RUSSIA - LATVIA - 1:0 (0:0)
August 16 2006.
Moscow. Lokomotiv Stadium. 20000.
Friendly Match.
Referee: Gilevsky (Poland).
Latvia: Aleksandrs Kolinko; Igors Stepanovs, Vitalis Astafjevs, Dzintars
Zirnis (Igors Korablevs, 76), Juris Laizans, Oskars Klava, Maris Smirnovs,
Imants Bleidelis, Maris Verpakovskis, Andrejs Rubins, Andrejs Prohorenkovs
(Viktors Morozs, 63).
Head Coach - Jurijs Andrejevs.
Russia: Igor Akinfeev; Vasiliy Berezutsky, Alexei Berezutsky, Vladislav
Radimov (Dmitry Loskov, 46), Sergei Ignashevich, Marat Izmailov (Igor
Semshov, 76), Yevgeny Aldonin, Andrei Ariavin, Alexander Kerzhakov (Roman
Pavlyuchenkov, 46), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Pavel Pogrebnyak, 81), Alexander
Anyukov.
Head Coach - Guus Hiddink.
Scorer: Pavel Pogrebnyak (90+3).
RUSSIA BEATS LATVIA 1-0
MOSCOW (AP) - Pavel Pogrebnyak scored a last-minute goal in his international
debut Wednesday, giving Russia coach Guus Hiddink his first victory in
a 1-0 friendly win over Latvia.
Russian national soccer team's coach Guus Hiddink,
of Holland, center, instructs Igor Semshov, right, before using
him as a substitute. / Photo: AP
Hiddink, who coached Australia to the second round of the
World Cup in Germany, is the first foreigner to coach Russia's national
soccer team.
Russia dominated the game and had numerous scoring opportunities in the
first half. Zenit St. Petersburg strikers Andrei Arshavin and Alexander
Kerzhakov came close in the first half but failed to beat goalkeeper Aleksandrs
Kolinko.
Hiddink made four substitutions in the second half as Russia continued
its domination.
Pogrebnyak, who came on for Diniyar Bilyaletdinov in the 81st minute,
scored the winner when Roman Pavlyuchenko took a long pass from the midfield
and headed it across the box with only seconds remaining.
Latvia's best chance came in the 63rd when Juris Laizans' cutting pass
from the center put Maris Verpakovskis one-on-one with goalkeeper Igor
Akinfeev. The Russia goalkeeper rushed ahead to kick away Verpakovskis'
first shot and then defender Vasiliy Berezutsky dived to stop the second
attempt, almost on the goal line.
Russia will play a 2008 European Championship qualifier on Sept. 6 against
Croatia. Also in Group E are England, Israel, Estonia, Macedonia and Andorra.
Latvia hosts Sweden on Sept. 2 in Group F, which also includes Denmark,
Spain, Iceland, Northern Ireland and Liechtenstein.
Hiddink who led South Korea to the World Cup semifinals in 2002, also
took his native country, the Netherlands, to the final four in 1998.
