Match № 40

The match № 40, Final, tenth tournament day

JAPAN – RUSSIA 3:0 (0:0)

January 12th, 2014, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 8000 spectators

Referees: Andrey Fisenko, Roman Milyuchenko, Aleksandr Rodionov

Japan: Yoshimaru (Hayashi, 89), Yamaguchi, Ishida (Sakai, 89), Suzuki, Motegi (c), Sugimoto (Watanabe, 62), Nakano (Uryu, 89), Misao (Miyamoto, 82), Kitagawa (Takagi, 75), Shindo, Okugawa (Matsubara, 82)

Head coach: Atsushi Uchiyama

Russia: Rudakov, Nikolaesh, Buranov, Novak, Guliev (c) (Lanin, 76), Anisimov (Panteleev, 60), Belikov (Ageev, 60), Rukas, Sheydaev (Cherov, 64), Nesterenko (Frolov, 55), Zuev (Maximenko, 70)

Head coach: Dmitry Homukha

Goals: Sugimoto (51), Kitagawa (62; 73)

Yellow card: Novak (90)

Best players: Tokuma Suzuki, Maxim Rudakov

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After match comments

Head coach of the team Japan Atsushi Uchiyama:

– We want to thank the organizers of this tournament for a very good competition. Everything was done on the highest level. Talking about the match, my team totally obeyed my instructions and we won the game as the result.

– Football is developing very quickly in Japan and the style of what country do you take as the example: England, Spain, Brazil, may be Germany?

– First of all, thank you for such compliment. But we are still developing. We like the football styles of the countries you have named, but we try to make our own style that is based on our strong points: hardworking, technics and speed. We do not take for somebody, we try to make our own Japanese style.

– As far as I know, Japanese coaches go to Europe for football education, to Spain exactly. Have you got such education?

– Yes, Japanese coaches go to Europe for education. As for me, I have been to Spain and Italy. At about 10 years ago I had a chance to work with Dunga and Squillaci .

– It was the debut for your team on this tournament. We can say now: came, saw and won. What were your aims for this tournament when you received the invitation to come to St. Petersburg?

– We have the task to prepare some of our players for the Olympic team and for the national team of Japan. Our participation in different international tournaments is the part of education for our players. They get priceless experience playing matches with the teams of different football styles. It is also one of the steps of forming our players as professionals. As for the aims for this tournament, winning is always pleasant. But besides the victory we have to look through some players from our reserve, check them in tough and hard matches.

– Will you recommend to your colleague, coach of the team of 97th year of birth, to come to St. Petersburg next year?

– If we have the invitation and we have the chance to come to Valentin Granatkin Memorial once again, we will come with pleasure.

Head coach of the team Russia Dmitry Homukha:

– I'd like to congratulate my colleague with the victory. Just as we were supposing, their lineup was composed of the World Cup participants, so their experience, tactics and technics were on the top level.

– Have you managed to analyze the match in the changing room during the interval between the final whistle and prize giving ceremony?

– We never analyze our playing sharp after the match. This must be done in a calm state of mind and with the utmost attention.

– You said before the tournament began that you wanted to watch the first reserve of the national team. Are you satisfied with what you've seen on the tournament and at the match today?

– The final match showed the difference between the fitness of a very good team and the reserve we had. Those who've seen the match could see the colossal difference between the technical fit of the two teams. We have a long-term analysis before us. We have already met this team and both this game and this tournament gave us additional information about team of Japan. But we improve our performance after such matches. They show us the direction in which we should move.

– How would you estimate Valentin Granatkin Memorial in a whole? Your team has got to the final, though hasn't managed to repeat the result of the last year. What estimation would you give to your team?

– I will repeat again that our main goal was to watch new candidates in the first reserve team which could efficiently substitute the players who need substitution for some reason. They showed on this tournament on whom we can rely and who is not ready yet.

– Anticipating the World Cup 2018, are there players in your team ready to show worthy performance for our country?

– Our country has always been rich for talents. We have good players, and we will do our best to make some players of this team fit for the home championship.