Match №22

The match № 22, quarterfinals, sixth tournament day

RUSSIA – KAZAKHSTAN 3:1 (1:1)

January 29th, 2014, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 850 spectators

Referees: Vitaly Rushakov, Rashid Abusuyev, Dmitry Zhvakin

Russia: Leonov, Zuev (c), Tsveiba, Kalyashin (Zemskov, 44), Sharipov, Chkhapelia (Manzon, 67), Mogilevets, Bolov (Yarmolitsky, 85), Zakuskin (Pantsyrev, 70), Zubarev (Priduk, 50; Kutin, 90), Zuikov

Head coach: Nikolay Pisarev

Kazakhstan: Pavlov, Sartakov, Passichnik, Lunin, Islamkhan (c), Zhukov (Uzdenov, 77), Murtazayev (Allayarov, 90), Shmidt, Aslan, Filchakov (Zhanggylyshbay, 46), Kuat

Head coach: Saulius Sirmelis

Goals: Bolov (9), Murtazayev (32), Chkhapelia (63), Manzon (74)

Yellow cards: Kuat (35), Zakuskin (69)

Best players: Nika Chkhapelia, Bauyrzhan Islamkhan

 

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After match comments

Head coach of team Russia Nikolay Pisarev:

– This day seems to be the crisis for us. Physical and moral weariness after the group stage has appeared. As it is usually said on training sessions, today we played under loads. But the opponent had still less rest than we did. My experience of this tournament tells that usually quarterfinals are most difficult emotionally and physically. We had trouble with that, and the game was less spectacular than could have been. But the positive thing was that if some players failed to perform well the others did their job. There was a team on the pitch. Though, again, they lacked emotions and freshness.

– Last year you also played against team Kazakhstan. Can you say they show a progress?

– I remember that game. Playing against Kazakhstan is always hard, and their championship is quite strong, their national team able to play, and their players are good. They almost have no weak points. In other teams which I won't name we find some faults which may allow winning them. Kazakhstan doesn't have such faults, so it's always difficult to play against them.

– Andrey Priduk is the only player of your team who has played in the Premier League in this season. But you usually let him for a substitution and now you substituted him back. What's his condition and why have you substituted him?

– First, he came to another position. We have injury problem, too, our players are also not completely fit. He has come not completely fit. He came for the first game from the Amkar training session, and they seem to have quite hard training there, so his functional condition is not perfect. And today he just failed to enter the game. Such things happen.

Head coach of team Kazakhstan Saulius Sirmelis:

– I wish good luck to Russian team in semifinal. Our defeat today has three factors. First is our opponent. Second is lack of rest. Third is experience. We have few players in our team who are known even in Kazakhstan. Players do not have enough practice and practically do not play in Premier League. The result is lack of experience. They play in their clubs certainly but not much. This is not sufficient playing practice for their level and it is a main reason of our defeats. Three conceded goals today were also because of it. The only players in my team with playing practice in Premier League are Islamhan, Kuat and Murtazaev.

– There was an impression in the beginning of the match that your players were afraid of Russian team and fell back to the goal box. But when they have discovered that they could play against them, they went forward, scored a goal and took the initiative. Was it really so?

– For sure, we have told to our players that there is nothing horrible in playing against Russia, but the psychological aspect plays a big role. They were keeping our words in their heads but still were a bit frightened of them. We have such a bad tradition. As you remember we concede goals on the first minutes. Even today Russia has scored a rather quick goal. We wanted to play more disciplined and keep our woodwork safe. Probably it made us fall back, but I think there was no fright: it was more like adaptation to the opponent. We played against a good team that wouldn't let us do everything.