Before the dust had settled on Russia’s early elimination from Euro 2004, coach Georgy Yartsev was looking to the future.Their 2-0 defeat by Portugal in the Luz stadium means Russia have nothing more than pride at stake in their final Group A game against Greece. But it might also provide the chance for one or two ofRussia’s young players to stake their claims for key roles in the World Cup qualification campaign that is fast approaching.‘‘I was very proud of the players,’’ Yartsev said after Wednesday’s defeat in which goalkeeper Sergei Ovchinnikov was sent off just before half-time for handball outside the area. ‘‘They showed plenty of fight and we showed we can play,’’ he said. ‘‘It was a very young team on the pitch and those players mean we have a good future.‘‘Many of the team were under 22, and they will start to have more time on the pitch in the coming years and will be important for us to qualify for the World Cup.’’The likes of Alexander Kerzhakov, 21, and Dmitri Sychev, 20, have the potential to be top international strikers, while great things are expected of 21-year-old midfielder Marat Izmailov.Vladimir Bystrov, who came off the bench against Portugal, is still only 20 and teenager Igor Akinfeyev is regarded as Russia’s future goalkeeper after making his league debut at just 17.Whether or not Yartsev is still in charge is another question. He is expected to come under fire for the expulsion of experienced playmaker Alexander Mostovoi. But Yartsev was not backing down after the Portugal defeat, even if the 35-year-old Mostovoi’s experience might have kept Russia in the tournament. ‘‘I have no regrets about that (Mostovoi). All the team agreed with the coach and with the leaders of the team, we showed we can play without Mostovoi.’’
