Match №12

The match № 12, group B, third tournament day

LITHUANIA – RUSSIA 0:3 (0:1)

January 26th, 2014, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 3487 spectators

Referees: German Kravchenko, Aleksandr Shimarygin, Konstantin Shalamberidze

Lithuania: Plukas, Raziunas, Pangonis, Krasnovskis (Duda, 87), Stankevichius (Baniulis, 78), Gedminas (Skripkinas, 61), Girdvainis (c), Petravicius, Upstas (Armanavichius, 66), Salamanavichus (Vitukinas, 72), Vilkaitis

Head coach: Arminas Norbekovas

Russia: Leonov, Zuev (c), Kalyashin, Sharipov, Chkhapelia (Zemskov, 59), Mogilevets, Bolov (Manzon, 59), Zakuskin (Pantsyrev, 46), Zubarev, Ovsyannikov, Zuikov

Head coach: Nikolay Pisarev

Goals: Bolov (25, pen.), Zubarev (51), Sharipov (85)

Yellow cards: Pangonis (6), Baniulis (89)

Red cards: Vilkaitis (24), Petravicius (37)

Best players: Ignas Plukas, Ilya Zuev

 

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After match comments

Head coach of team Lithuania Arminas Norbekovas:

– I won't speak long, because there is nothing to speak about. I want to thank my players for their strong character, when they stayed 9 against 11 and kept fighting till the end. But the score shows everything. Russian team was stronger. We had some plans for this game but ruined them ourselves, by unsporting behavior.

– Your goalkeeper impressed us much. Where is he from? What is his football club?

– He is the second goalkeeper of Zalgiris. In our national team we have two good goalkeepers, but Ignas showed today really brilliant playing and confirmed that he has a certain place in the lineup of our national team. The team we have on this tournament is totally new, excepting 2 or 3 players. It is very pleasant that such players can show their best.

– What can you say about penalty kicks? Are both of them fair? Will you punish Petravicius somehow?

– I think in the first moment yellow card would be a sufficient penalty, because the penalty kick was already appointed. But the second misconduct penalty was dreadful for us. One must be more restrained. We will punish him, but he has ruined the game. We could level the score that time but in consequence of his actions only 9 players were left on the pitch.

Head coach of team Russia Nikolay Pisarev:

– The upcome is unexpected. Not every time your opponent gets red card on the 35th minute, even two red cards. But we had a chance to see some our combinations and try different situations.

– Are you not worried that your next opponent, team St. Petersburg, has an advantage? Can more time for rest be the trump card for the hosts?

– I don't think it will be a big advantage. The main thing will be motivation. Players of St. Petersburg will be eager to prove they worth playing for the national team, not only the city team. That will be their psychological advantage. Besides, they will have a better support. For sure there will be many people, and that's good for us because we have to test our players in such situations. You can see at such matches what your guys are able for.

– Today's match was deciding whether you will take the top or second position. Was it important for you?

– No, the intermediate result is not very important. There's a strategy of the group tournament stage, and everybody understands the rating. What is important for us is allowing as much players as possible to come to the pitch, try different schemes. But I'll repeat today it wasn't a standard game. Not in every match you have two players head start for almost 60 minutes of game. It's the first case in my practice.

– For some time in the first half your task was accomplished by a supporter who was giving advice and instructions to your players, say – guiding the team. Was he of use or hindrance for you?

– I'm happy that people come to watch football and support our team. But at some moment I was not very happy to listen to him, though now the emotions are getting down. Football is played for the spectators, they come here to shout, laugh, and rest. So, let them have joy.