Match №27

The match № 27, matches for 5-8 places, eighth tournament day

UKRAINE – BELARUS 1:0 (0:0)

January 31th, 2014, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 700 spectators

Referees: Vladimir Moskalyov, Dmitriy Zhvakin, Egor Bolhovitskiy

Ukaraine: Makharadze, Pysko, Vakulenko, Bratkov, Prindeta, Yurchenko, Memeshev (Bliznichenko, 86), Kalitvinzev (c), Totovitsky (Mishnev, 71), Malinovsky (Akulinin, 59), Miroshnichenko

Head coach: Sergey Kovalets

Belarus: Vasiliuchak, Klapotski, Karpovich, Shastsilouski, Shramchanka (Pazniak, 84), Nazarenko (Kavaliou, 65), Savitski (c) (Zuk, 89), Sokal, Yanchanka (Нurenko, 77), Yablonskiy (Zalesky, 85), Yelezaranka (Kaplenka, 62)

Head coach: Ihar Kavalevich

Goal: Shastsilouski (72, own goal)

Yellow cards: Yelezaranka (51), Savitski (87)

Best players: Anton Bratkov, Anton Shramchanka

 

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After match comments

Head coach of team Ukraine Sergey Kovalets:

– This was a very good game, interesting for both the spectators and supporters. There were sharp moments at the both goal areas. I'm glad that my players could stand this match keeping the playing discipline and a high rhythm. The victory we've deserved today is valuable. I want to thank my players for their playing and having played in such a regime and for their qualifying to the finals.

– Team Ukraine is a participant of the Commonwealth Cup final second year in a row. Whom will you be supporting in the other pair of finalists?

– Estonia! It's a joke. I don't have any preferences. Let the strongest be the winner. We want to play against the winner and decide the gold medalist in an equal match. What matters is that the final must be worthy – like in the previous year, for example.

– So you don't feel like having revenge?

– Revenge is all good, but you know me well: I always advocate for a fine, spectacular and fair football. The strongest on the pitch will win!

– Today your opponent played without forwards. Has it made your task easier?

– It may seem so only at first sight. It's always hard to prepare for a game when you don't know much about the opponent. You see, we didn't know what Belarus could invent in this situation. I supposed they would put on the attacking end that guy with the number 15 (Zuk. – editor's note) who showed himself in the quarterfinals, scored two goals and took part in all the attacks. So I planned our playing according to my suppositions. By the way, that guy has been named the best player of the match today as well. So I'm sure team Belarus is a very strong opponent and their losses can be covered.

Head coach of team Belarus Ihar Kavalevich:

– I congratulate the opponent with the victory. Sergey would agree with me that the game was equal but the luck was on the side of Ukraine. In football it's the strongest who is lucky. But I have nothing to blame my players for. You know, we had certain problems. In the last match we lost two our forwards and thus were left without forwards at all for the tournament. So it was not from being too well off that we let Anton Shramchanka on the pitch, for he is normally a midfielder. He was doing his best, and in the last game he proved his being worthy of playing in the first team. But his problem is that he can't enter the game right from the start – he needs some time.

– You spoke quite warmly about the coach of the team Ukraine. Do you know each other for long?

– It's not been long since I took this team, so we haven't met on the sporting background. Though we warmed up yesterday at the coaches' tournament, and our states are neighbours, so we've known each other anyway and here got to know closer. So now we can mention each other by name.

– Let's back to the match. Coming of the goalkeeper to the opposite goal area to help the attack, was it his ad-libbing or your demand?

– How can it be ad-libbing? Two minutes were left till the end of match, one more conceded goal wouldn't change anything, but if we could level the score, there would be chances for the Final. Our goalkeeper has taken right decision. There was no need to wait a demand from the bench; he had to go forward at once instead of thinking and doubting.

– Your team didn't have a plain match way on this tournament. What are the reasons?

– Our team is not enough coordinated and schemed. I didn't know many of my players; I have taken only those whom I could look through in Belarus. I began forming the team here on the tournament. Yes, we had done many mistakes, but we have corrected them also.

– What words would you chose for Siamion Shastsilouski who caused the own goal?

– And what words can you chose? And what for? There's no his fault. On the contrary, he tried to kick the ball out but it has cut off. Such things happen. He has been one of the best players on the pitch.