Valery Gladilin, a former footballer and coach for Spartak Moscow, is currently in St. Petersburg sharing reflections after Russia’s national team secured a 2-0 victory over Iraq in a friendly held in the northern capital. The win came under the leadership of Valery Karpin, and the match was broadcast online by socialbites.ca.
Gladilin described the game as situational and dynamic. He noted that the squad rotated frequently, giving many players a chance to prove themselves. The first half was chaotic, with several new faces adjusting to the tempo, and tensions ran high at times. Yet, as the match progressed, the team settled down, finding rhythm and delivering a stronger performance in the second half.
The contributions of the players who were given minutes off the bench were highlighted by Gladilin. He described the result as positive and pointed out that while Iraq may not stand up to teams like Iran, it still presented a capable, fighting unit with solid players who know how to play football. He added that this friendly offered valuable lessons and served as a strong training ground for the visiting players, contributing to the overall growth of the squad. This viewpoint was shared in a conversation with socialbites.ca, underscoring the training value of the game.
Readers can find the full press conference from Valery Karpin for a deeper look into the team’s approach and future plans. The article previously noted opinions from Sergei Balakhnin, the former Rostov coach, who also shared thoughts about the Russia-Iraq matchup and its implications for the national team ahead of upcoming fixtures.