Sunday 17 May 2020

BELARUSIAN FOOTBALL - WEEKEND REVIEW

PREMIER LEAGUE

Firday 15th May 

FC Minsk v Neman Grodno - Postponed 
Torpedo BelAZ 3 Gorodeya 1 (264)

Saturday 16th May 
Energetyk-BGU 2 Dynamo Brest 1 (525) 
Shakhtyor Soligorsk 2 Slavia Mozyr 0 (355) 
BATE Borisov 3 Slutsk 0 (1,157)

Sunday 17th May 
Belshina 1 Vitebsk 1 (517) 
Dynamo Minsk 1 Isloch 0  (687) 
Rukh Brest 0 Smolevichy-STI 0 (512) 

The game between FC Minsk and Neman Grodno was postponed due to one of the Minsk players having COVID-19 symptons with the squad now self-isolating - I send my best wishes to all at FC Minsk. Neman Grodno did play a game as they as they played their reserve team with the result being 1-1 - the game went to penalties, I presume to give the players practice for future games and it ended 4-3 to the first team. 






PICTURES FROM NEMAN GRODNO v NEMAN GRODNO RESERVES SHOWING THE FANTASTIC NEMAN KIT THAT HAS WON ADMIRERS ALL OVER THE WORLD. NUMBER 7 IS KADYIMAN WHO HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE SO FAR 
(Courtesy of ФК Нёман Гродна on Facebook)  

In the second game on Friday the first teams of Torpedo Belaz Zhodino and Gorodeya didn't quite match their reserve game played on Thursday which was 7-00at half time and 9-4 at full time with Dmitry Galuza scoring four for Torpedo and Yuri Volovich netting a hat-trick for Gorodeya. Volovich made the bench for the first team game which saw Brazlian Lipe Veloso make his first start for Torpedo alongside his fellow countryman Gabriel Ramos. It was the former Lviv (from Estonia) and FC Toyoko (Japan) midfielder who scored the first goal when he was able to tap home from close range after a cross from the right hand side - It was the 23 year old's first goal for the club he joined in the pre-season. When you read that Veloso spent his youth career with three of the biggest clubs in his homeland being Corinthians, Flamengo and Palmeiras he sure must of had a good football education. 

Gorodeya are now without a win in four games and travel to Slavia Mozyr next weekend. 

The early game on Saturday saw Energetyk-BGU take on Dynamo Brest with Dusan Bakic and Evgeni Yudichts scoring a goal in either half and Dynamo scoring in injury time through Sergey Kislyak with his first goal of the season. Energetyk looked comfortable in the game and deserved their victory against last season's champions who after two wins in row now lose another game. Many of their fans were frustrated to see forward's Artem Milevskiy and Denis Laptev on the bench - they came on in the second half. 

Shakhtyor Soligorsk's 2-0 victory against Slavia Mozyr means that Slavia after winning two of their opening three games now have only one win in five. Shakhtyor are unbeaten in five league and cup games with four wins and one draw. Vitali Lisakovich (30 mins) and Syarhey Balanovich (87 mins) scored the all important goal for the home side. Slavia's case wasn't helped in the second half when former BATE Borisov player Vladislav Malkevich was sent off for a second bookable offence.

On Saturday evening it was the game all of Europe (and the World) were talking about as top of the table BATE Borisov welcomed second placed Slutsk to the BATE arena. Many people were discussing the return of the Bundesliga and the apparent 'return of football' but this was the game of the weekend for many fans around the world! 

The bookmakers made BATE hot favourites to win at 3/10 with Slutsk at 17/2 - As often is the case it was the bookies who were right and it was BATE who recorded an impressive 3-0 with goal from Nemanja Millic (who followed up his two goals after coming off from the bench last weekend) and a fantastic free kick from Ihar Stasevich in the first half and a third from Pavel Nekhajchik in the second half. Slutsk, after a great start to the season, have now lost two games in a row.  

Belshina are still without a win at the bottom of the table after their 1-1 draw with Vitebsk - Sergey Glebko scored a penalty for the home side in the second half before Julio Cesar was able to equalise for the visitors after Sergey Turanok in the Belshina goal had parried a low free kick into his path. The main talking point of this game was referee Sergey Gorayutin handing out 11 yellow and 1 red card - More about that below. 




MATCH ACTION FORM THE DYMANO MINSK v ISLOCH GAME 
(courtesy of FC Isloch on Instagram) 



In the Minsk derby between Dynamo and Isloch was won by the home side. One goal was scored via Ivan Bakhar on 60 minutes. Dynamo played the the final 20 minutes with 10 men following Edgar Olekhnovich's red card in the second half. 


The final game of the day saw Rukh Brest return to their form of not scoring and not conceding after last weekend's 2-4 victory over Neman Grodno. Rukh's results now read (their score first) 1-0, 0-1, 0-1, 0-0, 1-0, 0-0, 1-1, 2-4 0-0. Excluding the Neman game they have goals for 3 and goal against 3 in eight games played. Coach Alexsandr Sednev will be very pleased at the defensive record but will want to see more goals! 

Smolevichy are still without a win but coach Alexsandr Brazevich will be happy with the clean sheet going into next week's game with FC Minsk which may well be called off due the player at Minsk having covid symptons.   

FIRST LEAGUE

Saturday 16th May 
Arsenal Dzerzhinsk v Lokomotiv Gomel - Postponed 
Orsha 2 Granit 1 (350) 
Volna 4 Khimik Svetlogorsk 2 (340) 
Lida 3 Oshmyany 1 (180) 

Sunday 17th May 
Krumkachy Minsk 1 Naftan 0 (275) 
Slonim 0 Smorgon 1 (235) 
Sputnik 0 Gomel 4 (550) 

In the first league the Arsenal v Lokomotiv Gomel game was postponed due to one of the Arsenal players displaying symptons of covid-19 - It will be played at a later date. As with FC Minsk I send best wishes to all at Arsenal Dzerzhinsk. 

Smorgon took advantage of Lokomotiv's inactivity in the first league to go top with a 0-1 victory over Slonim. Smorgon's goal came from Russian Alan Mistulov who joined the club for the 2020 season from his homeland and a club called Khimik Arsenal.

Gomel, relegated from the top tier last season, finally got their first win of the season with a 0-4 victory at Sputnik who were reduced to 10 men just prior to half-time when Stanislav Izhakovskiy was sent off. The score was then 0-0 and it was four second half goals from Gomel which got them the three points - twenty year old Nikolay Ivanov scored his first goal for Gomel  - He is currently on loan from Premier League side Dynamo Minsk. 

At the bottom it's Naftan and Khimik on -9. Khimik have now lost five in a row and let in fifteen goals. 

BELARUSIAN CUP 1st QUALIFYING ROUND

BOLD denotes non-league sides 

Saturday 16th May
OsipovichY 3 Alfa Minsk 1 
Montazhniik Mozyr 1 Stenles Pinsk 1 (4-5 pens) 
Stroitel Kopyl 2 Ivatsevichi 1
Novaya Pripyat Olyshsany 4 Dnepr Rogachev 2 
Spartak Shklov 2 Viktoria Mayina Gorka 0
Sparta Krasnoselsky 1 Baranovichi 4 (AET) 
Chakya Zelva 0 SMI Autotrans 4 
Polotsk 2 Molodechno 2 (10-9 pens) 
BGU Minsk 3 Zhlobin 0 

A quirk of the Belarusian football season saw the 2020/21 Cup start before the final of the 2019/20 competition takes place which is due to played next weekend as BATE Borisov take on Dynamo Brest. 

The Second League sides were involved at this stage alongside the teams from the amateur regional leagues which are not playing at the moment and are due to start at the end of June. 


It was celebration time for three non-league sides - Stroitel Kopyl, Novaya Pripyat Olyshany and Spartak Shklov all beat league sides and will move into the second qualifying round - In 2019 it was only two non-league sides who did this. 



Chakya Zelva (nicknamed The Seagulls) continued their disappointing start to the season - so far they have lost 2-4, 0-15, 0-1 and 0-8 in the league and now 0-4 in the cup. They held out against Second League Group B side SMA Autotrans until the 49th minute - SMA then added further goals in the 62nd, 63rd and 70th minutes to go through to the second qualifying round. 




PHOTOS OF SLAVIA MOZYR RESERVES MATCH SHAKTYOR SOLIGORSK RESERVES - NUMBER 70 IS DENNIS TETTEH THE 23 YEAR OLD GHANIAN PLAYER WHO JOINED THE CLUB FROM EGYPTIAN SIDE TANTA OVER THE PRE-SEASON - HE WAS ON THE BENCH FOR THE FIRST TEAM GAME ON SATURDAY. 
(courtesy of Slavia Mozyr on Instagram)  

RESERVE LEAGUE
Thursday 14th May 
Torepdo Belaz Zhodino 9 Gorodeya 4 
FC Minsk v Neman Grodno - Postponed

Friday 15th May
BATE Res 3  Slutsk Res 0 
Shakhtyor Res 4 Slavia Res 1  
Energetyk-BGU Res 2 Dynamo Brest Res 1

Saturday 16th May 
Dynamo Minsk Res 0 Isloch Res 0 
Belshina Res 3 Vitebsk Res 3
Rukh Brest Res 0 Smolevichy-STI Res 1 

RED AND YELLOW CARDS GALORE!!

The talking point of the Belshina v Vitebsk match was the fact eleven yellow and one red card was issued in a game which was never really bad tempered. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the referees who officiated in the Premier League for the weekend fixtures to see who issues the most cautions and sending offs - A full league table will follow when I get time. Sergey Gorayutin was the man in the middle - looking at his games this season he gives out a lot. From three Premier League games and one First League game this season he has issued thirty yellow cards and three red cards.


NAME GAMES YELLOWS REDS AVG Y TOTAL#
SERGEY GORAYUTIN 4 30 3 7.5 9.00
EVGENIY NAUMOV 5 26 2 5.2 6.00
PAVEL KORONETS 7 35 3 5.0 5.86
VITALI SEVOSTSJYANK 8 52 5 6.5 7.75
SERGEY STETSURIN  10 60 2 6.0 6.40
ANDREY VASILEVICH 6 40 4 6.67 8.00
SERGEY CHISTOV 6 33 6 5.50 7.50
# Total worked out by adding one point for a yellow and two points for a red and then dividing with number of games. 




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