Match № 36

The match № 36 (second group stage), sixth tournament day

BELARUS – RUSSIA 0:6 (0:3)

January 9th, 2015, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 2300 spectators

Referees: Igor Panin, Aleksandr Rodionov, Dmitriy Ermakov

Belarus: Rabtsevich, Ivanov, Kapskiy (Khanevich, 79), Butarevich, Bessmertniy (Sanets, 61), Gromiko, Velko (c), Kuharchik (Butko, 46), Khvalko, Rasheniya, Uzepchuk

Head coach: Alexey Vergeenko

Russia: Akmurzin, Yevtushenko (Maiorsky, 60), Mamin, Skopintsev, Yamschikov (c) (Mironov, 46), Kipiani (Shanbiev, 57), Poluboyarinov, Obolsky (Malikov, 60), Melkadze (Pronichev, 41), Akhmetov, Alibeckov (Krasilnichenko, 67)

Head coach: Sergey Kiryakov

Goals: Melkadze (10, 12), Kipiani (45), Akhmetov (73, pen.), Mamin (84), Poluboyarinov (89)

Best players: Roman Uzepchuk, Georgy Melkadze

After match comments

Head coach of team Belarus Alexey Vergeenko:

– I congratulate my colleague with the victory. It was unpleasant match for us. I can't say that the Russians had large domination. We played with them last summer, Sergey Vyacheslavovich won't let me lie, the score was 1:6 but it was one way game. There was no such domination today, just the personal mastery has worked well. We had good scoring moments but we failed them. But who knows what would happen if we scored those chances.

– You failed many scoring moments in the match yesterday so as today. Do you work somehow with it?

– It is hard to train it. We work with our players only for 40 days in a year. They play not even in reserved squads, but in the League of license. To explain it: there are Premier League, reserved squads, youth teams and this... more like amateurs. For example, my colleague Sergey Kiryakov played in his 18 years in Dynamo Moscow of Soviet Championship. But our guys still can't reach this level.

– Don't you want to sign a contract with Russian football clubs in order your players will get playing experience?

– I will sign a contract with Russian FCs personally with pleasure. Talking seriously, we have a good contract with Ajax Academy. Our players go there to get practice. Coaches come to us with lessons, show and explain a lot.

Head coach of team Russia Sergey Kiryakov:

– We set up our players for the victory, thus we could lose with a minimal difference with no harm for our position in the table. But we tried to score from the very first minutes in order to please our fans and audience, who came here to support our team. We knew that Belarus had a tough match yesterday. We supposed that by 30th minute of the match they would be tired. It has happened this certain way and we pressed them a little. We took the ball and made them move, scored two fast goals and it has defined the further way of the match – to play calmly for the victory.

– What has happened with Melkadze? You have substituted him and he limped on the field side. Will he be able to play in the Final?

– Yes, he has unpleasant injury, he sprained an ankle. It is a very pity, he probably won't play in the Final, but we can't say it for sure right now. May be our medical staff will do a miracle.

– An early substitution of Kipiani was also because of injury or you wanted to keep him safe till the Final?

– No, he is all right. We keep him specially for the Final.

– Why don't you make a rotation of the lineup? Today you could give a chance to play for reserved players for sure.

– We play with a certain lineup. It is important for us to set up the guys. We knew that Belarus has much stronger lineup comparing to the last year, but they had a match with Slovenia. We managed to score 2 fast goals in 15 minutes and had an opportunity to play by the score, more quietly. And all of you could see our next opponent – team of Korea Republic. A very serious opponent, fast, strictly obeying the coach's instructions, with a good dribbling. But we also set up for the victory. We want to win.

– Aren't you afraid of scoring many goals today will make players lose concentration? It can influence negatively their playing in the Final.

– There can't be any relaxations. Players know what they have to do. We have no restrictions for leaving the hotel and our guys came here yesterday by themselves to watch the match of Belarus. Today we watched the game of Korea. They come to the matches with responsibility and won't relax.