By Dmitry Baranovsky
Georgy Kondratiev’s squad met the Israeli team in Jerusalem at the Teddy Stadium. The match was full of intrigue, despite being only a ‘friendly’, with the final score remaining uncertain until the very end.
In the first half, there were few thrills, with a slow pace of action evident. However, each side still managed a goal, with the first scored by the hosts in the 19th minute, when Omer Damari took advantage of Yegor Filipenko’s error to slip the ball past Belarusian goalkeeper Sergey Veremko. Our team responded with several attacks, one of which, a few seconds before halftime, brought the desired result. Sergey Kislyak equalised with a long-range shot.
As soon as the second half began, Sergey Balanovich managed another goal for Belarus, outmanoeuvring Israeli goalkeeper Dudu Aouate. The fast, long-range shot forced the hosts to become more active, but Kondratiev’s team was ready for this. Several potential scoring moments were the result, with Belarus setting up more shots at goal than their rivals, but the score remained at 2:1.
Israeli has beaten Belarus on its three previous meetings, making this our squad’s first victory against its rival. “I’m satisfied with the team’s play,” stressed Mr. Kondratiev after the match. “They managed to change the course of the game after that first goal.”
