“We know we can beat Canada” – Russia’s coach
Published 25 December, 2009, 16:02
Edited 09 March, 2010, 18:39
Russia’s hockey players will not be afraid of playing hosts Canada on the Vancouver ice during the Olympics as they know how to defeat such a strong opponent, national team coach Vyacheslav Bykov told RT.
RT: Vyacheslav, thank you very much for joining me, do you think you are one of the favorites for the upcoming Olympics?
Vyacheslav Bykov: I am not going to beat around the bush: Russia are one of the favorites for the Vancouver Olympics as we are the current World Champions. There are some very talented players in our side, who having been lighting up both the Kontinental Hockey League and the National Hockey League.
A lot of hopes and expectations have been placed on the Russian national team by our fans, while a lot of people, not just from Russia, but from around the world, see us as the favorites going into the Vancouver games. This doesn't bother us. Of course, there is a lot of pressure on us, and we will try to thrive on this pressure right to the end.
RT: What can you say about the Canadians, who – a lot of people are saying – are the favorites, while they are also playing at home, on their home ice?
VB: Of course the Canadian national team is extremely strong, and made up of some supremely talented hockey players. They are certainly no worse than Russian players, or even perhaps the Swedish, Finnish and Czech teams.
Playing at home could be a major advantage for them, because of the support they will get from their fans. But on the other hand, they will have the weight of the nation on their shoulders. In the end these two factors kind of counter each other.
They are favorites to win gold, just like the Russians, the Finns, the Swedes, and the Czechs. There are a lot of very good sides who can win the event and fight it out for the medals. All the top players are going to be playing in Vancouver, so there is going to be colossal interest from the public. There are a lot of good teams and I think that is great.
RT: The last three times you have come up against Canada, you have won – with the last two encounters being the World Championship finals. Do you think this gives you an advantage?
VB: No, not really. The only advantage – and it is difficult to say that it is really an advantage – is that it is possible to play on equal terms.
We won't be frightened by them, as we know we can play with them, and we know we can beat them. Our players have shown this, and physiologically, this is extremely important. I think both our sides have an equal shot at the gold medal. Canada will be gunning for revenge. They will be looking to avenge those defeats over the last two years, and won't need any extra motivation.
But we must not forget that there are other sides playing at this Olympics, and it is not just about Russia and Canada, and we need to watch out for every opponent.
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