away a corner at his near post.
Petrocub soon re-asserted their authority though, and after Ambros crossed left-footed from the right, Platica was left unmarked inside the 6 yard box to head home for 5-0 after 42 minutes.
A flowing move a minute later ended with Platica crossing to Ambros, but his shot was cleared off the line by Tofilat. However, Codru conceded again on the stroke of half-time. Turcan put Gulceac clear on the right and his cross was side-footed home by Platica for his second goal of the game.
6-0 at half-time and it had been men against boys, and the gulf between the two sides almost embarrassing.
The second half opened with no sign of Petrocub easing up, and they should have scored again in the 50th minute, but after Gulbeac’s free-kick had been headed back across the face of the goal by Efros, Turcan only need to make contact two yards out to score but somehow missed it completely.
Eventually, Petrocub did get their 7th, with Bejan pulling the ball back on the left bye-line to present the opportunity for Gulbeac to sweep home from close to the penalty spot in the 59th minute.
Butec stood alone on the burning deck, and made a string of saves to keep the score down. Turcan was denied three times, Gulbeac had two efforts in 15 seconds saved, Bejan shot wide, and Efros headed over from a good position.
The tempo of the game fell for a period as both sides made a number of substitutions, including Cameroonian centre-back Jacques Onana joining the action for his debut for Petrocub.
After another Petrocub header hit the post, Codru sent a long hopeful ball downfield, Keeper Avram and defenders Brinzaniuc and Potriniche dithered over the bouncing ball, and in the confusion, Codru midfielder Garganciuc stuck out a leg whilst colliding with the keeper and sent the ball tricking towards the empty net. Neither of the defenders could recover in time and the ball nestled in the back of the net. With the Codru player down injured the referee gave a yellow card to the keeper but appeared to disallow the goal. However, after a minute of confusion, the TV score-line was updated to show the goal for Codru !!
Codru’s joy only lasted 7 minutes, as Ambros scored from another free-kick to make it 8-1 after 80 minutes, and the rout was completed in added on time when substitute Platika volleyed left footed the 9th goal after good work by Vacurciuc down the left.
In summary, it would be over-egging things to say it was a 10 goal thriller and it was often like an attack versus defence training match for Petrocub, and only a question of how many they would score. But as the old saying goes, you can only beat what is put in front of you.
After this humiliation, things look bleak for FC Codru. The wholesale imports will need to gel pretty quickly to avoid more thumpings.
FC Codru Lozova : Butec – Tofilat Sandu, Mincev ( Oprea ), Conohov - Munteanu,, Renita ( Prodan ), Sontovoi ( Pestryakov ), Zaplitnii, Garganciuc – Manole
CS Petrocub : Avram - Jardan, Racu ( Brinzaniuc ), Potirniche, Efros ( Ohana ), Bejan ( Platika ) - Cojocari ( Onica ), Turcan, Platica – Gulceac ( Vacarcuic ), Ambros,
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lURgBfSvUkU
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