Endurance, passing accuracy, speed, balance and coordination – just a few football players can boast of mastering these valuable skills. But years of hard work, grueling practice and, of course, a natural talent do the trick and in the end we get perfectly trained, physically, mentally strong professional athlete, who is Oleg Vasilyev.
1. Universality as power
Ask any football fan from Yoshkar-Ola about Vasilyev and in most cases you will hear similar answer “Our pride! Accurate, fast, strapping, with quick unexpected passes. Determined to win and always ready to make game enlivened and spectacular.” Oleg Vasilyev is also known for his famous penalty strokes and free kicks. He was hard not to notice on field.
Being very critical of himself, famous football player steadily paved his way to success. Teammates respect Vasilyev particularly for his perseverance and tenacity. They often made jokes that Oleg Vasilyev has two hearts. Perhaps, not groundlessly! Who else could perform so fantastically good at his age?
During his professional football career Vasilyev was practically irreplaceable player. That’s highly impressive, taking into account his universality. Vasilyev mainly took position of forward, in the middle. Furthermore, he played quite a while in right part of field. Devoted fans still remember him opening, skillfully receiving passes, smoothly outrunning his rivals, rapidly heading to the goal with only aim – score. Universality – that’s what stood him out.
After FC Spartak’s managers moved him in center spot, his play certainly lost a bit of showmanship. But, luckily, team got reliable defender.
2. Football is betting
Not being full proper defender, Oleg lacks of scorching headers or masterful tackling, but cleverly catches up technically selling a dummy, choosing right position, passing or dribbling. There is hardly someone who is able to compete with him.
Vasilyev himself admitted that sometimes age began to tell and playing right midfielder was getting tougher. “When game begins you are full of strength, but then closer to the end stamina is waning. You have to play defense, no way back. Attack – defense, defense – attack, it keeps going. You can’t slack off,” Oleg saying.
“Frankly speaking, I like playing defense. I always strive to play closer near rival’s goal. That’s really betting! Just imagine heat of moment, adrenaline pumping, excitement inside of you when you play in the penalty area. That’s unbelievable!” comments Russian football star.
Highly emotional in everyday life, Oleg manages to pick himself up on field. He learned to leave all the fussing and worrying outside pitch lines. Concentration and tactics – that all you need to put a ball in the back of net. No wonder that football star from Volzhsk is prolific goal scorer and often is in charge of taking penalties or free kicks. It seems he lets his emotions out through powerful mighty voice. Vasilyev’s timbre is known not only to players, coaches and referees, but to fans as well. It is rushing around the whole pitch bringing up feeling of confidence, self-sufficiency and inner strength. Nobody could image FC Spartak without this legendary cry echoing through field and far-reaching bleachers. It was, so to speak, a star turn of FC Spartak.
3. Ready, steady, goal!
Oleg Vasilyev proved to be multi-purpose in playing anywhere across frontline and mesmerizing defenders with a mix of skills and pace. It was impossible to imagine Spartak, Nosta Novotroitsk or Diana Volzhsk without his beautifully-struck volleys, clearances, nutmegs, one-twos. The footballer stunned everyone with perfectly accurate kicks. No matter, during game or free one – he always nailed it. Dynamic run-up, strong kick with right outside of foot, ball flies over a wall, sends keeper wrong way and finally hits the goal. The decisive goal. Oleg, as usual, gets stuck in. Flawless technic performed by great Russian footballer. It’s difficult even to count how many spotless kicks Vasilyev has taken. Check out this article for the best football gloves.
From Oleg’s own words, he started practicing penalty kicks far back when he played for Nosta Novotroitsk. Before that, during the times he was in FC Diana Volzhsk, he had an excellent opportunity to observe absolute guru in this work – Aleksandr Fedorov, who took approximately 7-8 kicks in a season. Since then Oleg worked on this art two-three times a week, step by step improving his kick-skills. “I took a ball, asked the guys to make a wall and spent 7 minutes training and trying to do it perfectly. I was allowed to take free kicks in Spartak, under Igor Pochenyev’s management. I still remember that match. Extremely tense with the score at 1:1 in 93rd minute. Our team got a free kick and someone told me “Go and score!” That’s exactly what I did. We won with the score 2:1. Nice play.”
Successful performing Yoshkar Ola’s Spartak demonstrated in the championship cup in 2011 owes a great deal to such team members as Oleg Vasilyev. Wonderful goal in a return home match, impeccable penalties and high-standard game, unexpected change from the position of right halfback to the back plus, undoubtedly, leadership on the list of best club strikers made vice-captain one of the most remarkable player.
4. Biography
Famous football player was born on July 6, 1977, in Russian city of Volzhsk. His native city is located Mari El–Tatarstan border, belongs to the Kazan metropolitan area. He was raised in working-class neighborhood.
The first coach, who gave him golden ticket to football career, was Gennadiy Zhyrnov. At the age of sixteen Oleg started playing for small local club Diana (Volzhsk). Despite his young age, future footballer showed promising results and already at that time his coaches knew – he would be somebody prominent. After two years in Diana, Vasilyev moved to FC Dryzhba (Yoshkar Ola) for 1996, 1998, separated by a year of forced pause. With renewed vigor Oleg came back to his first football club Diana where he stayed next three years from 1999 to 2002. 2003 brought him new challenge, again change of football club. This time Oleg became part of FC Nosta (Novotroitsk) where he learned a lot, matured as an athlete and acquired much experience.
Vasilyev’s professional career evolved swiftly and eventfully. He quickly changed clubs, which contributed to his craftsmanship in game. Next year he decided to join FC Istra (Moscow region) and played there till 2005. This period, as all the previous ones, turned to be quite fruitful and rewarding for Vasilyev. He gradually grew into unconquerable hardy sportsman with well-considered aims and firm believes. In 2005 Oleg moved to FC Spartak. There, as we can judge now, he spent the best part of his football career and earned his fame. At this first time Vasilyev lasted only a year and didn’t have a foggiest idea that he would ever get back. Then went FC Chyvashyya (Cheboksary) and FC Metalurg (Vyksa). Finally, improved no end, an athlete of high level, speedy, clever he went back to FC Spartak (Yoshkar-Ola). Lately Oleg joined FC Volzhsk and continues playing there.
During all these years Vasilyev managed to score 16 goals, all of which were extremely spectacular. In addition, they trigged powerful emotions of his fans. He knew how to speed up the game and make it more vivacious. Keep tension, give unexpected passes, play counterattacking football or close the game down – he was keenly aware of every football technic. Thanks to Oleg all the clubs he played for had big physical presence. They were difficult teams to beat or even compete with. Vasilyev definitely made a nuisance of himself.
5. Current years of a legend
Nowadays Vasilyev isn’t going to retire from professional sport and continues to work as a coach. He is currently training 8-12-year-old children in Volzhsk, his native city.
“I devoted many years of my life to football. Obviously, I’ve got a lot of experience, but I don’t want it to be useless. My main wish is to pass it further, share my knowledge. I am fond of training children, in their turn, children are crazy about playing football.” says Oleg.
Before FC Volzhsk Vasilyev played in FC Spartak. He doesn’t stop following the team to keep up with all the news. Oleg adds “There is a lot of youth, but they obviously lack of experience. First of all, they need time, practice.”
Although Vasilyev is deeply into football, he admits that sooner or later guys start families, have to find another proper job. This turning point is incredibly difficult, but every footballer has to handle it.
