Andrei Solomatin - one of the main players of the Moscow “Locomotive” of the late 90s - early 2000s. It was during this period that the "railroad" achieved the greatest success on the Russian and international arena, and Solomatin, along with other stars of that period - Chugainov, Janashia, Ovchinnikov - were the most prominent players in the domestic championship.
At the dawn of a career
Andrey Solomatin was born in Moscow on September 9, 1975. He became interested in football in his early childhood with his father. Dad and sent young Andrei to the children and youth sports school of the Olympic reserve "Torpedo" (Moscow). It was in it that the first steps were taken, the foundations of the ability to work in two key positions were laid, on which Solomatin subsequently played his whole career - the central defender and the defensive midfielder.
The first adult team for Andrey was Torpedo (Moscow). Solomatin got into the application in 1992, when he was 16 years old. In that season, “car manufacturers” played in the Major League, but after the preliminary stage they could not continue the fight for medals, there were only three points missing. Solomatin, due to his young age and inexperience, could not make his debut that season.
League Two
The next season, Andrei Solomatin went to the capital TRASCO to gain experience and maturity. It was a team based on the FSM (Youth Football School) base, as the team was called under the Soviet Union. In the previous season, TRASCO successfully performed for itself in the 3rd zone of the 2nd league of the Russian championship, taking 15th place. This is the best achievement of the team in the domestic championship.
In 1993, TRASCO fell into the 4th zone. Solomatin from the first matches took place at the base of defense. The season turned out to be long, difficult and ambiguous. In 42 matches, they managed to win only 10 times, with 19 defeats. As a result - 16th place and, like many teams that season, due to a change in the format of the tournament, TRASCO went to the 3rd league.
Solomatin spent here the next season. This time managed to become 12th. Over 2 seasons, Andrei appeared on the field 47 times, scoring 8 goals.
Led by Semin
In the offseason, Solomatin Andrei Yurievich received an invitation from the head coach of the Moscow “Locomotive”
Yuri Semin and arrived at the location of the “railroad”. Thus opened the most successful page of his career.
The young but impudent Solomatin immediately found his place in the team. From the very first matches, they began to let him in games. At first he came to replace in the endings, he soon won a place at the base. The debut took place in the first round in the home game with Samara “Wings of the Soviets”. Solomatin came on as a substitute in the 70th minute with a score of 1: 1 instead of Arsen Ayupov. 5 minutes before the final whistle, the railroad earned a penalty, which was realized by Alexei Kosolapov. In the remaining time, everyone fought to save, Solomatin even received his first yellow card. Still managed to get 3 points in that match.
The 1995 season was successful for Lokomotiv, the team won silver medals, losing 6 points to Moscow Spartak.
First trophy
The next year, things did not turn out so well. At the end of the season, “Locomotive” was only only in 6th place. But Andrei Solomatin won his first trophy - the Cup of Russia.
Even at the stage of the 1/16 final, the St. Petersburg Zenit was defeated - 4: 0, in 1/8 Uralmash was defeated with the same score. Solomatin by that time was already a player of the basic structure. Then, with a score of 1: 0, the Kamyshinsky Tekstilshchik and Moscow Dynamo managed to get through. In the finals, Lokomotiv got the strongest team of those years - Spartak.
Solomatin Andrey Yuryevich in that match came out in the starting lineup. The first half turned out to be eventful - the teams exchanged two goals. But in the second half of the meeting the struggle was more stubborn. The fate of the trophy was decided by a goal by Yuri Drozdov five minutes before the end of regular time. 3: 2 in favor of the “Locomotive”.
Cup team
In the Russian Cup, along with Lokomotiv, Andrei Solomatin became the winner 3 more times. The footballer won the trophy in 1997, when the Dynamo Moscow won 2-0 in the final.
In 2000, in the final against CSKA, Solomatin was replaced during the break with a score of 1: 1. The victory was obtained only in extra time, the decisive goal was scored by Ilya Tsymbalar in the 113th minute.
In 2001, the Makhachkala “Anji” was defeated in the penalty shoot-out final, however, Andrei did not take part in the decisive matches that season.
In the championship, Lokomotiv managed to win another bronze medal and three silver medals.
Solomatin in European competition
In European competitions, Solomatin made his debut for Lokomotiv in the first round of the UEFA Cup. In rivals, “railroad” got the formidable Munich “Bavaria”. Despite this, the young team of Semin in the first match did not shy away and won away - 1-0. True, the Germans retaliation was devastating, in Cherkizovo “Locomotive” was a bit 0: 5.
The following year, the “railroad” hit immediately in 1/16 of the UEFA Cup. In this round, the Croatian “Varteks” (1: 0, 1: 2) passed not without difficulty. And in 1/8 suffered two defeats from the Portuguese “Benfica” (0: 1, 2: 3).
The 1997/98 season was much more successful. First, the Belarusian “Belshina” (2: 1, 3: 0) was confidently passed, then the Turkish “Kocaelispor” (2: 1, 0: 0). In the quarter finals, the Greek AEK went to the rivals. The first match in Athens ended in a draw, the return match in Moscow also ended with an equal score, but already 1: 1, which suited the Greeks. Spas “Lokomotiv” Igor Chugainov, scoring a goal in the last minutes of the match.
The tale ended in the semifinals. “Lokomotiv” minimally lost in Germany to “Stuttgart” - 1: 2, however, in the second leg in Moscow, the fans did not see the goals.
The following year, “Locomotive” again reached the semifinals of the UEFA Cup. This time the first match against the Roman “Lazio” in Moscow ended in a draw 1: 1, and the return match ended with zeros on the scoreboard. This alignment suit the Italians.
In 2000, the debut of “Locomotive” in the Champions League, participated in it and Andrei Solomatin. The biography of the athlete in great European football began in Turkey in the game against Besiktas in the 3rd qualification round of the tournament. That debut cannot be called successful, the Semin team lost 0-3. The second leg was formed in a similar way, again the defeat - 1: 3.
For 6 seasons in the “Locomotive” Solomatin spent 143 matches on the field, noting 7 goals scored.
Transition to CSKA
Since 2002, Solomatin went to Moscow CSKA. He became a player of the main team here. In the first season, he finished the championship in the new team, sharing the first place with his former club - Lokomotiv. In 30 matches, the teams scored 66 points each. CSKA won 21 victories, 2 more than the “railroad”, but according to the rules of that season, the fate of the trophy was decided by the “golden” match.
It took place on November 21 at the Dynamo stadium in the presence of 34 thousand fans. Solomatin came out in the first team against a team that had recently been his hometown.
“Lokomotiv” succeeded a quick goal, in the 6th minute the score was opened by Dmitry Loskov. This goal as a result was the only one. Lokomotiv became the champion of Russia for the first time, and Solomatin again received silver medals.
Andrey finished his career in CSKA in 2003, having played only 64 matches, in which he scored 4 goals.
World Cup
The beginning of the 2000s in Solomatin’s career was the most successful time, it was then that he was invited to play for the national team. Andrei made his team debut on November 18, 1998 in a friendly match against the Brazilians. The game did not work out from the very beginning, already by the 20th minute the magicians of the ball were 2-0 and in the 32nd minute Solomatin lost his place on the field to Kornaukhov. That game ended with one of the largest defeats of the team - 1: 5.
Then Solomatin was called for friendly matches in 2000, and in 2002 he got into the application for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. On the eve of the tournament he played in a friendly tournament for the LG Cup. In a semifinal match against Belarus, he evened the score with a penalty, scoring his first goal for the national team.
On the World Cup, Solomatin was a player of the main squad. However, the team performed unsuccessfully. Having won in the first match Tunisia - 2: 0, suffered two defeats - 0: 1 from Japan and 2: 3 from Belgium. Solomatin played all matches without substitutions, having received two yellow cards.
Nowadays
After leaving CSKA Solomatin went to the Krasnodar “Kuban”, but there he spent only 8 matches. From there to the South Korean "Seongnam Ilhwa Cheonma" (and there he appeared on the field only 2 times).
He played for the Ukrainian Obolon, Samara “Wings of the Soviets”, Nizhny Novgorod “Spartak”, Makhachkala “Anji” and Moscow “Torpedo”. But he could not gain a foothold anywhere, not having even spent 20 matches for one team. Solomatin was no longer called to the national team. He ended his career in 2007 at the age of 32.
Today Andrey Solomatin is a coach. In this field, he takes only the first steps. He works as an assistant mentor to the youth team of the club of the second division. His new club is FC Chertanovo.
A team of stars from the sky is not enough. Last season FC Chertanovo took only 11th place in the Center zone, having won 8 victories in 26 matches. The main task of Solomatin at this stage is to educate talented youth.