Sergei Shulgin then put away his chance and gave Dinamo Moscow the win, 8-7 on penalty kicks, after a scoreless 120 minutes of soccer at Luzhniki Stadium.
Rotor had missed the game's best chance, after Andrei Krivov was brought down in the Dinamo penalty area with five minutes to play in extra time. Referee Igor Siner of Omsk not only awarded a controversial penalty kick, but ejected Dinamo's captain Sergei Podpalyi for arguing. But Oleg Veretnikov, the most experienced player on Rotor, hit the right post on the penalty and the game went to the shootout shortly afterwards.
At stake was the title and a trip to the European Cup Winners' Cup starting this fall.
For Dinamo, the win was its seventh in 12 cup final appearances, including Soviet-era cups. Rotor, a recent arrival in the front rank of Russian soccer, was playing in its first final. Still, the Volgograd squad had the loudest, if not the largest fan support from a crowd of 10,000 in what was largely a lackluster game for both teams.
Rotor had controlled most of the play in regulation time but could not capitalize on the opportunities it created.
However, Dinamo had the two best chances in the first 90 minutes. Striker Alexei Kutsenko had clear two breakaways, one in the 30th minute and another midway through the second half, but missed both times.
Rotor goalie Andrei Samorukov made a save on the first play and Kutsenko simply seemed to freeze on the second one, delaying until he was almost to the end line and then missing the sharp-angle shot.
Dinamo, the runaway leader in the current championship standings with seven wins, two ties and one loss after 10 games, was without three of its top players: national team defender Yury Kovtun, who was serving a suspension; and strikers Oleg Teryokhin, who was cup-tied, and Dmitry Cheryshev, scratched due to a Wednesday practice injury.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.