Match № 30

The match № 30 (second group stage), fifth tournament day

SLOVENIA – BELARUS 2:1 (0:1)

January 8th, 2015, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 600 spectators

Referees: Aleksandr Borisov, Igor Korotkov, Andrey Kuzhelev

Slovenia: Vodisek, Dedic (c), Klemencic, Ahec, Ivkic, Elsnik (Marinic, 73), Repas (Hajdarevic, 90), Mrkonja, Tijanic (Omerovic, 56), Skrbec, Ogrinec

Head coach: Igor Benedejcic

Belarus: Rabtsevich, Ivanov, Garapuchik (Khanevich, 46), Butarevich, Bessmertniy (c) (Butko, 73), Gromiko, Kuharchik (Sanets, 75), Alexandrovich (Velko, 37), Khvalko, Rasheniya, Uzepchuk

Head coach: Alexey Vergeenko

Goals: Gromiko (16), Omerovic (69, 77)

Yellow cards: Tijanic (59), Gromiko (70), Dedic (79)

Best players: Semin Omerovic, Valery Gromiko

After match comments

Head coach of team Slovenia Igor Benedejcic:

– That is a fourth game, and a second in a row, players are exhausted. Moreover, we had a pretty hard play with Russia. Still we were managed to mobilize and show the result. I am satisfied.

– How are you managed to keep power after a hard play with Russia? It seemed that you should be very tired, but you kept on dominating and not only scored back but won the match.

– We were recovering all together: coaches, officials, and the players. But the main motivating point was to play for the national team, to perform in a national colors. We are rolled collective and the play for the country always gives additional powers and never allows to relax.

– One of the leaders Zan Zuzek missed the game and your team won. Will he join the lineup automatically or the players who won today will join the next game?

– Zuzek is one of the strongest players in the middle. Thus, all had an opportunity to play and everyone has a chance to join the lineup or to substitute.

– Your team has a chance to play with team of Republic Korea or St. Petersburg. Which of them you would prefer to play?

– It does not matter. We saw games of both teams for 10 minutes maximum. The main aim for us – playing practice, the opponent is not relevant.

Head coach of team Belarus Alexey Vergeenko:

– At first I want to congratulate our opponent with the victory. It was a very hard game for us, it was developing not the way we have planned. We didn't want to play this way, the match was going not by our plan.I think that Slovenia deserved victory by its playing. The performance we have showed today was also worthy, but they played us over. We had many scoring moments, but failed them. If we could use them with the score 1:0, all questions will be eliminated. But it didn't turn out this way. It is football, we can do nothing now.

– Most of the first half your team was controlling the game, but at the end of it Slovenians get the initiative and held it in the second half, that brings a victory to them. What was broken in your game?

– It seemed this way only because of our scoring moments. Slovenians played very active from the beginning and took initiative at once. I will say one more time, their victory is totally deserved. If we scored those three balls in front of the empty gates, it would be possible to talk about our domination. But now our opponent has won by his deeds.

– Didn't your players have thoughts to hold the minimal advantage?

– I don't think they could have such thoughts. We came to play for victory and even didn't think about the draw. To hold the score 1:0 is really impossible even to suspect it.

– Tomorrow you will play against team of Russia. What is your motivation for this match? You are going to show good football or believe that the victory is possible?

– For sure, we believe. There won't be any doubts. It is not important what the score will be 1:0, 5:0, 5:1, we need to play. There is no need to count points and goals in January. We need to get an international experience. We want to get the higher place the possible, but it is clear that in such a match it will be hard. But we will try, the chances are always presented. Come to shout for us!

– What was the reason of an early substitution of number 15 and why did you constantly ask Uzepchuk about his condition?

– Uzepchuk had a slight injury and I was ready to substitute him at once. But it is good that he ran up and could play till the end of the match. Moreover, he played with a good speed. We are not an exception, we also have injured players. As for the number 15, he couldn't enter the game. He made many faults and we decided to change him. It happens in football when the player can't catch a game thread.