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RUSSIA CAN DRAW THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS WHILE ARMENIA SEEK A FAST FINISH
Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/1007/1224305389457.html
Oct 6 2011
RUSSIA CAN render Ireland's efforts all but irrelevant if they avenge
their Moscow defeat to Slovakia when the teams meet again this evening,
with kick-off 75 minutes ahead of the Irish game.
Nothing but a home win will keep Slovakia in this competition - and
aid Ireland as their boss Vladimir Weiss acknowledged yesterday -
but even a draw should be enough for the visitors who entertain
Andorra in Tuesday's final Group B game.
"If my players don't understand what is at stake tonight and realise
what we have to do here in Zilina, then they have a problem," said
Advocaat, who earlier this week warned those same players that he
will quit if they don't make Euro 2012.
"We still have qualification in our own hands but Slovakia have already
shown us in their win in Moscow that we cannot relax against them."
The MKS Stadium is sold out for tonight's game but local confidence is
confined to within the Slovakian camp. Those outside the tent, as Mick
McCarthy used to say, fear their team will shoot more blanks tonight,
just as they did in the 0-0 draw in Dublin and the 4-0 reversal at
home to Armenia last month.
Coach Vladimir Weiss doesn't share that view. "We are in a better
position psychologically going into this game than the Russian team,"
said Weiss, without left back Marek Cech, strikers Stanislav Sestek
(suspended) and Robert Vittek (injured).
"Everybody in Russia expects their team to qualify and that puts all
the pressure on their players. I know we will score in this game. I
also know Russia's last four goals have come from deflections. They
couldn't score against Ireland in Moscow. If we play as we did in
Russia and defend well, then we can win this one." Captain Marek
Hamsik - the one Slovakian player named by Advocaat at his pre-match
briefing - agrees with his manager. "We can score goals, that is
all that has been missing from our game of late," said Napoli's
influential midfielder.
"We will take heart from what we did in Moscow. We had to defend hard
that night and take our chance when it came and it will be the same
in Zilina. Russia know we can beat them."
Like his players, Weiss wants to do Ireland a favour.
"People are all the same. The Slovakian people want us to win for
Slovakia and the Irish people want us to win for them. We will try,"
promised Weiss.
Meanwhile, the game between Armenia and Macedonia in Yerevan could
prove no less key in the outcome of the group, the Armenians' startling
4-0 win away to Slovakia last month giving them a chance of qualifying
for a major tournament for the first time.
A win for Armenia tonight and they would travel to Dublin for Tuesday's
final group game knowing that another victory could put them in to
the play-offs.
After losing at home to the Republic in their opening game and then
conceding a 96th minute equaliser, from a penalty, away to Macedonia,
Armenia looked unlikely contenders in the group, but since then they've
picked up four wins and a draw, their only defeat coming in Moscow.
Macedonia, now managed by John Toshack, are out of contention, and
their hopes ahead of the game were hardly helped by the loss of their
star man, Napoli's Goran Pandev, after he suffered a thigh injury
in training.
Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/1007/1224305389457.html
Oct 6 2011
RUSSIA CAN render Ireland's efforts all but irrelevant if they avenge
their Moscow defeat to Slovakia when the teams meet again this evening,
with kick-off 75 minutes ahead of the Irish game.
Nothing but a home win will keep Slovakia in this competition - and
aid Ireland as their boss Vladimir Weiss acknowledged yesterday -
but even a draw should be enough for the visitors who entertain
Andorra in Tuesday's final Group B game.
"If my players don't understand what is at stake tonight and realise
what we have to do here in Zilina, then they have a problem," said
Advocaat, who earlier this week warned those same players that he
will quit if they don't make Euro 2012.
"We still have qualification in our own hands but Slovakia have already
shown us in their win in Moscow that we cannot relax against them."
The MKS Stadium is sold out for tonight's game but local confidence is
confined to within the Slovakian camp. Those outside the tent, as Mick
McCarthy used to say, fear their team will shoot more blanks tonight,
just as they did in the 0-0 draw in Dublin and the 4-0 reversal at
home to Armenia last month.
Coach Vladimir Weiss doesn't share that view. "We are in a better
position psychologically going into this game than the Russian team,"
said Weiss, without left back Marek Cech, strikers Stanislav Sestek
(suspended) and Robert Vittek (injured).
"Everybody in Russia expects their team to qualify and that puts all
the pressure on their players. I know we will score in this game. I
also know Russia's last four goals have come from deflections. They
couldn't score against Ireland in Moscow. If we play as we did in
Russia and defend well, then we can win this one." Captain Marek
Hamsik - the one Slovakian player named by Advocaat at his pre-match
briefing - agrees with his manager. "We can score goals, that is
all that has been missing from our game of late," said Napoli's
influential midfielder.
"We will take heart from what we did in Moscow. We had to defend hard
that night and take our chance when it came and it will be the same
in Zilina. Russia know we can beat them."
Like his players, Weiss wants to do Ireland a favour.
"People are all the same. The Slovakian people want us to win for
Slovakia and the Irish people want us to win for them. We will try,"
promised Weiss.
Meanwhile, the game between Armenia and Macedonia in Yerevan could
prove no less key in the outcome of the group, the Armenians' startling
4-0 win away to Slovakia last month giving them a chance of qualifying
for a major tournament for the first time.
A win for Armenia tonight and they would travel to Dublin for Tuesday's
final group game knowing that another victory could put them in to
the play-offs.
After losing at home to the Republic in their opening game and then
conceding a 96th minute equaliser, from a penalty, away to Macedonia,
Armenia looked unlikely contenders in the group, but since then they've
picked up four wins and a draw, their only defeat coming in Moscow.
Macedonia, now managed by John Toshack, are out of contention, and
their hopes ahead of the game were hardly helped by the loss of their
star man, Napoli's Goran Pandev, after he suffered a thigh injury
in training.