- Title: Son strikes again to give Tottenham 1-0 win in Moscow
- Date: 27th September 2016
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, MAURICIO POCHETTINO, ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, MAURICIO POCHETTINO, SAYING: "Very pleased. I think that the victory was fully deserved, we played much better than our opponent. I think it was a difficult game, a tough game, always it is difficult to play here in Moscow. In the end I feel very pleased because we fought a lot to try to score and after 70 minutes we managed to score and we got the goal and that was very important for us, the three points, because it was a game that we must win like we talked yesterday." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, MAURICIO POCHETTINO, SAYING: "I'm very pleased because we worked very hard, it was a very tough game, it was a difficult game to come here and get the three points. For that I feel very pleased for our players." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, MAURICIO POCHETTINO, SAYING: "I feel very pleased for Sonny (Son Heung-min), I think that he's on fire like you say in the media!" MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, MAURICIO POCHETTINO, SAYING: "I think that this was important, three points, very important for us to be in the race to get to the next round of the Champions League. I think was very important the three points. To be now second on the table is very important for us, four games to play and it is all open." POCHETTINO LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA CSKA MOSCOW COACH, LEONID SLUTSKY, IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CSKA MOSCOW COACH, LEONID SLUTSKY, SAYING: "Despite the fact that Tottenham's advantage was obvious, we had some good moments at counter-attacks both in the first and in the second half. This makes the fact that we could not stand up to it until the end even bitterer. And we allowed such a goal! I still cannot say if it was on the verge of being off-side. But it is not important anymore. At the end we tried to move forward, to create moments. And we had strikes by (Roman) Eremenko and (Mario) Fernandes, we had moments to score. But unfortunately our implementing was worse than we would want it to be." SLUTSKY LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 13th October 2016 00:18
- Keywords: Moscow Tottenham CSKA Moscow Champions League Slutsky Pochettino
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00151CDD8F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Son Heung-min scored his fifth goal in as many games to give Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win over a limited CSKA Moscow side in their Champions League Group E clash in Moscow on Tuesday (September 27).
Despite missing five key players, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was still able to name a strong line-up as Spurs played their first ever Champions League match in the Russian capital.
"Very pleased. I think that the victory was fully deserved, we played much better than our opponent. I think it was a difficult game, a tough game, always it is difficult to play here in Moscow. In the end I feel very pleased because we fought a lot to try to score and after 70 minutes we managed to score and we got the goal and that was very important for us, the three points, because it was a game that we must win like we talked yesterday," Pochettino told reporters after the match.
The English side started well and dominated possession but CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who was looking for his first clean sheet in 39 Champions League encounters, was largely untroubled early on.
Zoran Tosic should have done better for the hosts just after the half hour mark as he blazed over with his left foot from the edge of the penalty area.
Minutes later, Dele Alli grazed the top of the crossbar with an excellent drive from distance with Akinfeev beaten.
Tottenham continued to press after the break, with CSKA happy to sit back on the counter-attack. However, the Army Men lacked any pace to cause Spurs any significant problems when breaking.
The north London side took a deserved lead after 71 minutes through the in-form Son. The South Korean international, who scored twice in Saturday's 2-1 league win at Middlesbrough, just managed to get enough power on his shot to take it past Akinfeev.
"I feel very pleased for Sonny (Son Heung-min), I think that he's on fire like you say in the media!" Pochettino joked after the game.
The hosts pushed for an equalizer, but Hugo Lloris was largely untroubled, aside from a swerving Roman Eremenko shot from distance, as Tottenham get their Champions League campaign back on track with a valuable three points in Moscow.
"Despite the fact that Tottenham's advantage was obvious, we had some good moments at counter-attacks both in the first and in the second half. This makes the fact that we could not stand up to it until the end even bitterer. And we allowed such a goal! I still cannot say if it was on the verge of being off-side. But it is not important anymore. At the end we tried to move forward, to create moments. And we had strikes by (Roman) Eremenko and (Mario) Fernandes, we had moments to score. But unfortunately our implementing was worse than we would want it to be," CSKA Moscow coach Leonid Slutsky told reporters after the game.
The result leaves Tottenham in second position in the group on three points, while CSKA sit in fourth position with one point from their opening two matches. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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