Match № 16

The match № 16, group D, fourth tournament day

SAINT PETERSBURG – UKRAINE 0:0 (0:0)

January 6th, 2014, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 2700 spectators

Referees: Stanislav Vasilyev, Aleksey Manin, Ilya Dorogostayskiy

St. Petersburg: Obukhov (c), Krivulkin, Ivanov (Meschaninov, 53), Ivanidi, Markin, Pankov, Yuryev, Agaragimov (Tankov, 86), Nazimov, Bukharov, Kubyshkin

Head coach: Vladimir Kazachenok

Ukraine: Yefanov, Kuksenko, Luchkevych, Byesyedin, Zotko, Shtanenko (Klak, 89), Lobay (Dushyn, 46), Luk'yanchuk (c), Nechai (Kvych, 46), Medved (Klots, 34), Klak (Stefurak, 79)

Head coach: Aleksandr Golovko

Yellow cards: Kuksenko (71), Zotko (87), Meschaninov (90)

Best players: Igor Obukhov, Valeriy Luchkevych

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After match comments

Head coach of the team St.Petersburg Vladimir Kazachenok:

– Competitive draw, we didn't expect any other variant. I watched the game of Ukrainian team – it is an ambitious squad. I'm happy that my players showed their characters. They didn't step back. But usually we have situation "when one foot is standing, another is already sinking". The heating of the game was high, but individual level must be better. I think that is why the final score is 0:0.

– Team of St.Petersburg started badly, lost the lead and only ten minutes later found its game. What was the reason of it? After a big victory the players became too much self-confident?

– Players of this age can easily lose confidence. After a mistake all the schemes become too simple and glint in the eyes disappear. It has happened today, we made the attack but failed it and let the opponent easily to move forward.

– Please, comment the free kick in the second half.

– (Head coach of Ukrainian team Aleksandr Golovko) Can I comment it? I understood that clearly. If the referee wouldn't be in a hurry we would let the goal in. Our players had to loosen up, lost their attention and the home team could strike the empty net. Am I right Vladimir Aleksandrovich?

– Yes, you are quite right.

– Why didn't your players take the leading role in some moments? If there was a chance to score a goal, they preferred to pass back to the partner. It was your task for them?

– I have told at the last press conference that the logic of players of this age can't be explained. I talk to them, they understand everything, agree with me. But come to the pitch and everything disappears. They think than crossing the pitch with a ball and strike the gates is not beautiful, it is too easy. But if he stops 8 times, turns around – that will be nice. But the beauty of the game is in its simplicity.

– How can you comment the victory of Latvia in the match with Turkey?

– The coach is a true man – gave the promise to win and won it.

– Can you also promise not to lose, at least?

– We will win!

Head coach of the team Ukraine Aleksandr Golovko:

– I want to thank my guys. They did everything they could, except one thing. To win you have to score. And, speaking about efficiency of playing, it was rather poor today, but I hope in the next game we will score our goal.

– Why were there so little substitutions?

– We are short of people who can reanimate a game. I wouldn't like to repeat once again but there are only about four guys of 18 years old in the first team. I've already told that we've been working with this team for two years, and we think of this tournament as of a way of selection; not all the players are ready to pass into the adults' football from the youth's. And you can be sure those who could come to substitution wouldn't have made our playing stronger. So those who could play at least 85 minutes played it before being substituted.

– Before asking my question I would like to wish you happy birthday. (applause) Until you substituted your defensive midfielder due to the injury you were helping him more than others. Did this helping come from the position itself?

– Thank you! The thing is that I try to deal all the football issues when working with players of such an age myself. The guys can play as their current performance allows. And the coach wants the defense to be reliable. I don't have much to complain at, they played as they are able to play. I'm very sorry the guy got injured. But it's the way football is played: on the will, through overcoming of one's "I can't". Not everybody succeeded in it today.

– Aleksandr, your team has stricken the gate enormous number of times today. Did you have any 'plan B', apart from the long-distance kicks?

– The 'plan B' was to score. The 'plan A' was to strike the gates as much as possible, and the 'plan B' was to score. We made many strikes but failed to strike on target. We failed to strike in the 14 square meters. I hope we won't miss in the next game.