THE GOALKEEPER DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER FOR A SENSATION

Two more matches of the qualifying round of the FIFA World Cup 2014 ended badly for the Azerbaijani national team. After a draw with Luxembourg in an away match, we lost to Portugal in Baku. Even if the leader of the rival team Cristiano Ronaldo was absent, Vogts' team failed to give the fans a surprise. Thanks to the two goals scored by Bruno Alves and Hugo Almeida, Portugal gained a deserved victory with a score of 2-0. Not only did the Azerbaijani players fail to please the fans with a decent performance, they even failed to make a single shot on goal in the 90 minutes.

After the match against Luxembourg, Vogts made just two changes. But injured Vaqif Cavadov could not help the team either. Also, instead of the "naturalized" German Pardis Fardjad-Azad, Vuqar Nadirov went on the field. In the attack, the German specialist gave Rauf Aliyev a chance to be the hero of the day. But the player of FC Baku preferred to be the anti-hero. In the first half, he failed to realize the only scoring chance created by the team, and in the second half, he managed to get two yellow cards in just three minutes and left the field. It is appropriate to ask Berti Vogts here: why should fans expect goals from Rauf Aliyev? Even in the national championship, he last scored a goal only in 2012! How could a footballer, who does not score in the national championship, be the hero of the match with Portugal?!

It is fair to say that in the first 45 minutes, the team managed to keep the Azerbaijani goal safe. But it was not the merit of the players, but that of the goalkeeper Kamran Agayev. And we could also thank fortune for that. Otherwise, Portugal could have decided the fate of the match in the first half.

Of course, the victory of Paulo Bento's team with a score of 2-0 should not be seen as something unusual. Even the most loyal fan is well aware that the Portuguese are able to beat the current Azerbaijani team at any time. Besides that, we had only 10 players in the field.

Specialists are more concerned about the fact that the players whom Berti Vogts coached for a total of 17 days failed to make a single shot on goal during the 90 minutes. We are talking about shots on goal even if they did not result in a goal. And after all that, Berti Vogts said that he was pleased with the performance of his team.

In general, we should note the growing problems in the national team. Players who do not play for the first team in their clubs are invited to it. Although AFFA has created ideal conditions for the national team, there is no progress in it. Although in 2007, the national team led by Sahin Diniyev lost to Portugal with a score of 2-0, they showed a better quality performance than the team of Berti Vogts. The physical fitness of football players leaves a good impression only in games with weak opponents. In most encounters, the national team looks for good luck in the defence. Of course, all responsibility falls primarily on the head coach. The German specialist has been saying for a long time that in 2016, our team will be competing in the finals of the European Championship. But if it continues like that, it will be impossible to get not only to Euro 2016, but also to the championship in 2024. Here's what experts think about it:

"I did not see any style or tactical scheme in the game. I can just say that in the first half of the match, our players had noticeable motivation. The boys had eager eyes, and they did everything possible not to lose a goal. But playing in the defence with a team like Portugal, every second you are face-to-face with the danger of seeing the ball in your goal. My concern is that over the past six years, we have not moved forward. In 2007, when I was at the helm of the national team, the Portuguese national team was much stronger and even Ronaldo was there. Besides that, we also played with ten men after Aslan Karimov received a red card in the first half. Watching both games, you'll see the difference. The thing is that the work of Berti Vogts has not been felt for so long. This is a fact. But he still continues to complain about the conditions that have been created and clubs. In the match against Portugal, we should have seen a team which was twice as stronger as six years ago," the former head coach of Azerbaijan, Sahin Diniyev, said.

"The Portuguese did not really put pressure on us. They allowed us to play. There was no pressure as in the match in Braga. But our players were not able to stage a decent attack. They made many errors in short passes. The ball did not stay long with us. And this leads to fatigue. We could have taken points away from Portugal," the honoured coach Agasalim Mircavadov told R+. According to him, one of the reasons for the defeat was the weak game of the midfielders. "We had to establish a good relationship between the defence and attack. In this position, we had such attack-minded players as Elvin Mammadov and Cavid Huseynov playing. But they failed in their task. Although there are high expectations from Elvin Mammadov, his lack of experience is an obstacle to him. And therefore he could not cope. Moreover, our players were excited. Their purpose was not to lose a goal. It is wrong to set such a goal. You have to try to score a goal. Players who score a goal have a different mood. They play with more confidence," the honoured coach says.

Referring to the performance of Berti Vogts, the experienced specialist noted that the Azerbaijani team lost its style of play. "We used to play Caucasus football. At the time, we showed a good performance. Unfortunately, we have now lost it all. There should be a close and sincere relationship between the leaders of clubs and national team coaches. If a player cannot get into the first team in his club, he has nothing to do in the national team. We must invite players who have shown their best abilities in the club to the national team," Mircavadov suggested.

Either way, the Azerbaijani national team completed two more qualifying games. The main conclusion that can be drawn from the results of these matches is that Berti Vogts should spend more time in Baku and be more interested in the national team than spend time at home in Germany. The national team still has time and chances to address its problems.