Before the match against Georgia, Belarusian team was under psychological pressure. After losing to Spain 0:4 in Minsk, the team of Georgy Kondratiev was criticized by president Alexander Lukashenko. The president stated football players looked like they had “soiled their pants” and turned up on the pitch with trembling arms and legs. He also added that unlike Belarus, Georgia fought against Spain till the end. It is not surprising that before the match Kondratiev stated: “We must win”. This match decided his issue too.
Temur Ketsbaia was in better situation because his team gained a point against Finland. The Georgians could have won in Finland but it did not happen. Before the match against Belarus, Ketsbaia mentioned that 4 points in 3 matches satisfied him. He also added he wanted to win in Minsk. But it is fact that the national team played one of the weakest games in the capital of Belarus.
It is hard to say if criticism of Lukashenko or other factors worked but Belarus held the best match in the current qualifying round and gained the first 3 points.
Unlike the match in Helsinki, Ketsbaia made one change in lineup: Levan Mchedlidze was substituted by Davit Devdariani. Belarus scored the first goal at the beginning of the match. Like the match against Finland, Zurab Khizanishvili made a bad mistake. In spite of parrying the ball, he tried to stop it but lost it to Stanislaw Drahun. Renan Bressan used it and scored goal – 1:0.
After that, the Belarusians gained advantage and at the 20th minute, Bressan kicked the ball but missed.
At the 28th minute, Bressan took a free kick and Drahun scored with head – 2:0.
After the second goal, Vitali Rodionov was one on one with Nukri Revishvili but he could not stop with ball and Gia Grigalava neutralized the situation.
The Georgian team played actively at the end of the half and could have minimized the score. Tornike Okriashvili played the most actively from the guests. He kicked the ball but Drahun parried on corner. Davit Targamadze took a “standard”. He shot the ball in the goal but it touched goalpost. Before the break, Targamadze took a free kick but the Belarusian goalkeeper parried the ball.
While the break, Devdariani substituted Mchedlidze. 3 minutes after the start of the second half, Ketsbaia substituted Okriashvili who did not suffer from injury. Ananidze did not play effectively. The Georgians had to change something but they were almost scored goal.
In the middle of the second half, Aleksandr Pavlov ran 50 meters and assisted Rodionov but he could not score. The only thing what Georgia managed to do was kick of Sandro Kobakhidze but Vyeramko parried easily.
The team of Ketsbaia ended up this year with failure. The team will hold the next match against France on March 22, 2013.
Belarus – Georgia 2:0 (0:2)
October 16. Minsk. “Dinamo Stadium”.
Belarus: Vyeramko (cap), Drahun, Hleb, Bressan (Volodko, 85), Pavlov (Kislyak, 83), Palyakow, Tigorev, Verkhovtsov, Bardachow, Rodionov (Chukhley, 90+1), Filipenko.
Head coach: Georgy Kondratiev.
Georgia: Revishvili, Grigalava, Kashia, Amisulashvili, Khizanishvili, Kankava (cap), Daushvili, Targamadze (Kenia, 75), Okriashvili (Ananidze, 49), Kobakhidze, Devdariani (Mchedlidze, 46).
Head coach: Temur Ketsbaia.
Goal: 1:0 Bressan (6), 2:0 Drahun (28)
Yellow card: Targamadze (35), Tigorev (43), Palyakow (45+2), Khizanishvili (51), Kankava (68), Bardachow (73), Hleb (90), Mchedlidze (90), Grigalava (90)
Referee: Robert Schorgenhofer
Lasha Tabagari
