The Russian team had its most difficult journey in recent years: the long flight and unusual weather were aggravated by the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in 10 years. In the end, Karpin’s team only managed to play one of the two matches scheduled for Hanoi – against the hosts of the mini-tournament.
Back home, we spoke to the national team’s goalkeeping coach Vitaly Kafanov about natural disasters, Latyshonok’s debut and Safonov’s adaptation to PSG.
— How did you fly from Vietnam? — We left on time, thank God, despite the elements. We returned home on time, as planned.
— Wasn’t it scary to be at the epicenter of events? – You’re welcome. There was nothing like that in the hotel. If you didn’t look out of the window, you got the impression that there was nothing there. In my memory, there were two such hurricanes in Moscow, when trees were uprooted and advertising posters were blown away.
Hurricane in Vietnam
Photo: LUONG THAI LINH/EPA/TASS
— What impressions did the match with Vietnam leave on you? “I am very pleased that this time we were able to play with two goalkeepers at once – Andrei and Zhenya. I am doubly pleased that Latyshonok made his debut. It is a pity that Matvey did not play. It was planned in advance that he would play a match against a higher-ranked opponent – Thailand. Unfortunately, Matvey has not trained at PSG for two months now. He needed this match and we really wanted him to play for the national team.
— Is Matvey very worried about not playing? – No. There are situations that a player accepts as a professional.
— What advice did you give to Letty? — Zhenya and I prepared for the match first. We knew in advance that he and Andrey would play in the middle. We had several training sessions, theoretical classes and watching videos of their matches with Zenit. They showed moments from other matches that I wanted to draw their attention to, because they would be useful for playing in the national team.
—What specific points did you ask us to pay attention to? — We showed clips from Zenit’s last five games with moments when the national team coach Valery Georgievich Karpin asks him to attack in a different direction than at the club. Then they showed me where to aim the ball when playing with his feet.
— Are you satisfied with the performance of Lunev and Latyshonok in the national team? – More than satisfied. I didn’t see a single flaw in any of them. We trained in a good mood, which is very important. When a goalkeeper is in a good mood it means he is motivated. I thanked them at the airport and on the plane for the work they did in this meeting.
Evgeniy Latyshonok
Photo: Mikhail Shapaev, RFU
— Was the match difficult for you in these weather conditions? — The humidity caused more difficulties. Towels were brought to the bench for the coaches and substitute players; we did nothing and the sweat was pouring down our faces. I can imagine how difficult it was for the guys on the field. Someone said that the humidity was 95%. The Vietnamese are used to such weather, but for us it was difficult: you just do gymnastics, but you feel like you’ve been sitting in a bathhouse for half an hour.
— But there were also comments about the quality of the field. “It was uneven, but the hosts had the same pitch. Unusual for us, although it played in our favour in the episode that led to the second goal.
—Did the field fail Lev Dang? – 100%! The ball was right in front of Lev’s foot: he jumped and jumped on it. Very uneven pitch. The defender also made a pass that didn’t go to the ground, but it was bad. When we watched the replay, it was clear that Lev had no chance of hitting the ball.
— Did you talk to Leo in Vietnam? – Yes. First there was a short conversation in the tunnel before the match: we greeted him and wished him a good match. Then I thanked him for the match and the next day he came to our hotel. We talked for more than two hours. I was interested in how his career developed. I understood roughly what happened to him up to the age of 17 in Russia, and he told me how the last 14 years in Vietnam developed. His path from a 17-year-old to the number one of the Vietnamese national team was interesting.
— Were you surprised by how his career turned out? — It was all interesting. First of all, I asked him to tell me about the very beginning, when he first came to Vietnam. I want to say that I was amazed at how difficult the path was, how much he had to endure, endure hardships and humiliations. At the same time, he became number one in another country, but that’s not the most important thing. More importantly, Leo remained an incredibly kind person, despite the difficult path. Just a wonderful guy!
lev dang
Photo by: RIA Novosti
— Can you compare his level with that of the RPL goalkeepers? – The goalkeeper maintains the level he plays at. If he had to play in Russia, it would take him some time to get used to it. Matvey has the same situation now in France: he needs time to reach the level. Lunev had this when he came to Bayer. This is the situation with Yatimov, who moved from Tajikistan to Rostov. It takes time to play at the level and adapt.
— Was it necessary to motivate Safonov more before he was called up to the national team? “Three or four weeks before the training camp we discussed with Matvey whether he should leave or whether it would be better to stay at the club to adapt. He spoke with his coach, I also spoke with him. In the end they agreed that it was better for him to come to play for Thailand. I am glad that Matvey wanted to come. Despite two difficult flights, he received positive emotions from communicating with the guys. Everyone was happy to see him. He enjoyed his time with the national team.
— PSG did not interfere in the selection process? – His wish was for me to go to the national team.
— Matvey told me that you spoke to the PSG goalkeeping coach. If it’s not a secret, what is it about? “I told Borja that I had two questions: whether Matvey should leave and, if so, what he would recommend to do with Safonov during this period. We thought that Matvey would have four training sessions, but he had a slight illness and did not come to Novogorsk, but directly to Hanoi. There was basically one and a half training sessions left, before and after the match with the Vietnamese national team. That is why we could not give Matvey everything we wanted. Well, he did not play the match, the weather made adjustments. But it was rather an emotional arrival of Matvey to the national team. Of course, we did not want him to come to PSG without training and waste time. For their part, they gave him everything they could. He went to the gym regularly. During this time I became even more professional.
— How has Safonov changed during his time at PSG? — Their goalkeeping coach is Spanish. I once travelled to Spain and spoke to the coaches: Pedro Haro from Real Madrid, coach of the Spanish national team. I attended their seminars, so I roughly understood what kind of school there is in Spain. Matvey is fine with it. I am glad that he is not French or Italian, but Spanish. I am not saying that they have a bad school, but in this case it is easier for Matvey to adapt. We have many approaches and exercises similar to the Spanish one. He learns it quickly and the coach said this: Matvey is progressing quickly. He is very satisfied with it. He constantly asks for training, it is not enough for him. Borja says: “This makes me happy, but I have to stop Matvey.” And Matvey wants more.
— So it doesn’t take long to adapt? — No, one thing is the goalkeeping school and another is the level of the players you defend the goal against. There is a much higher level of skill, execution and finishing of attacks. It is not easy for him there, but the most difficult period is over.
— Are there any doubts about Safonov’s upcoming call-up to the national team? – It’s not worth it, he’ll be in the national team.
Matvey Safonov
Photo: Mikhail Shapaev, RFU
– Many people think it wasn’t worth travelling so far for a match. Was this trip necessary? – Of course, I would like to play two matches, but one is also fine. We looked at the players: Karpin as outfield players, I as goalkeepers. I am glad that Latyshonok and Lunev played in the middle. It was worth a try. Valery Georgievich hoped that another group of players would watch Thailand. Of course, in this sense it is a pity that we did not test ourselves more with the team. On the other hand, fans and experts saw who is the strongest today in Russia. There are more advantages than disadvantages.
What Karpin said in Hanoi:
Video
“Stay here for 30 minutes. Who will you beat with a wicket?” Karpin brilliant in Vietnam
— Under these conditions, should players be motivated more? – Judging by the games we’ve been playing for the last six months or so, you can see how much desire they have. The boys do this for the fans. I think it’s not even about the result that we won with a big score, but about the desire with which they play.
