Match № 20

The match № 7, (first group stage) second tournament day

GREECE – RUSSIA-2 2:0 (0:0)

January 7th, 2015, St. Petersburg, SC Zenit, 300 spectators

Referees: Aleksandr Dobrolyubov, Vasiliy Yakovlev, Aleksandr Kuznetsov

Greece: Ntounis, Giataganakis, Svarnas, Patralis, Angelopoulos (c) (Kesidis, 69), Regkakos (Karakoutis, 75), Lamprou, Melissopoulos (Kakko, 63), Tzinovits, Retsos, Plegas (Gkrosios, 82)

Head coach: Ioannis Gkoumas

Russia-2: Maximenko, Bugriev, Kalugin (Tarasov, 73), Matviychuk (Rasskazov, 56), Galanin (Tsigankov, 64), Makhatadze, (Selukov, 46), Galadjan (с) (Dzhariashvili, 46), Lomovitskiy (Pletnev, 63), Kudriavtsev, Khodakovskiy (Terekhov, 46), Sedyh (Kirillov, 57)

Head coach: Mikhail Galaktionov

Goals: Lamprou (55), Plegas (62)

Failed penalty kick: Galadjan (26, missed)

Yellow cards: Makhatadze (19), Ntounis (26), Matviychuk (53), Bugriev (90)

Best players: Dimitrios Tzinovits, Nikita Kalugin

After match comments

Head coach of team Greece Ioannis Gkoumas:

– I think today it was a deserved victory. We had still more scoring moments that unfortunately we haven't realized. We were stronger today, but we lacked a little bit of luck sometimes.

– Your team lost the first match at the tournament, then played the draw, and today has won. Can you call this a progress?

– Yes, sure. I've said already that we are a new team. But I'm glad that my players can understand each other better with each game.

– You played two last games against Russian teams. Can you be considered a specialist in teams Russia?

– I can't see any difference, whatever team from whatever country we play against. Now it is a coincidence. On another tournament we'll have other opponents. What is important for me is experience we gain on victories and defeats.

Head coach of team Russia-2 Mikhail Galaktionov:

– I'd like to note that we had quite a worthy first half. At that time we still had forces. In the beginning of the second half the guys were obviously worse in physics. The Greeks seized the initiative. Unfortunately the rotation we have made, hadn't brought any significant results. It may have been due to the misunderstanding, most of the guys play for the team first time. We have some problems in lines. Of course we are disappointed with the results, because today we hoped for a good outcome and were setting the guys only to win. The tournament draws to an end. It's important for us to finish it at a major tune.

– In spite of the score you guys seemed to be playing more active today, even more adventurous sometimes...

– We are teaching the guys to play more intelligent football, but this is youth football. Sometimes we tell them to play more simply, not to hold the ball – but this comes within years, with experience.

– It's remarkable that neither you nor your players ever argue with the referees. Have there been special instructions to the guys?

– From the very first day of our common work the coaches and the players agreed not to discuss the arbitration at all, not to start any polemics with the referees. They will never cancel their decision but can give you a yellow card for disputing. So what for shall we get yellow cards and let the team down? One must play on the pitch, not argue. One must prove his pretensions for victory by sports methods.