Russian win not enough for coach

RUSSIA coach Oleg Romantsev turned on his players even though they opened their World Cup campaign with victory over Tunisia to climb to the top of Group H.

Both sides had chances to take the lead before Egor Titov pounced on a mistake by goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel to open the scoring in the 59th minute and Valery Karpin added the second five minutes later from the penalty spot.

However, the three points in the bag were not enough to please the dour the 48-year-old coach.

‘‘There will be many reprimands for my players,’’ said Romantsev, who yesterday said he would quit if Russia did not make the second round for the first time since 1986.

‘‘First of all the defence cannot allow the opposition to create that many chances. In attack, we created chances too, but did not take enough of them. I am disappointed with the way we played in our penalty area and in their penalty area.’’

However, the remarks were brushed away by captain Viktor Onopko, 32: ‘‘I don’t think the coach was criticising us. In the coming days, we will analyse the game but I don’t think it was a criticism.’’

The scoring opportunities came and went before Boumnijel gave Russia the helping hand they evidently needed. Marat Izmailov returned the keeper’s poor throw to the edge of the area and, when the ball dropped to Titov, he stroked it into the bottom corner.

If that was not enough, Tunisia shot themselves in the foot again soon after. Radhi Jaidi brought down sub Dmitri Sychev inside the area and the impressive Karpin made no mistake from the spot.

Before the goals, Tunisia’s tactics of trying to catch Russia on the break had caused some problems for Romantsev’s men, leaving coach Ammar Souayah with no regrets: ‘‘They’re were spaces and we tried to use our individual quality to exploit them.’’

‘‘We certainly made chances so there must have been spaces there to exploit. We created opportunities before conceding, but sometimes that is football.’’

Maybe Souayah should have taken note in the 14th minute when Boumnijel gave a glimpse of the poor judgement that was to later cost his side dear.

The 36-year-old, winning only his 16th cap, spilled Andrei Solomatin’s 25-yard strike, although he did just manage to get to the rebound before Ruslan Pimenov.

Tunisia’s counter-attacking tactics came close to paying off in the 20th minute with Russian defender Yuri Kovtun bundling the ball inches wide of the post after a mix-up with team-mate Yuri Nikiforov as both attempted to snuff out the pacy threat from Hassen Gabsi.

Pimenov continued to look the most dangerous of the Russian attackers, but he perhaps did most to annoy Romantsev when firing wide from just three yards after Riadh Bouazizi had missed Marat Izmailov’s corner at the near post in the 55th minute.

The coach, who is also in charge of Spartak Moscow, need not have worried as his side were 2-0 up within the next 10 minutes.

Titov pleasing his club coach with the first, while Karpin gained just reward for his performance.

RUSSIA: Nigmatullin, Solomatin, Nikiforov, Onopko, Kovtun, Karpin, Semshov (Khokhlov 45), Izmailov (Alenichev 78), Titov, Beschastnykh (Sychev 55), Pimenov.

TUNISIA: Boumnijel, Trabelsi, Badra (Zitouni 83), Jaidi, Gabsi (Beya 67), Sellimi (Mhadhebi 67), Bouzaine, Mkacher, Bouazizi, Ben Achour, Jaziri.

Referee: Peter Prendergast (Jamaica).