(Adds background in para 9)
By Brian Homewood
NYON, Switzerland, May 29 (Reuters) – Russia were held to a
goalless draw by Lithuania on Tuesday in a dismal Euro 2012
warm-up match played at a tiny stadium on the shores of Lake
Geneva which was shrouded in mystery.
Both teams hit the bar in the first minute but after that
the game seemed more like a training session than a full
international, with the spectacular backdrop of the lake and
French Alps providing a welcome diversion from the tedium.
There was a rare moment of excitement in the second half
when Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev produced a superb double
save to turn away a Ramunas Radavicius freekick and then foil
Darvydas Sernas from the rebound.
The Colovray venue has the feel of a non-league ground with
a stand on only one side of the pitch, hedges behind the goals
and a grassy knoll on the far side.
The game was not advertised by either Stade Nyonais, the
second division club which plays at the stadium, or by European
soccer’s governing body UEFA, which leases it and has its
headquarters on the other side of the road.
At Nyon railway station one hour before kickoff, there was
no indication that an international match was being played
nearby and the only giveaway in front of the stadium was a car
park full of television broadcast lorries.
But there was free entry for those who did know about the
match and a crowd of about 1,000 watched the game in a region
which is a playground for wealthy Russians.
The Lithuanian contingent consisted of six fans gathered on
the grass, including a couple who held aloft their country’s
flag during the national anthem.
Russia coach Dick Advocaat, whose team will face co-hosts
Poland, former European champions Greece and Czech Republic in
Group A at next month’s finals, said it was all worthwhile.
“I see this game as a good training exercise,” he told
reporters. “We did a lot of things wrong, hopefully we will
learn from them for our next game.”
Russia, held 1-1 by Uruguay in their previous warm-up outing
last Friday, will face a sterner test when they take on fellow
finalists Italy in a friendly at Zurich’s Letzigrund on June 1.
(Editing by Ken Ferris)
