Opening
When people talk about the 2:2 with Pari NN, the temptation is to simplify at once: failed to hold on again, a set piece again, shot ourselves in the foot again. But that explanation is too simple. Baltika did not merely give away the ending. They arrived at that ending in a state where there was almost nothing left to close the match with.
That is the real anger of this draw. Not that Pari NN turned the game around brilliantly. Not that Baltika suddenly got scared. But that the hosts spent the whole match pulling themselves out of an awkward scenario, and when they finally managed it, there was no strength and no squad left for a proper finish.
