MOSCOW (AP) — England wasted a lead to put its European Championship qualifying chances in jeopardy with a 2-1 loss to Russia on Wednesday night.
Wayne Rooney had put England ahead on the artificial field at Luzhniki Stadium in the 29th minute with a volley. Steven Gerrard missed a chance to make it 2-0 before Russia substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko scored twice in four second-half minutes.
Russia can now advance to next year’s tournament in Austria and Switzerland if it wins its final two games — at Israel on Nov. 17 and at Andorra four days later.
"We have a perfect chance now," Pavlyuchenko said. "All is now in our hands. We must beat Israel — it will be the key match."
England, which would have qualified with victory, has only a game against Croatia on Nov. 21.
"I can’t believe it is out of our hands," Gerrard said. "You start believing you are nearly there, that you have got one foot there, but football is a cruel game and chances and decisions and mistakes turn football matches.
"For England not to make the finals will be unthinkable."
Pavlyuchenko, who had come on as a 58th-minute substitute, scored the winning goal off a rebound after goalkeeper Paul Robinson pushed away an attempt from Alexei Berezutskiy. He had just scored a penalty kick to bring Russia level after Konstantin Zyryanov was brought down by Rooney on the edge of the box.
Television replays suggested that referee Luis Medina Cantalejo had awarded the kick in error since Rooney was outside the area when he fouled Zyryanov.
"It’s an absolute disgrace, it’s outside the box," England coach Steve McClaren said. "The linesman didn’t give it, it was the referee from a distance. Things like that turn games."
England led when Rooney got to a header from Michael Owen, chested the ball onto his foot and volleyed for his second goal in five days following his goal in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Estonia.
Gerrard, who was captain in the place of the injured John Terry, could have scored in the 51st but he shot wide when unmarked close to goal.
Russia midfielder Yuri Zhirkov slipped on grating close the edge of the field while chasing a ball in the 24th but was unhurt.
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov had a shot blocked in the 21st and Zyryanov hit the post in the 26th, with Berezutskiy heading wide from the resulting corner.
Russia also pressured England with five corners in the closing minutes of the first half.
England’s other chance in the first half came when Joleon Lescott, who was making his first start in place of injured left back Ashley Cole, headed over in the 15th.
England’s defence became busier shortly before Russia’s goals, with Sol Campbell blocking shots from Dmitry Torbinskiy and Bilyaletdinov.
McClaren brought on Frank Lampard, Stewart Downing and Peter Crouch as substitutes after Russia’s goals and, in the 86th, Rooney had a shot turned past the post and Campbell headed over the bar.
The win was the first for Hiddink in 10 attempts against English opposition.
Russia is in third place in Group E with 21 points, behind Croatia with 26 and England with 23. Only the top teams in each group advance to the final tournament.
England, which beat the Russians 3-0 at Wembley on Sept. 12, has the edge if the two teams end up with the same number of points.
"It puts us in a bad position, it’s out of our hands," McClaren said. "We’ve got to rely on Israel getting a result against Russia next month and then we take it from there."