Moderate optimism before game against Hungary

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Romania’s national football team met yesterday at the training camp in Mogosoaia in order to start its preparations for Friday’s away game against Hungary, a game counting for the World Cup 2014 qualifiers. Coach Piturca considers the game decisive for holding the second place in the group. “The Hungarians are dangerous, they form a powerful team. I don’t believe we are more valuable than they are at this moment,” Piturca stated for Digisport. The coach does not believe that the absence of fans in the stands (the game will take place behind closed doors as a result of an UEFA decision) will necessarily be an advantage: “I would have liked for the stadium to have fans. Only after the game will we see who had an advantage from this. (…)Steaua Bucharest’s European results this spring seem to have impressed Victor Piturca. According to ‘Gazeta Sporturilor,’ the coach decided to convene no less than nine Steaua players for the games against Hungary and the Netherlands. Latovlevici, one of Steaua’s best players, was not summoned, Piturca being of the opinion that Shakhtar’s Razvan Rat and Lazio’s Radu Stefan would be better. A novelty is the fact that striker Claudiu Keseru, considered one of the best players of France’s League II, has been summoned at the national team for the first time. Here is the full extended line-up: goalkeepers – Ciprian Tatarusanu (Steaua), Costel Pantelimon (Manchester City), Silviu Lung Jr. (Astra); fullbacks – Gabriel Tamas (West Bromwich), Srgian Luchin, Dragos Grigore ( Dinamo), Vlad Chiriches, Florin Gardos ( Steaua), Dorin Goian (Spezia), Razvan Rat (Shakhtar), Stefan Radu (Lazio); midfielders – Gabriel Torje (Granada), Adrian Popa, Alexandru Chipciu, Mihai Pintilii, Cristian Tanase, Alexandru Bourceanu (all from Steaua), Costin Lazar (PAOK Thessaloniki), Alexandru Maxim (VfB Stuttgart); strikers – Bogdan Stancu (Orduspor), Adrian Mutu (Ajaccio), Claudiu Keseru (Angers), Raul Rusescu (Steaua), Gheorghe Grozav (Petrolul).