Russia forward Kira Petukhova scored twice in her team’s 4-0 friendly win over India. After the match in Kolkata on October 8, she described how heavy rain made the game difficult to prepare for.
Petukhova said the Russian women’s national team barely had time to warm up. The substitutes did not join the pre-match warm-up so they would not get wet and fall ill. The training pitch had been dry the day before, so the players had to get used to the ball again in the different conditions after heavy rain.
“We had to adapt during the match. It was difficult, but we managed,” the forward said. She explained that going onto the pitch after the rain felt very different from the previous day’s training.
Petukhova also shared how she felt about scoring her first goals for the national team. She said she had worked toward it for a long time and especially wanted to score with the mindset she brought to the training camp. “Thank God, it worked out. At last, I have opened my account for the national team,” she added. The Russian Football Union published her comments.
Russia and India are scheduled to play their second friendly on October 11.