FIFA World Cup 2014: Russia draws with South Korea as Akinfeev is rescued by veteran Kerzhakov

Aleksandr Kerzhakov of Russia celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Russia and South Korea at Arena Pantanal

A calamitous goalkeeping error saw Russia held to a draw by an energetic South Korean side in their Group H clash. Igor Akinfeev’s mistake from Lee Keun-ho’s long distance effort was a moment the keeper will long to forget, but Alexander Kerzhakov’s equaliser was worth savouring for the 31-year-old left out of the starting line-up.

Arsenal man Park Chu-Young started the game for South Korea, despite only playing a combined total of 71 minutes of football this season. Former Chelsea defender Yuri Zhirkov started the game on the left side of midfield for Fabio Capello’s Russia.

The game began at a relative temperate pace and continued that way for the majority of the first half, with South Korea happy to retain the ball in midfield.

Russia’s Viktor Fayzulin nearly crafted the best opportunity of the opening 20 minutes, swinging a devilish ball over from the left wing, but nothing came of it.

Son Heung-Min had the first real sight of goal of the first half, cutting inside onto his right foot after a flick on by Park Chu-Young. He failed to do anything with the opportunity, however, firing the ball well over the bar.

Fayzulin tried to break the deadlock shortly after the restart, with Jung Sung-Ryong palming the ball over the bar from his long-range effort. The shot symbolised the added impetus both sides played with in the second period after a timid first half.

Neither goalkeeper particularly impressed. Ki Sung-yueng almost forced Russia’s Igor Akinfeev into a humongous error, as he palmed the Swansea man’s distant shot into the centre of the area, but the goalkeeper managed to collect the ball just before Korea’s runners reached it. Akinfeev made a similar error minutes later, dropping the ball from a distant free-kick, but got away with it once again.

This came in contrast to his opposite number, who was directly to blame for South Korea’s opening goal. A break controlled by substitute Lee Keun-ho had seemingly been held up by the Russian defence. Keun-ho managed to get a shot away from the edge of the area, but despite firing it directly at Akinfeev, the Russian goalkeeper let it slip through his grasp and the ball trickled into the back of the net.

Russia equalised only minutes later through substitute Alexander Kerzhakov. A well-struck effort was saved by Sung-Ryong, but the ball fell kindly to the Russian veteran, who turned before firing low and hard into the South Korean net.

From here, the game couldn’t find the quality it had lacked throughout and the tie fizzled out.