Russia’s 23 best football players named for participation in world championship

Yesterday evening, the coach of the Russian combined football team Oleg Romantsev named 23 players to go to the world championship in Japan and Korea.

The players are:

Goalkeepers: Ruslan Nigmatullin, Alexander Filimonov and Stanislav Cherchesov;

Full-backs: Vyacheslav Dayev, Yury Kovtun, Yury Nikiforov, Viktor Onopko, Dmitry Sennikov, Igor Chugainov;

Half-backs: Dmitry Alenichev, Marat Izmailov, Valery Karpin, Alexander Mostovoy, Sergey Semak, Andrey Solomatin, Igor Semshov, Alexey Smertin, Yegor Titov, Dmitry Khokhlov;

Forwards: Vladimir Beschastnykh, Dmitry Sychev, Alexander Kerzhakov, Ruslan Pimenov.

Fourteen players are members of Russian clubs and nine of them represent foreign clubs.

In Romantsev’s words, it was very difficult to make the choice and much discussion arose in this connection among football coaches. Finally, the above-mentioned players were chosen.

Oleg Romantsev also commented on Alexander Mostovoy’s injury: he said the injury was not grave. The coach is sure that Alexander Mostovoy will be in perfect condition to play the second match with the Japanese team.

Players who participated in the LG tournament, Andrey Karyaka, Omari Tetradze, Denis Laktionov, and Andrey Arshavin, were not included in the list for participation in the world championship. In addition, football fans completely approve of the final list of players compiled by the coaches. An opinion poll was held by RTR-SPORT.Ru for the past ten days. Football fans were asked which of the Russian football players should not be included on the list for participation in the world championship. Respondents voted against the four players mentioned above: Karyaka (26% of respondents voted against his candidature), Laktionov (22%), Arshavin (14%), and Tetradze (13%).

The first match for the Russian team, against the Tunisian team, is scheduled for June 5.

Sergey Yugov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/05/21/41418.html