Russia - Superliga 2007/2008

Results - 4th Leg - 26.01.08
Dinamo Moscow - Kazanochka Kazan 3:0 (25:17, 25:23, 25:21)
Universitet Belogor'e - Zarechie Odintsovo 1:3 (14:25, 26:24, 15:25, 20:25)
CSKA Moscow - Samorodok Khabarovsk 2:3 (25:21, 26:24, 24:26, 22:25, 19:21) statistics < what a nice 5th set

i will add an interview of Elena Godina after i translated it here, so check back later

Here comes the interview with Elena Godina

The decision of your non-participation in Halle was made in the latest possible moment?
- Lets start in order. In the beginning of January i came to the squad in Khabarovsk and spent the whole time there with the team. Well, i was having an individual training schedule: In the morning, when jumping tasks werent needed i was having training with the team after that i went to the gym. In the evening i was warming up in pairs and was working on the other set with those players who werent in the main squad. Caprara warned from the beginning that he will need me only if Yulia Andrushko works badly. I was fine with this decision. And at the end he suggested me not to risk my health and go to Halle as a tourist just. Playing with all my powers was very hard for me indeed - I almost couldnt jump. So i was rooting for the russian team but not in Halle but in Moscow. Here at "Dinamo" i had the chance to train well.

How many matches have you seen from Halle?
- I watched all matches of Russia except the first one - against the Croatians. Did i imagined myself to be on court that times? No, certainly.I just tried to note all the good actions of the girls. All in all their play was making the viewers eye glad. Except the 3rd and 4th set against the polish team in the Final when everybody started to make mistakes. Luckily they came back in the 5th set and proved character. Generally, great job.

What did u feel when understood that the ticket to Olympia is ours?
- Relief. Very good that we got that ticket already now, ahead of the schedule. Now its possible to plan the preparations for the games and not for the next exhausting qualification tournament.

Is the absence of Russia at the Grand Prix 2008 a blessing for this preperation?
- I have two different ways of relation to this tournament. On the one hand, as a player, spending already the 12th season with the nationalteam, i wouldnt have liked that much. On the other hand there be some benefit either. Matches against the main competition just shortly before the Olympic Games are never useless.

Now until the end of the club season you will probably think about Beijing very often. Actually being careful...
- Of course, Olympic Gold is the goal of the whole career. Thats why its important to be careful and not to allow yourself even a small weakness, or else you run the risk after making 2 steps ahead 3 steps back, taking into consideration the situation with my knees. However, this doesnt mean that club-related things are now less important. Without a successful play with "Dinamo" there wont be anything good in the nationalteam either. The tasks of the tournaments must be solved by the entrance of these.

Were you seriously risking your health, when playing the final of the Russian Cup in Odintsovo on 29th December?
- Risk was present of course, because i had a long break in playing. However the trainer squad decided that my participation was necessary. Principally i was able to stand 3 sets normally and then i felt pain and asked for substitution. This didnt effect the following trainings at all.

On Wednesday u debuted successfully in this years' Championsleague in an away-match against Austrian "Schwechat". How do you judge your shape?
- Right now im showing less than 50% of my potential. But im continuously moving forward. As always.

And what about the potential of "Dinamo"? Did the team become stronger comparing to last season?
- Yes of course, thanks to the arrivals of Maria Liktoras and Logan Tom. Logan helps us a lot in receiving and defence and plays very smart at blocks. Well, its needed to set fast balls to her but we practise high balls. Thats why there are some problems sometimes.

Are you happy with the new serious competition in the league with "Zarechie Odintsovo"?
- "Zarechie" was our rival last season also already. Well, that time they failed suddenly somehow at the end of the regular season and missed the qualification for the Final-4. Now their squad became even stronger. But also other teams became stronger, e.g. "Dinamo Yantar", "Uralochka" and "Spartak Omsk"... Its gonna be a hard fight for the medals.

Very soon, on 5th February, "Dinamo" will play against "Zarechie". Are you looking forward to maybe take revenge on Odintsovo for losing the final at the Russian Cup?
- That would be nice. I think, many things will be decided in that match. And besides that im not hesitating and scared to say that we lost the Final against "Zarechie" because of the referees. In the end of set 3 ("Dinamo" was leading 2:0 in sets) the referee saw a touch of our block though the attack of Lyuba Sokolova flew 1m over the block. There were also more mistakes but this mentioned mistake was the essential one.

Were you claiming this to "Zarechie" players, when you joined the nationalteam in Khabarovsk?
- Of course not. The girls are not guilty in any sense. And generally we dont talk about our clubs there. And anyway, its not worth it to stuck in this Cup thing when there are things ahead like the decisive matches in the league or in the Championsleague. "Dinamo" is facing the hardest tasks in these competions. However, thats how it always is.

Author: Aleksej Bezjazychnij
translated by inside-volley.com (nastja)

As requested

Leonid Zajko: Ekaterina Gamova has no injury on her hand

Today, 29th January, Dinamo Moscow won against Dela Martinus Amstelveen 3:2 (26:24, 22:25, 25:14, 23:25, 15:9) in the final stage of the group phase and is now ranked Nr. 2 in the pool, right behind todays opponent. Headcoach Leonid Zajko shared his views on Dinamos game with the agents of "Весь спорт".

"Todays match had no tournamental importantance to both of the teams: Because no matter what the result, Martinus would have remained first and Dinamo 2nd in the pool", explained Leonid Zajko.
"But I am satisfied that my girls faught and were able to win against this tough opponent. I would like to emphasize Logan Toms performance out of the team. She played excellent in defense, was attacking well and most importantly, she lead her teammates with her emotions.
How to explain Dinamos unlucky play in the 2nd and 4th set? First of all because the Martinus team consists of nearly the whole dutch nationalteam and because Elena Godina and Maria Borisenko didnt catch up the necessary physical conditions after their surgeries. Thats why they cant keep up their concentration for a whole match yet and if one of them falls out of the game, the whole team loses its rhythm. In the match with Martinus i had to replace Elena Godina at the back-row with Viktoria Podkopaeva, so that she was able to rest. Unfortuntaly there are again new injuries effecting the squad of Dinamo. Olga Nikolaeva added herself to our sick-bay, today she wasnt even among the substitutes. She is now running some tests and most probably she will need surgery on her knee. But at least i can delight fans of Dinamo and Ekaterina Gamova. She didnt get any hand injury while playing for the nationalteam at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Halle. Interesting how this "lie" made rounds in the media. Even in the team everybody got scared, but Katia calmed us very fast.

I guess Gamova just didnt play against Schwechat to have a little break like many other players had after Halle (e.g Skowronska, Baranska and if im not wrong Sokolova) Of course this little tape on her hand caused room for speculations etc.... But good to know that she is healthy and hopefully will stay.

I dont know what to say about Tom... She is a great player but it wont work out well with Gratcheva, since as you said, she wont change her style....
Maybe its good for Logan that she learns to hit high and slow balls, just as an addition to her other skills but i hope that this wont have a bad effect on her play...

(In my opinion, it was a bad choice to go to Dinamo.... A better choice would have been Zarechie with Zhukova, who definitely is one of the best setters for me... but thats just a dream )

Results - 5th Leg - 03.02.2008

Samorodok Khaborovsk - Spartak Omsk 2:3 (25:21, 25:16, 19:25, 22:25, 11:15)
Kazanochka Kazan - CSKA Moscow 0:3 (17:25, 29:31, 26:28 )
Zarechie Odintsovo - Dinamo Moscow 3:0 (25:19, 25:20. 25:20)
Dinamo Yantar - Universitet Belogroye 1:3 (28:30, 16:25, 25:22, 25:27)
Balakovskaya AES - Uralochka NTMK 1:3 (25:22, 15:25, 15:25, 17:25)
Avtodor Metar - Stinol Lipeck 1:3 (26:24, 18:25, 21:25, 19:25)

Im surprised that Zarechie won that clearly against Dinamo... I expected at least a set for Dinamo but no chance....

Quote from Gottlib

Sometimes she speaks very fluent russian!! I swear! very talented girl!

just sometimes?

btw
ill check Andrushkos statistics later. If i find sth to use, ill post it here later

^ you already mentioned that u wanna watch all of these matches
I just want to remind you that not all of these matches are broadcasted