Ryzhov helps Russia dispatch Andorra
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
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Russia 4-0 Andorra
Four players were on the scoresheet as Russia kicked off their 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying with a win in Krasnodar.
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Four players got themselves on the scoresheet as Russia kicked off their 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying with a comfortable win in Krasnodar.
Ryzhov rampant
In their first competitive game since the appointment of coach Igor Kolyvanov in December 2008, Russia picked up their first three Group 1 points in some comfort, with PFC CSKA Moskva forward Dmitri Ryzhov setting up Aleksei Ionov for their 14th-minute opener before heading their second from a corner on 21 minutes. Ryzhov was then fouled in the area to allow CSKA team-mate Pavel Mamaev to make it 3-0 from the penalty spot, but the same player missed a second spot-kick before the interval. The second half proved to be less exciting, but Russia completed the rout two minutes from time, Anton Kozlov registering with a shot from distance. "It was very important to score in the first 20 minutes and we did it," said Kolyvanov after the final whistle. "We could have won by a bigger score, but the most important thing is that my players were eager to win."