"It's too early to call the team the main favorite of the MFM": Plyushchev on the Russian national team, extra penalties and Askarov's confidence

"It's premature to call the Russian national team the main contender for gold"

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Can you call the Russian national team

after the victory over the USA the main favorite of the tournament?

- Several teams have chances for gold, including the Russians.

Calling them the main contenders for the championship is probably too early.

After all, the game with the United States was also quite ambiguous - in the end, everything went a little wrong, as we would like.

In general, you should never make predictions for the first matches and say that everything is known in advance.

We are in for the playoffs, which will most likely include Russia, the United States, Canada and Sweden.

There will be very different meetings, with a different intensity compared to the group stage.

The national teams that did not have a lot of playing practice will be recruiting during the tournament.

For example, in the confrontation with Austria, the Americans have added decently, although it is clear that this is not such a weighty opponent for them.

Therefore, it is not worth guessing yet.

We just wish our guys a good game in the future, and that luck is on their side.

It is very difficult without this.

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Is it good that Igor Larionov's charges face strong opponents right at the start of the tournament? 

- Due to the coronavirus pandemic, hockey players of many teams have not had the opportunity to often go on the ice this season.

Therefore, of course, it is better to immediately meet strong teams.

In general, usually during the preseason, athletes and coaches have a so-called retraction microcycle, and at the World Championships such matches are also very useful.

In any case, it is good for us that we have already played against the USA.

- Was the Russian national team lucky in this regard, which had the Karjala Cup as a preparatory stage?

- In general, I'm talking about the fact that many other national teams did not have a sports calendar as such, while our guys were in good shape - they played in the Continental Hockey League (KHL), had a good Eurotour stage.

Foreign federations, in principle, did not open the season for youth teams, including North America.

Therefore, naturally, we have a certain advantage.

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What did you personally like about the game of the Russian national team in the match against the USA?

- Interaction between attackers and defenders.

The Russians demonstrated good teamwork, and the hockey players from the attack group were very aggressive at the Stars and Stripes goal.

The goalkeeper Yaroslav Askarov also looked very decent, but in general he recently pleases with a mature game beyond his years.

At the same time, I cannot single out someone individually.

There was no such thing that one person sparkled, as at one time Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeny Malkin, Alexander Semin and Ilya Kovalchuk, although the latter did not play for the youth team.

In any case, now we have an even, well-disciplined team.

Until the last 10 minutes everything was reliable, but at the end of the period they began to retire in the attacking zone, which is not very cool.

I think the coaching staff will draw conclusions and explain how to behave when you have such an advantage.

Still, there is a game ahead with technically equipped Swedes, and there are not far off the playoffs.

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And what, in your opinion, is the reason for the large number of deletions that made the end of the meeting nervous?

- I can say that all the fines were in the case, there are no questions to the judges at all.

It happens that the guys flirt, which is typical of young hockey players.

The stick automatically went to the feet, found itself between them, and the opponent, of course, stumbled.

The referee fixed the footrest correctly.

It cannot be said that the guys acted rudely and deliberately removed.

It just sometimes happens that you are leading in the score and you lose control a little in some episodes, especially in attack.

The stick does not go where we would like.

But since I broke the rules, there is nothing to be done, regardless of whether it happened by accident or not.

"Askarov earned the title of the best young goalkeeper in the world not after meeting with the USA"

- Larionov and

many experts noted the performance of Vasily Ponomarev's line, which became the most productive, but spent less than the others on the ice.

What is the secret of the successful play of this link?

- As I said, the team has gathered quite even.

The guys just wanted to prove their worth, and they were a little more fortunate than the rest.

With a good organization of the game, if something went wrong with one combination of hockey players, the other teams take on a little more.

Let's hope that others will prove themselves in the next matches.

One way or another, the main thing is the result, and it was achieved.

Larionov's charges took advantage of the opponent's mistakes.

- Despite the fact that all combinations of the Russian national team can be called equal, the media wrote that the first link does not live up to expectations.

Should the coaching staff think about changes in this regard before the game with the Czech Republic?

- I never give advice to coaches.

Especially with regard to the composition and selection of hockey players.

This is all completely individual.

Each specialist sees the situation differently.

Therefore, putting yourself in Larionov's place is wrong.

It is always easier to recommend from overseas, but the mentor is within the team, went through tournaments and training camps with him, knows who he is what.

I am sure that if adjustments need to be made, Larionov will do it in the interests of the team.

In general, he assessed the actions of the charges and stressed that, with the exception of a couple of moments, everything suited him.

- Do you yourself agree with the statement that Vasily Podkolzin's link does not live up to expectations?

- I am not commenting on this.

- You mentioned Askarov's game, and before the last match his confrontation

with American goalkeeper Spencer Knight

was discussed 

.

Can we say that after this game the Russian can be called the best young goalkeeper in the world?

- Yaroslav did not earn this title after meeting with the United States.

He already has a high rating.

This is shown both in the KHL and in the international arena.

Askarov has an excellent press, expert reviews, so there is nothing to add here.

Journalists just want to create another intrigue.

The American gatekeeper is also talented, but this season has almost no practice.

The winner of their confrontation can finally be chosen only after the end of the MFM.

- That is, Knight's mistake in the episode with the fourth goal of the Russian squad can be connected with the lack of playing time?

- Whenever major competitions begin, there are a lot of shortcomings on the ice.

This is often referred to as "autumn hockey".

Knight turned out to be an addictive game, he behaved a little imposing and began to show tricks.

However, if he learns from mistakes, then this will not happen again.

The main thing is that Larionov's wards took advantage of Knight's oversight, because many cannot do this either.

But again, the Americans fought hard to the last, although they had problems with preparation.

I think the US team will not be left without medals.

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After the Americans reduced the backlog to one goal, the US striker Trevor Zegras shouted something at the domestic bench, but they did not even react there.

Does this indicate a high level of discipline in the Russian national team?

Still, young players tend to respond to provocations.

- Nobody ever told what he shouted.

He could just rejoice at an abandoned puck.

Our players react in a similar way after the goals, they just do not pass the opponents.

Zegras was closer to the Russian shop, it happens.

I think if he was not far from the American bench, he would hardly have gone to ours.

I admit that many guys speak English, and if something offensive was sounded, it would certainly come up.

“I don’t think there can be any problems in the match with the Czech Republic”

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Ponomarev, after the match with the USA, expressed confidence that Larionov would become a successful coach and even suggested that the specialist could reach the heights of the legendary Anatoly Tarasov.

Isn't it premature to say so?

- Did Ponomarev work under the leadership of Tarasov to make such statements?

It is not always ethical when a hockey player begins to sing the praises of an acting mentor.

It's one thing when experts are evaluating, and another is a team player.

Yes, the person wanted to say something good, but, apparently, did not come up with anything better.

Still, to compare someone with Tarasov, you need to go through his school.

- And in general, what

, in your opinion, has changed in the game of the Russian youth team under Larionov in comparison with the period of Valery Bragin?

- Everything is always determined by the head coach, and assistants work depending on his decisions.

Now something has really changed in the team, it plays in the key of Larionov, and not in the style of Bragin.

"Molodezhka" changed their tactics, which Igor Nikolayevich did not hide.

He admitted that he wants to see other hockey performed by the guys.

It is unambiguously clear that the team began to play more meaningfully and less straightforward.

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The closest rival of the Russian team, the Czech Republic, lost to the Swedes at the start of the tournament with a score of 1: 7.

Will the domestic team allow underestimation of the opponent?

- I don't think there can be problems with the Czechs.

If they do appear, then, perhaps, only in the first 10 minutes, as it usually happens.

Then everything will fall into place.

Russia looks stronger, more powerful, more organized.

Again, the opponent lacks playing practice.

But there can be no underestimation.

The World Championship is not a walk, not a "Golden Puck" with New Year's gifts under the tree.

Everyone understands perfectly well that there is no need to engage in stupid things.

There is a goal to reach the final, and you need to get there without any problems, without thinking up an extra headache.

- Can you then call the key match with Sweden?

- Indeed, the Scandinavians will have to suffer.

The Swedish school annually confirms its high status with results.

And last year Tre Krunur was also great.

Unfortunately, I cannot assess the current state of the Swedes, but they will definitely add in the course of the tournament, and you should not discount them.

- Therefore, if we talk about who will compete for the trophy, should we include Sweden among the main favorites?

- I would not ignore the Finns either.

The pandemic has made its own adjustments to the preparation, but all teams have a good base.

And we should expect an improvement in the quality of the game, at least in the performance of these teams.

I’m not talking about Switzerland, Germany or even the Czech Republic.

I'm not sure that they will be able to oppose something to the favorites.