Match № 31

The match № 31 (for the 7th place), tenth tournament day

KAZAKHSTAN – TAJIKISTAN 2:0 (1:0)

January 25th, 2015, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 300 spectators

Referees: Oleg Sokolov, Kirill Bolshakov, Rustam Muhtarov

Kazakhstan: Pavlov, Aslan (c), Antipov, Sartakov, Rudoselsky (Khalezov, 46; Adilkhanov, 66), Djalilov (Rodionov, 46), Tungysbaev (Suley, 90), Shaikhov, Tuliev, Khairullin, Sariev

Head coach: Saulius Sirmelis

Tajikistan: Dodoboev, Sharipov A. (c), Juraboev, Saidov (Dzhalilov, 66), Sharipov F., Aliev, Ergashev, Rakhmatov, Sadikhoni, Abdugafarov, Azimov

Head coach: Alisher Tukhtaev

Goals: Sariev (23, 85)

Yellow cards: Khairullin (35), Sariev (38), Abdugafarov (43), Tuliev (54), Dzhalilov (67), Aliev (73), Suley (90), Sharipov (90)

Red cards: Sariev (90, 2nd y.c.)

Best players: Rauan Sariev, Amrokhon Sadikhoni

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After match comments

Head coach of team Kazakhstan Saulius Sirmelis:

– It was very important for us to score first. And actually we succeeded in the very first attack. We knew that team Tajikistan knows how to play on counter attacks and often does so. That's how they scored a goal in our gates at the first game. We knew the opponent had many injured players, though we neither have anything to boast about. We, too, hardly could gather the team. Some guys have finished the tournament ahead-of-schedule. It is clear that all the teams are in equal conditions, but the calendar is very tough. Some players fail to stand such loads.

– A week ago you met team Tajikistan and lost. Did you want to take revenge today?

– I wouldn't say we were thinking of revenge. You must set up only to win for each game. I would note here the specific of the match itself, for it was a kind of a Derby. Mentally and geographically Kazakhstan and Tajikistan are not far from each other.

– You've lost to team Belarus in a penalty shoot-out, and team Belarus lost to team RSA in the same way. Could you have become a finalist?

– I think – and many of my colleagues can confirm it – that the level of participants this year is as equal as never. And I'm glad that Asian football has made a big progress. Can you remember for which places we fought previous years? For the bottoms of the rating list! And now? We entered the eight strongest and some have reached the "mini-final". This became possible thanks to the sound training in the motherland. And you can see by yourself how many interesting players appear from the Asian region. And what pretty goals they score! To speak about Tajikistan – what effective two goal strikes they made to Lithuania! And Russia is already not an obvious favourite. Previously they wouldn't come under the two upper positions in the rating. Now they play only for the fifth place. This shows the development of football not only in football powers.

– Can you say your team's performance at the Commonwealth Cup was successful?

– Doubtlessly this tournament was of great use for us. We played against teams which represent different football styles. It was only Finland whom we haven't encountered. I wish we would try their organized-closed football. In a whole these competitions are a great school for us. I want to frankly thank my guys for having fought to the end, for showing their character in playing for their country. All honour to them!

Coach of team Tajikistan Alisher Khakberdiev:

– I want to congratulate my colleague and the team of Kazakhstan with the victory. The game was equal. Team of Kazakhstan managed to score their moments and we didn't. Our squad made many painful mistakes. We let in many goals on first minute of matches on this tournament, the same was today. Weak performance of defenders is our main problem.

– What is about second goal? Were you hot for attack?

– The second goal is the same with the first. One of central defenders challenged for the ball and failed because another one did not assist him.

– You are one of the coaches who does not make many substitutions. Is there reason to take players to the tournament if they sit on the bench all the time?

– We do not make substitutions because of the injuries. Don't think that we let the strongest to the pitch and keep inexperienced on the bench. We can't deepen the hurts of our players. We are going to perform on qualifying matches soon and we need our lineup healthy by that time.

– Concluding the tournament, has your team taken the place in the tournament table it deserves?

– That is right. Probably sometimes we lacked some fortune, even today in the match with Kazakhstan, if we had played a bit better, if we have had some more luck we could have stepped one place higher. I can repeat we deserve this eighth place. It is a good lesson for our team. We have seen our problems in defense and know what we should work at. If we play in the semifinal and the final we won't probably see these faults.

– You will have qualification matches in March, what changes will be in your team?

– I do not know about the changes in the staff, it is the question for our directorship, we do not know still how they will estimate our performance here. There will be some changes among players for sure. We have talented youth from the team of U-19, so we will call players from it.