COPA Oleg

Born on 28.11.1937 in Elec Lipetsk Region.
Country USSR.
Clubs: CSK MO (1957-58), SCWO Lvov (1958), SKA Rostov-na-Donu (1959-68).
In the championships of the USSR: has 259 matches and scored 119 goals.

Referring to "the life of a football player," we mean years spent in a team on the field before the audience, and, realizing that the years of course only part of life, yet know that they whole life. They have a beginning and an end, . They compressed, . compressed, . they concluded rises, . climax, . Star watch, . Discipleship, . maturity, . aging, . fortunate circumstances and bad luck, . they seem to be endless, . but imperceptibly gaining a staggering rate, . that absolutely everything becomes irreversible and irretrievable, . they are dramatic for everyone on the special way - who presented with awards and recognition, . but to whom a penalty, . disappointment, . regret,
. And they are never the same, these "living footballers". In any one of them a closer look peeps own canvas, its own internal logic, a predetermined personality traits, the influence of environment, when beneficial, and when the fatal. And do not even have to say: "It was like in life". Simply - life.

Oleg Kopayeva to 25 years few people knew. This rarity. In such years, most Masters gets name. He did not get a football education, with fond childhood athletics, skating, and on the field came by accident - was persuaded. On the field he had stayed, football drew, and self-confidence did not feel. In the lower ranked teams turned out, but CSKA looked at him, 20-year-old, held the year and released. SKA Rostov went to the big leagues, quickly replenished, and called out the army Kopayeva Lions Club. Let out, played, but the truth is that for the forward - past the three championships, but for the soul of nothing but 9 goals scored ... And now the news: a coach appointed Viktor Maslov, recently led an exemplary "Torpedo".

Kopaev all out: and growth, and fast running, and jumping ability, but somehow shade, modest, could not find a place on the field. And shrewd coach he found a place. He identified Kopayeva the left flank and worked with high-speed maneuver: a long sudden leap from the edge of the center of the penalty area, so that, confused, knocking the bewildered defenders, came in the space. And really matter partners to give him time to strike the ball - at least on the ground, even though the air, good Kopaev knew and loved to play head. And striker alive. In the first year of the game scenario Maslov Kopaev allowed to score 11 goals. As if to start, to disperse.

And in the second season in the Maslov Kopaev fall was the best scorer of the championship - 27 goals. His nomination caught everyone by surprise. I flipped through the sports edition of 1963, found the fragmentary references to Kopayeva, but not a single picture, though scorers "click" especially diligent. And the team Kopayeva in that year with the help of his team scored more than all the balls, was awarded the prize - a porcelain vase with a portrait of Mr.. Fedotova. All their goals Kopaev spent with the game - the other half header. He turned 26.

Maslov moved to Kiev. Kopaev from the left flank was transferred to the center. To change the partner. But now he had no fear. He realized he felt the game maneuverable striker, got a taste. Like everyone else, endured injuries, missed matches, but recovered, immediately set about his duties. Look at how the language of numbers look Kolaeva seven seasons, with the light hand of the Maslov has made scorer: 11 27, 10, 18, 14, 17, 13. Summing, we obtain 110. By the number of goals in the national championships, he surpassed many of the more famous. Then he began to write about it this way: "Exceptionally persistent and looking forward to the gate, very well played head.

There surely captured result in finished form. What survived Kopaev in the first half of his life football player, when melted considered the best years, but he had either a failure, whether generally in vain, mistakenly put on my shoes? And as if all turned out, did not it appear in Rostov Maslov!

. Coaching intervention in the fate of the players little studied
. Textbook example of the positive properties of the orally transmitted from generation to generation. Now and again you hear is true, sometimes, paradoxically, the ability to decipher the players Arkad'ev, Maslov, Yakushin, Jordania, Beskov, Sevidov. And happy those masters who picked the place and the game, and sometimes forced, against their will, to do what later became their superb obtained. But it is impossible to believe that such interventions always led to better, to discover ... Coaches lot, they are different, probably someone from the players and let the curve, wrong road, and football suffered losses. And this happens, talk with a sigh, but quietly. And what would seem to overnice? The most bitter mistakes should not go in the sand if you want good cause ...

. Played Kopaev noticeable on the conscience, there is something to remember and to himself, and those with whom one was linked with a string on the field, and those who saw him from the stands
. Or you may dream up. Let's be unraveled and approved it for about five years earlier, say in CSKA. Then, perhaps, and team would acquire acute, score a forward, and he himself, had mustered a football-mad mind, boldly made himself among the stars. Coaching team showed interest in him after he was in his club moved into the scorers, but it was forced, formal, recognition, and late - years left.

. That's another life, unlike the others, with his happiness and to their regret.