Unsinkable Croats
CROATIA - NORWAY - 2: 1
The Croatian national team under the leadership of Slaven Bilic continues to amaze with a margin of safety. Throughout the Euro 2008 qualifying tournament, the 39-year-old successor Zlatko Kranchar never managed to gather the optimal squad under “checkers” banners, which did not stop Bilich from defeating the world champions in his debut game, and then scoring 10 points in 4 official games and taking the first the line in the qualification group E. On Wednesday, the strong scalp of the Norwegian team lost to the Croats at the country stadium in the ex-player West Ham and Everton.
For various reasons, the defenders Knezhevich, Sablich, Sherich, Tudor and Shimunich could not help the national team; Robert Kovacs, who played all the matches at Bilic, was eliminated due to an injury. Scratching through the guts, Bilich defended to the center of defense in pair with the record holder in the number of matches for the national team Dario Shimichu of the Tomi legionnaire Hvoe Veyicha. The middle line was missing the captain of the national team Nico Kovacs and experienced midfielder Milan Rapaich. In their absence, Monaco midfielder Yerko Leko took the chance, previously in the national team he was mainly a substitute. The attack was not without losses: the ex-army player Ivica Olic could not arrive at the location of the national team because of personal problems, and striker “Bremen” Ivan Klasnic had to lie down again for a kidney transplant operation. Against the Norwegians, Bosko Balabanu was made up of Mladen Petrich from Basel.
It was Petrich in the 26th minute who opened the score in the match, hitting the gate of Oddal from close range after a pass by Marko Babic from the left flank. After 12 minutes, the young midfielder of Zagreb Dynamo Luka Modric strengthened the leadership of the Croats, sending the ball into the net by a blow from the penalty. Having scored twice, Bilic's wards continued to control the game, but could not realize the created moments in abundance. The Norwegians, in whose composition Zenit player Eric Hagen played from the first minutes, were content only with a goal of prestige, which was the result of a momentary relaxation of the Croatian defense in the last minutes of the meeting.
Wait for the ball to bounce
ISRAEL - UKRAINE - 1: 1
The winter sparring of Israelis and Ukrainians was marked by several openings and records. Defender of Jerusalem “Betar” Aric Benado was the first Israeli player to reach 90 matches for the national squad. Tel Aviv Maccabi defender Juval Shponin and 17-year-old London Chelsea striker Ben Saar made their debut in the national team, looking at the attack by no means a timid young man. For the wards of Dror Kashtan, the match with the Ukrainians was the last estimate before the March match with the English. It is for this reason that Idan Tal and Roberto Colautti were not called to the February sparring, who, due to the yellow cards, will be watching the match with England from the rostrum.
In the first half, the home team firmly seized the initiative, but three real scoring chances of impassive statistics brought into the asset of the Ukrainians. In all three episodes - after the blows of Tymoshchuk, Voronin and Shevchenko - the goalkeeper of the Israelis Dudu Avat became an obstacle to the ball. At the 38th minute, after a lightning fast pass on his flank, he aimed aiming at the goalkeeper area, and Shust unsuccessfully played at the exit, which Badir did not slow to take advantage of, having kicked the ball from 22 into the nine Ukrainian gates. In the 72nd minute after the collision of Toam and Rotan on the penalty border, the Spanish referee did not hesitate to point. The blow of Maxim Kalinichenko repelled Avat, but the ball hit the post and bounced right on his foot to the stunned Spartak, who was relieved to hit the already unprotected goal.
Estonian hopelessness
SLOVENIA - ESTONIA - 1: 0
The Estonian team has come to visit the Slovenian national squad not in the best mood and obviously not fully armed. Alpha and omega of the current national team striker Andres Oper and defender Enar Jaager did not arrive in Domžale due to injuries. But the “eternal” guardian of the Estonian gates Mart Poom, like 15 years ago, came out in the first team against the Slovenes. The legendary Arsenal goalkeeper in his homeland, like many other age collections (Reim, Opera, Viikmäe, Zielinski), is probably spending the last season in the national team, but the Estonians have not brought up a worthy change for their generation.
In the qualifying round of Euro 2008, the wards of Yelle Hus have successively lost all three matches held, never having hit the opponents' goal. The unpleasant series continued on Wednesday. In the absence of an opera-injured ankle, the place where the guests were scored remained vacant. The hosts also distinguished themselves by the efforts of Klemen Lavrich, who realized an eleven-meter shot in the 34th minute.
The modest progress of the Katanets team
ALBANIA - MACEDONIA - 0: 1
The success of the Slovenian national team, which made it to Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup, has long remained the sole merit of Srechko Katanets as a coach. As a player, a Slovenian with Croatian roots won the now deceased Yugoslav championship, played against Napoli Maradona in the UEFA Cup, won a scudetto with Sampdoria and lost to Barcelona Cruyff in the Champions League final. However, on the Olympiakos coaching bridge, the Katanets did not win laurels, took on the modest Macedonian team - and did not lose.
Under the leadership of the Katanets, the Macedonians famously started in the qualifying tournament for Euro 2008, defeating the teams of Estonia and Andorra and achieving an honorable draw on the road with the English. The friendly game with the national team of Albania once again presented the trump cards of the wards of Katanets - a well-coordinated defense game led by ex-Spartak player Igor Mitreski and skillful use of standards. The only goal in the match in the 33rd minute was recorded at the expense of the forward of the Macedonian “Sileks” Stevitsa Ristic. The Albanians had the opportunity to recoup, but Armend Dallku failed to outplay the first number of guests Yana Nikoloski in close combat.
At the bottom
ANDORRA - ARMENIA - 0: 0
The everyday life of the Andorran team is full of significant events. The modest team of the tiny state, which has been coached by David Rodrigo for 8 years in a row, meets with national teams made up of the leading players in the strongest world championships. And, of course, it loses defeat over and over again. If the teams of some other dwarf countries are no longer quoted just above the plastic mannequins, then the Andorrans still get a full net of balls from everyone in a row. On the account of the national team, whose history is only 11 years old, there are only 3 victories, and only one of them (over the national team of Macedonia) was won in the official tournament.
For 4 matches of the Euro 2008 qualification, the Andorran team did not score a single point and conceded 19 goals, scoring only once. It is unlikely that a faceless zero draw in the control match with the Armenian team can be regarded as an indicator of positive progress in Andorran football. This result is more likely to indicate a crisis in the camp of guests who are also closing their qualifying group.
Akbar MURATALIEV, Alexander PRESKOVSKY
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