Match № 1

The match № 1, group stage, first tournament day

CZECH REPUBLIC – UKRAINE 3:3 (2:2)

January 5th, 2013, Saint-Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 300 spectators

Referees: Sokolov Oleg, Rodionov Alexander, Sukharyonok Igor

Czech: Krasny, Shevchik, Prosek, Holzer (Richter, 90), Brosh, , Shashinka (Jehlichko, 62), Michna (Kaiser, 51), Kadlec, Kratochvil, Hulka (c), Matushek

Head coach: Josef Csaplar

Ukraine: Sarnavskii (c), Kachabara (Tkachuk, 46), Shevchuk, Tankovskii (Jastrub, 77), Lukanov (Polegenko, 55), Gabelok (Kravchenko, 46), Radchenko (Zaviiskii, 85), Miranjan (Jaremchuk, 66), Chumak, Sizii, Sobol

Head coach: Alexander Petrakov

Goals: Gabelok (19 pen.; 26 pen), Holzer (34, 36), Lukanov (51), Shevchik (59)

Failed penalty kick: Chumak (78)

Yellow cards: Matushek (78), Polegenko (76)

Best players: Dmitrii Lukanov, Lukash Hulka

After match comments

Head coach of the team Czech Republic Josef Csaplar:

– I'm happy to be at the Granatkin Memorial again. We were here last year and I can say this time it's even better. 16 participating teams show the high level of the tournament.

As for the play, I like the results more than the game quality. Ukraine was better in some moments, they had more chances. But with all respect to the rival I must mark the low referee performance. I believe the 1st and the 3d penalty kicks were unfair. The referee decisions were an unpleasant surprise for me.

Yes, our team had to catch up during the whole game and take it out from the unfavorable 0:2, but it worked for good of my players – that is the gusto in sports. In youth football there's no use to study the rival before the game. There're too many peculiarities, so I set a task to my players – to go and show what they are able to. Today we haven't quite accomplished this, but in following matches we'll show our best.

Head coach of the team Ukraine Alexander Petrakov:

– Not bad start for my team. Score is 3:3 and on the field we had interesting play. Yes, we had mistakes, but I can't make any complaint to my players. They did their best and did it with the desire. We didn't score many times, but had all chances for it. We had a lack of skill, but this component is coming with years and games and for the players of this age there is nothing bad. In the first half I didn't like our defensive line, but in general the match was successful. I won't comment the penalty kicks – I never comment the referee's decisions. In the second half I made 6 substitutions, it wasn't tactics, it was my desire to let the players show themselves. We have 18 men in the team who came here to play, but not to sit on the bench.