Yartsev plan comes to fruition

By Trevor Haylett in Cardiff

Russia's victory against Wales earned a place in the UEFA EURO 2004™ finals and completed a stirring revival in their fortunes inspired by their caretaker coach Georgi Yartsev.

Contrast in emotions
His emotions at the end of an intensely competitive tie were in marked contrast to the disappointed Welsh manager Mark Hughes after celebrating a winning header from Vadim Evseev, the only goal in 180 minutes of play-off football.

New beginning
After the game, Yartsev, who was appointed in August, outlined the strategy which had put his country back among Europe's leading football nations. "I took control when our situation was probably worse than you could have imagined," Yartsev said. "I first had to bring back our best players, those who were willing to play for the national team. Previously we did not have our best players but we became a team again."

Onopko in charge
That team were as well-organised and determined in Cardiff as Wales had been in Moscow four days before. Marshalled around Viktor Onopko, winning a national record 109th cap, they gave solid protection to Viacheslav Malafeev, the goalkeeping debutant, a replacement for the suspended Sergei Ovchinnikov. 
 
Ministerial backing
The coach also revealed that Russian sports minister Vyacheslav Fetisov had backed him to take the role full time with the UEFA European Championship looming. "The minister has supported my candidacy to be national coach and he was here tonight," Yartsev said. "We have gone from a situation which was worse than you can possibly imagine to qualifying for the European Championship."

'Chasing the game'
Hughes said at no stage had his team matched the levels of the previous performance which had seen them return from Russia fully confident that the tide of history could be turned. "We were chasing the game and throwing men forward and sometimes that means we lose the shape and the balance of the side," Hughes said.

'Everybody is disappointed'
He added: "Naturally everybody is disappointed. We have come a long way, made people sit up and take notice but we have not been able to qualify. It has been proved again how very, very difficult it is to make the final step, the step that would make a massive difference to Welsh football."

Early goal
His small nation have endured several other last-gasp disappointments in the past. For that reason there was a nervousness in their ranks, as Hughes admitted. What Wales did not want was to concede an early goal but that is exactly what happened as Rolan Gusev's free-kick was met by Evseev and a firm header was enough to beat Paul Jones.

'Huge occasion'
"We did not defend the situation very well," said Hughes, "And we did not compete in our penalty area as well as we had in the first game. It was a huge occasion, not just a huge football match, and possibly there were more nerves around than there would normally be."   

Future uncertain
Defeat will mean that speculation around Hughes' future will grow, and the former striker admitted: "I am contracted to the end of the 2006 [FIFA World Cup] campaign and I would like to stay on but the fact that we have not qualified, maybe people will have something to say about that."