RUSSIA: SOCCER - FC Porto defeats CSKA Moscow 2-0 in Champions league Group G match

FC Porto defeated CSKA Moscow 2-0 on Tuesday (November 21) in Moscow. The Portugese team looks now well set to reach the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, while dealing a serious blow to their Russian rivals. Goals in each half of the game from Ricardo Quaresma and captain Lucho González ensured a Group G victory in Moscow. CSKA coach Valery Gazayev said his team had been in bad shape because a lot of travelling. CSKA had travelled back from Russia's east coast after reclaiming their domestic title in Vladivostok on Saturday. The loss against Porto was their first defeat in the competion. "I think Porto's victory is reasonable and I would like to congratulate the team. Our team did not play as good as they could. We were simply physically not recovered from the tight schedule and the long flight. Our team was not in a good shape today, and that was the reasons of many of our mistakes and our forces were limited." CSKA could still qualify with a win in Hamburg next month, but Porto know their destiny is in their own hands when Arsenal visit on 6 December. Arsenal beat Hamburg 3-1 in London later in the evening. CSKA's success this season has been built upon the defensive might of Sergei Ignashevich, but a knee injury confined the captain to the substitutes' bench here and the Russian side felt his absence dearly. "We started the game very well. It is obvious that the goal in the second minute was a big advantage which improved our confidence. We know from experience that when the team can not make a goal they should use another strategy. As I said yesterday quite clearly, Porto came here to win the game," said beaming Porto caoch Jesualdo Ferreira.

ITN Source | November 22, 2006