Russia are the champions!
Russia u17 2-2 Czech Republic
u17 (Russia win 5-4 on penalties)
The Final
May 14 2006
By Andrew Haigh, Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg
For more images click here
Russia kept their heads to score all five of their
penalties as an amazing under-17 Championships came to a dramatic climax.
Alexander Prudnikov's 46th minute strike was cancelled out by Tomas Pekhart's emphatic last minute header.
In extra time, Alexandr Marenich gave Russia the lead before Tomas Necid equalised to send the tie to penalties.
When the Czech Republic's Petr Wojnar had his spot-kick saved, Russia were given the opportunity they needed to
seal victory.
And they duly obliged when Evgeny Korotaev had the honour of netting the winning penalty to hand the 2006 Championship
trophy to Russia.
As the evening sun of Luxembourg began to go down in the west of Stade Josy Barthel, the two eastern European finalists
began a match that they knew could control their destinies.
As you would expect from a final with such a huge significance, the game started cagily with neither team wanting
to give anything away the early stages.
Martin Zeman had the first opportunity for the Czechs when he ran onto Petr Wojnar's pass but his fifth minute
shot was well blocked by defender Yan Borovskiy.
Three minutes later, Wojnar's team mate Ondrej Mazuch had a blistering effort, which flew a couple of yards over
from 30 yards.
The Czechs, who had began to relax after the nervy build-up, started to dominate possession and created a number
of chances.
Tomas Pekhart's speculative header from 16 yards went over the bar and then Zeman who had created a number of chances
from the left of midfield, had a shot comfortably saved by Evgeny Pomazan.
With 18 minutes gone, Russia had their first real chance as Igor Gorbatenko lofted an imaginative pass over the
Czech defence to find Alexander Prudinkov.
As he ran between two defenders and collected the ball he seemed to control it with his arm but before the referee
could blow his whistle keeper Marek Stech gathered the ball in the Czech goal to diffuse any opportunity.
Despite their defensive strength, it was Russia who began to come into the match as an attacking force.
Prudinkov, fresh from scoring the semi-final winner, had a pop-shot from 25-yards out on the right wing but his
volleyed effort was saved once again by Stech.
Zeman troubled Russian keeper Pomazan for the first time in the match with a free-kick from the right on 25 minutes.
His left-footed curler had the shot-stopper diving to his left to get a strong hand on the ball to tip it around
the post.
But after almost another quarter of an hour with no clear chances on goal, it was obvious that the final would
be dominated by the two defences.
Some excellent trickery on 38 minutes from Tomas Pekhart on the edge of the Russian area was light relief in a
tense match but the shot that followed was less successful as it was blocked by Sergey Morozov.
Neither side had dominated the first half but both would have gone in at the break believing they had a chance
of pulling off a result.
In a bid to spark the game into life Russian coach Igor Kolyvanov took off the ineffective Dmitry Ryzhov at half
time and brought on Alexander Marenich.
Despite the change, it was the Czechs who had the first sight of goal in the second period. Four minutes in, imposing
striker Pekhart's drive to the bottom left of goal was two yards wide.
But a minute later, the tides were turned as Prudnikov broke through the centre of the Czech defensive line to
latch onto a terrific pass.
A missed tackle by Radim Reznik allowed Prudnikov to go one-on-one with Stech and the Russian coolly slotted into
the bottom right of goal with a classy finish.
Despite the Russian's lead, Petr Wojnar could have easily levelled the match with a spectacular dipping drive from
30 yards that had keeper Pomazan flailing to his left post. But the midfielder's effort was narrowly over the bar.
Czech head coach Jakub Dovalil played his joker on 55 minutes when he brought on his side's top scorer Tomas Necid.
The impact was instant as Necid broke down the left and cut back for Wojnar who chose to place his shot from just
inside the area when really a powerful effort may have been more effective.
With Necid on the pitch the Czechs looked a more threatening side and the striker had his first sight of goal when
he headed a Lukas Vacha free-kick over, under pressure from the tight Russian back line.
Dovalil added to the Czech's strike force when he brought on Martin Holek on 62 minutes, however, in replacing
his captain, Jan Polak at the back, Dovalil was taking a massive risk.
Just five minutes later, with the Czechs camped out in the Russian half, a Zeman cross rebounded off the heads
of three players and the ball could have gone anywhere, but luckily for the defiant defence it landed away from
danger.
Russia's talisman, Igor Gorbatenko, should have doubled the lead and ended any chance of a comeback when he found
space on the left, cut back and shot with his right foot. But he missed the target with glory in sight and almost
instantly was subbed in a tactical switch by Russia Coach Igor Kolyvanov.
As the Czechs pushed forward they continued to create opportunities. But they were left suspect at the back and
Russia, through Prudnikov, should have ended the tie on 76 minutes but failed when the big striker struck high
and wide.
With just two minutes remaining the Czechs had a free-kick on the left. Lukas Vacha went for the near post with
a cheeky shot and had Pomazan stranded only for the keeper to recover in time to tip the ball wide for a corner.
With 11 men behind the ball the Czechs were up against an impermeable wall during injury time.
But with seconds remaining, Pekhart's height was the difference as he leaped to force a corner.
The Slavia striker leaped highest again from the set piece, under pressure from his own keeper Stech who had come
up for the last ditch attempt, and flicked the ball into right of the goal for a dramatic equaliser.
It proved to be the last action of the 80 minutes as referee Bjorn Kuipers blew for full time as soon as the Russians
restarted the match.
Before the match, both coaches declared their worst fear would be to lose after extra time, but before either could
dwell on the prospect of such a heartbreaking loss, it was time for two periods of extra time to decide the final.
The Czechs had the momentum after the equaliser and also had the personnel with three strikers on the pitch.
But three minutes in to extra time, after an innocuous challenge 40 yards from goal the Russians piled everyone
into the box for the set piece.
Prudnikov struck what was a speculative drive straight at Stech but the keeper fumbled into the path of the awaiting
Marenich who tapped in from six yards.
But in an incredible few minutes Czechs were level through a Tomas Necid header, which although it was parried
by Pomazan, crept into the bottom left of the goal.
After what seemed to be en extremely quick first period of extra time, the teams went into the second with everything
to play for.
The Czechs continued to press in the very early stages and left-back Jakub Heidenreich unleashed a 30-yard thunderbolt,
but failed to trouble the keeper.
But as the final minutes passed without major incident, the game, just like the third-place play-off earlier in
the day, went to the lottery of penalties.
The first spot-kick fell to Russian sub Shcherbak who placed the shot in the bottom left.
His effort was matched by Czech midfielder Vacha who drove the ball into the top right of goal.
Russian skipper Vadim Gagloev then coolly put the ball down the middle.
Petr Wojnar had then had his tame effort saved by Pomazan to give Russia the advantage.
Prudnikov and Holek both netted before Roman Amirhanov kept his cool to score at the second attempt after Stech
had strayed off his line to save the first.
After Necid gave the Czechs a glimmer of hope, it was down to Korotaev to net the winning penalty sending the Russian
fans into raptures and leaving their opposition heartbroken.
Attendance: 2750
Teams:
Russia: Evgeny Pomazan, Sergey Morozov, Artem Samsonov, Vadim Gagloev(C), Alexander Prudnikov, Igor Gorbatenko
(Denis Shcherbak, 70), Yan Bobrovskiy, Dmitry Ryzhovm (Alexandr Marenich, 40), Pavel Mochalin, Roman Amirhanov,
Amir Kashiev (Evgeny Korotaev, 74).
Subs: Roman Savenkov, Alexander Sapeta.
Czech Republic: Marek Stech, Ondrej Mazuch, Jan Polak(C) (Martin Holek, 62), Martin Zeman, Jan Hable, Lukas Vacha,
Jan Vosalik (Tomas Necid, 55), Tomas Pekhart, Radim Reznik, Jakub Heidenriech, Petr Wojnar.
Subs: Ondrej Volsik, Ivan Lacko, Mirolsav Stepanek, Petr Reinberk, Jakub Susser. |
