By Vladimir Dmitriev
Belarus finds itself in the same group as the Spanish, although with a greatly different agenda. While Spain leads and expects nothing less than to reach the final round, Belarus wishes only to hold its head high and is grateful for the honour of taking part in the prestigious tournament. It is a bright page in the history of the national squad.
The stadium has never before welcomed such giants, so it was unsurprising that every seat was taken, despite the cold October evening. Although everyone hoped for a miracle, the Spanish national team’s talent, strategy and skill are such to inspire envy in any squad on the planet. Its players grace the clubs of legendary Barcelona, Manchester United and Real.
The head coach of the Belarusian national team, Georgy Kondratriev, hoped that his players would put up some fight but the Spanish had already scored twice by halftime. Goalkeeper Alexander Veremko was no match for Jordi Alba and Pedro Rodrнguez; two more goals were scored in the second half, leaving Mr. Kondratiev only to note that today’s Spanish squad is the best he has ever met in his life, so it was no surprise that his team only managed a few moments near their rival’s net.
Of course, the defeat by the Spanish won’t dampen the Belarusians’ spirits; the Spaniards’ win (three points) in Minsk was inevitable. Meanwhile, following defeat in Tbilisi, the Belarusian squad set a goal to take revenge on Georgia a few days later.
