Match №21

The match № 21, round play-off, 1/4 of final

January 25th, 2012, Saint-Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 150 spectators

Kazakhstan – Belarus 2:3 (1:0)

Referee: Anisimov, Usachev, Dudenkov

Kazakhstan: Otarbaev, Daytov (c), Kuat, Islamkhan, Khighnichenko (Levin, 70), Shetkin (Tagybergen, 57), Kunov (Akhmetov, 70), Goryachiy, Lisenkov (Prokopenko, 84), Shomko, Jolchiev (Gabyshev, 55)

Head coach: Slobodan Krchmarevich

Belarus: Sоrokо, Klоpotsky, Kruk (c), Vasilevsky, Kurlovich (Volovik, 88), Yakhno, Pushnyakov (Edeshko, 55), Kovalev (Volodko, 62), Teplov, Saroka, Anyukevich (Novik, 77)

Head coach: Alexey Vergeenko

Goals: Jolchiev (44), Saroka (53, p; 64), Teplov (75), Goryachiy (89)

Yellow cards: Islamkhan (39), Shomko (53), Teplov (88)

Red cards: Islamkhan (52, 2 y.c.), Dautov (53)

Best players: Otarbaev, Saroka

Comments

Head coach of Kazakhstan team Slobodan Krchmarevich:

– I am very upset. And it's not because of our loss. Surprisingly, today I have no complaints to the play of my team. And I'd like to thank the Belarusians for the correct football. That's not good to discuss the work of referee, but, to my mind, several yellow cards were shown unfairly. Though, some people do claim that it was the right case. It's necessary to see the video record. I want to say thanks to my players for showing their strong character. Especially it's very important to stand the game eight players against 10 and even to score in their age.

Head coach of Belarus team Alexey Vergeenko:

– I still have a lot of complaints about the quality of the game of my players. Yes, they are tired, but I do not ask them for something extraordinary. And yet, we went to the semifinals. It is a great achievement for the Belarusian national team as we are three years younger then our opponents. You can hear it from the coach quite seldom but, I may say that today referees were at our side. But at last we had the luck. We suffered from many whistles in previous games. I specifically put on a business suit today, hoping that it will bring us a good result. I wore the same suit when we won the bronze on the European Championship. Besides, my wife has recommended me to look more official. By her words I was like a masseur on edge of the pitch.