After ten years Georgian national U-17 team managed to go through the final stage of European U-17 championship. Since 2002 none of Georgian age team has not succeed in such way. As far as you know, Koba Zhorzhikashvili’s team played at European championship in 2002. And now, on May 4-16 Georgian national U-17 team will compete at final stage of European championship in Slovenia.
After finishing ballot, the group where besides Georgia were England, Spain and Ukraine was called at once “dead group”. Only very few optimistic people hoped that Georgia would manage o go through the final stage. The conditions during preparation between Georgian and these following teams were very different. Vasil Maisuradze’s team had only one advantage, it was host country of this tournament.
In spite of this Georgian team was progressing from match to match and deserved to become winner of this group. Maisuradze’s team won the most matches and the least goals was scored in Georgian goal. Reason of this success was harmony between coaching staff and players. The team had a good tactic, each of the opponent team was well studied and the players were fulfilling coach’s instructions well. The main is that, there was such team on the pitch, which managed to use moments in decisive moments. It must be said that Georgian national U-17 team held the best match against Ukraine in this tournament. The players showed their maximum of possibilities and today they were also lucky. Before the final match, Maisuradze had serious problems in the staff – due to disqualification there were only 15 players in Georgian squid including substitute goalkeeper.
At the beginning of the match Vano Tsilosani started to attack- after winning over two defenders while imitating to kick, after that he entered into the penalty area from the left side and assisted to Aleko Mzevashvili, who managed to score. After scoring a goal, Ukrainian attacked twice, but neither Viacheslav Tankosvky nor Maxim Tishchenko managed to score. At the 29th minure Otar Kakabadze started to attack from the right side and assisted to Davit Jikia, who was standing between two defenders, but in spite of this he managed to kick, but it was a little bit wrong. In a minute Dmitry Bilonog the most active player in Ukrainian team was face to face to Adamia but the goalkeeper was ahead and parried out the ball.
At the 36th minute, after many Ukrainian combinations, Adamia managed to parry out Tankovsky and Mikita Vetrova’s difficult kicks. At the 39th minute, Jikia fought till the end to keep the ball with three Ukrainian defenders, managed to enter into the penalty area and kick from the right side.
After time-out, in five minutes was Pavlo Polukhenko and Vetrov’s combination, but without any result. At the 57th minute, Jikia-Mzevashvili-Dartsimelia’s combination finished with kick by Dartsimelia, which was parried out by Ukrainian goalkeeper. At the 62nd minute Mzevashvili won the ball in opponent’s penalty area, passed through the two players and kicked. At the 65th minute Giga Samkharadze assisted to Jikia, who had the perfect chance of scoring but could not manage to use it. Soon, Mzevashvili entered into the penalty area, but could not kick and then Jikia continued to attack, but he also could not manage to kick. At the 67th minute Jikia assisted to Mzevashvili, who entered into the penalty area from the right side, but he could not kick well.
At the 68th minute Ukraine had the best chance to score but fortune was to Georgians’ side. Artur Muranyan kicked but the ball touched the goalposts. At the 77th minute Kakabadze assisted to Dartsmileia, who assisted to Jikia standing in Ukrainian penalty area, but he kicked the ball with head and the kick was not correct. At the second moment of extra time Dartsimelia had chance to kick, but Sarnavsky saved the situation. After referee’s final whistle it was found out that Georgia with Holland, France, Poland, Belgium, Germany, Iceland and Slovenia will play at final stage of European U-17 championship. It goes without saying that the players, coaches and a lot of fans were very happy.
Georgia- Ukraine 1:0 (1:0)
March 31 . Tbilisi.Mikheil Meskhi stadium
Georgia: Adamia, Kakabadze, Chanturia, Samkharadze, Papunashvili, Tsilosani (Meskhi, 61), Akhvlediani (Dartsimelia, 41), Tsintsadze (Aburjania, 70), Jikia, Mzevashvili, Gureshadze.
Head coach : Vasil Maisuradze
Ukraine: Saravsky, Kacharaba, Burda, Kharatyn, Tankovsky, Tishchenko (Radchenko, 54), Veterov (Muranyan, 61), Sobolov, Polegenko, Bilonog, Lazarevich.
Head coach: Olsekand Petrakov
Goal: 1:0 Mzevashvili (6)
Yellow cards: Chanturia (15), Kharatin (47), Dartsimelia (57), Samkharadze (73)
Referee: Markus Hamelter (Austria)
Lasha Tabagari
