– Despite the fact that the field was not of a very good quality, in some points it seemed that the players did not lose coordination. There was a danger of losing the ball, receiving a counterattack. The home team played in their favor. I did not watch other matches with his participation, but for a team that is at the bottom of the FNL standings, the cup meeting can certainly be added to the asset. There weren’t many chances, but it’s clear that the Volga players are good. Of course, it lacks a bit of class, but the team is quite balanced. I don’t know if they were excited, but they looked good.
– What can you say about the goals scored?
– I think the class of players affected here. Especially the third goal: calmly and expressively! In such a situation, this is very important.
– Can you say that for Zenit the game ended after the first goal?
– No. Anything can happen. Don’t forget that there was a cup game in Ulyanovsk. Naturally, there were many emotions. The only thing he was sure of was that whoever scores a goal early in the game will have it easier. He didn’t know what would happen to the field next; he feared that it might be more difficult in the future. In the second half, Zenit was more successful in possession of the ball, the passes and the combinations. This tactic is typical for Zenit, when the team plays defensively on the counterattack, with five defenders, but here the players still adapted.
– There was a lot of talk about whether the match will take place in the old Simbirsk. Apparently, the field was prepared correctly?
“Most importantly, it was acceptable. For the month of February, this is still good quality. Therefore, one can certainly thank all the organizers. And the atmosphere in the match was also good.
– What do you think of the formula of the current Russian Cup?
– Teams have the opportunity to play more games. Not only football is becoming popular, but every city has the opportunity to see the teams of the strongest class, try their hand at it, understand what the requirements should be and what to fight for. On the banks of the Volga, for example, a party took place.
– How important was the fact that Zenit had experience to speed up the preparations for the spring season?
– I think that here, on the contrary, it was easier for the opponent. It is unlikely that Zenit directly prepared for the Cup. Surely the preparation was for the championship and the Cup of Russia – inclusive. But the Volga, which has problems in the championship, first prepared for this particular match.
