25.11.11 18:30 Druzhba Palace, Donetsk
Donbass
Donetsk
Continental Cup
Semi-final stage
6 : 2
(3:0, 0:1, 3:1)
Game ended
Liepajas Metalurgs
Liepaja
Press-conference
Alexander Kulikov (head coach HC "Donbass")
- This was our first game of the tournament. Short tournament and everyone understands that in any game, any team can be short of points. This is not a championship, where you have 60 games and you can fix something. The first period was good, and in the second we began to allow some liberties for ourselves, made a few mistakes, and we were punished for it. In the third - again outplayed rivals, appeared moments and scored three goals. Overall, I liked the team from Liepaja, a young team. A couple of years and it will be a very good team.
- Have you had a temptation to "hold" the players to save power?
- Played all four links. There were moments when the fourth link came out in a new combination. You know that Donica came after months of treatment, Mikhnov was not played for the first team, Pobedonostsev played after the injury. We have had combined these players and gave them to play, and, in general, a lot. We do not set the task to load the two blocks, gave to play to everyone.
- Have you seen the match with "Rubin", which is easily defeated the Poles, and yourselves easily coped with the Latvians. Are you agree that the main match will be between the "Donbass" and "Rubin"?
- If we underestimate an opponent then we can lose to anyone. I have already said that the team "Rubin" is very strong, and I think that everything will be decided at the last day, no matter how developed the game on Saturday.
Valery Voronin (head coach "Liepajas Metalurgs")
- Match result is natural. The skill level of each player of the "Donbass" higher than our players. In sum, team skill from Donetsk clearly biger than our own, hence the result. An opponent played with a fun, stress-free, made the result even in the first period. Our task here - this is, to learn and study again, above all. It is clear that the level of quarterfinal series, which took place in Romania, were not so high and we managed to beat Kazakhs, an order of magnitude lower than this tournament, held in Donetsk. I also want to acknowledge the excellent organization of the tournament. All at the highest level: locker rooms, and attitude towards us, and the hotel, and meals, etc. Everything is as it should be. Thanks for that organizers.
Press Service of HC "Donbass"
- This was our first game of the tournament. Short tournament and everyone understands that in any game, any team can be short of points. This is not a championship, where you have 60 games and you can fix something. The first period was good, and in the second we began to allow some liberties for ourselves, made a few mistakes, and we were punished for it. In the third - again outplayed rivals, appeared moments and scored three goals. Overall, I liked the team from Liepaja, a young team. A couple of years and it will be a very good team.
- Have you had a temptation to "hold" the players to save power?
- Played all four links. There were moments when the fourth link came out in a new combination. You know that Donica came after months of treatment, Mikhnov was not played for the first team, Pobedonostsev played after the injury. We have had combined these players and gave them to play, and, in general, a lot. We do not set the task to load the two blocks, gave to play to everyone.
- Have you seen the match with "Rubin", which is easily defeated the Poles, and yourselves easily coped with the Latvians. Are you agree that the main match will be between the "Donbass" and "Rubin"?
- If we underestimate an opponent then we can lose to anyone. I have already said that the team "Rubin" is very strong, and I think that everything will be decided at the last day, no matter how developed the game on Saturday.
Valery Voronin (head coach "Liepajas Metalurgs")
- Match result is natural. The skill level of each player of the "Donbass" higher than our players. In sum, team skill from Donetsk clearly biger than our own, hence the result. An opponent played with a fun, stress-free, made the result even in the first period. Our task here - this is, to learn and study again, above all. It is clear that the level of quarterfinal series, which took place in Romania, were not so high and we managed to beat Kazakhs, an order of magnitude lower than this tournament, held in Donetsk. I also want to acknowledge the excellent organization of the tournament. All at the highest level: locker rooms, and attitude towards us, and the hotel, and meals, etc. Everything is as it should be. Thanks for that organizers.
Press Service of HC "Donbass"
