| HIDDINK: LET'S IMAGINE WE ARE FINNS
The head coach of the Russian national team Guus
Hiddink eyes the coming match of the World Cup-2010 qualifier against
Finland.
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Guus Hiddink Photo SPORT EXPRESS
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"The game against Finland is very important,"
said the Dutch specialist. "If we win we will have all the chances
to compete for the first place in the group and if we lose we can give
the chance to Finland for the second place."
"But I am sure that this Russian team cannot simply play for a draw.
It always plays openly and bravely, strives to score and win. That is
our approach to football."
"If the match ends up with a tie it does not mean that we planned
it before the game. After the fixture you can argue whether the draw was
of high quality or whether the victory turned good."
"At the moment the situation is like this - any victory over Finland
will be good."
"And I think it is good that our team can only play this type of
football without purposefully drying the game as the play of the national
team can be recognized and reflects the style of the country and its football."
"Moreover an active and aggressive style usually leads to positive
results more than others."
"We pick up players with an adventurous tang who have no fear in
front of game and opponents. We have no players in the midfield who do
not think about attack. Moreover even in the defence line most of the
footballers are interested not only in guarding their goal."
"At Lokomotiv Stadium we won Finns 3:0 but at the same time w scored
only once with two others being own goals. Though we cannot forget the
match Finland vs. Germany where Germany scratched only the tie out. On
their home turf Finns are very strong and it will be very difficult to
set the same pressure as in Moscow on them."
"Sometimes when you need to realize the level of difficulty of the
game you must try to walk in the opponents' shoes. Let's imagine we are
Finns."
"The first thought is that we should get even with Russians for the
defeat. The second one is that it is the decisive game and only victory
will let us compete for the ticket to the World Cup-2010."
"For the hosts the match Finland vs. Russia will be held with the
slogan - to be or not to be."
"The season in England is over and I am sure Arshavin can easily
show his best in the coming matches. Pavlyuchenko had not got a lot of
playing practice that means he is not tired after a year and a half а
constant football."
"Though even if Roman appears in the starting eleven in Helsinki
he won't be able to spend all 90 minutes on the field, he lacked playing
tonus."
"And Arshavin had several days-off and then kept the form training
with his former club Zenit and now at the training sessions of the national
team he looks very well."
"I don't worry about him and his game. He is a person that can and
likes taking responsibility."
"I did not like the habit of Alexandr Kerzhakov of shouting at his
teammates after unsuccessful passes and that was one of the points we
discussed on the phone."
"Kerzhakov proved his right to perform for the national team in the
matches of the Russian Premier League. But I had to let him know that
it is unacceptable to show his displeasure this way."
"Now we turned a new leaf. After our conversation I see at the trainings
that Alexandr works wonderfully for the team. And his individual abilities
are beyond any doubt."
Sport
Express Daily, 08 June 2009
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